Limiting beliefs: how are they affecting your career as an English language teacher?
I know how hard taking a professional step forward can be. I’ve seen myself caught in the middle of unsustainable working conditions that desperatly prompted me to take action, but a million pressing thoughts took over and held me back for longer that I would’ve liked
- “Do I have the skills?”
- “What if it comes out flawed and incomplete?”
- “Shouldn’t I do X first?”
- “It’s not going to be as good as Y’s”
- “In order to do it, I need to have Z sorted out.”
- “I’ll do something about it next year”
And the whole cycle restarts. Does that sound familiar?
These thougts are referred to as “limiting beliefs”. They’re rooted in our own perception of the story and, more often than not, they lack enough concrete evidence to back them up.
They serve as a self-defense mechanism to prevent us from taking risks and help us stay away from danger, so we cannot say they’re completely uselles. However, we must always be aware of how real the threat actually is: unaddressed limiting beliefs may deprive you of rather unique opportunities.
Had I listened to these thoughts in the past, I probably wouldn’t have started teaching, moved to São Paulo, taken my CELTA, sat the CPE, and started working as an independent teacher. A combination of self-awareness, networking and a pinch of pep-talks from loved ones were enough to nudge me towards the right direction.
Timing is also important, but it shouldn’t be a deterrent. I may be less likely to take a few career steps today than I was in the past, but I now have several new skills that may have set me down a different (just as rewarding) pathway. What’s important is that you keep moving.
By interacting with colleagues, I’ve had the chance to see many of those limiting beliefs in place. It pains me to see that, instead of keeping them safe, these thoughts led them to a chronic state of self-depreciating thoughts.
Here are a few of them to look out for:
- I need [INSERT CERTIFICATE/QUALIFICATION HERE] to apply for a job.
Unless the position explicitly requires a certificate, you don’t need one. And, to be honest, even if it did, I’d still apply anyway. Responsible employers will see the person first and the qualification later. Apply and see what happens. In the meantime, keep working on your qualification.
- My students won’t enjoy it if I [INSERT TYPE OF TASK HERE].
If the task is relevant, do it. Move out of your comfort zone and learn to add variability to your lessons. You may be surprised by the results.
- [INSERT SUPERIOR HERE] won’t like it if I say no.
Setting boundaries is essential to ensure the quality of your service. If you choose to sacrifice your well-being for approval, you’ll have to deal with the consequences later, both on your mental health and your work relations.
- I’m not good enough to work at [INSERT INSTITUTION HERE].
Due to the nature of the work, some language institutes may have a high turnover rate. You never know when they’ll need an extra hand. Make yourself available and see what happens.
- I need to teach [INSERT LEVEL HERE] before I teach [INSERT ANOTHER LEVEL HERE].
Each level requires a certain set of techniques to be taught successfully, and they don’t necessarily follow a linear path. If you’d like to advance by teaching other levels, study a handful of techniques and learn others as you go.
Remember to reality-check whether what’s holding you back from making progress is real or if it only exists in your head.
What kinds of limiting beliefs have you had?
