Teachers must spend time getting to know themselves before they can effectively get to know and educate their students. Introspective analysis is critical for emotional and social growth. As the adult in charge of students, you must know who you are and be grounded in an understanding of yourself (Deaton, 2021).

Concepts to explore include but are not limited to understanding your perspectives on life, your philosophy of education, and what you believe about how students learn. Every teacher needs to note their personal “hot buttons”, or issues that hit closer to home and are prone to cause them to behave in a less than professional manner.

Teachers should consider their strengths, weaknesses, personality, interests, and overall outlook on life. The more you know about who you are, the more honest you can be in your reflections and self-evaluations. As educators are aware of their limitations, they can strategize and create a proactive plan involving growth opportunities.

Self-exploration could take place in many forms. Perhaps you take several personality or interest inventory assessments. Perhaps you ask those who know you best to list your strengths and weaknesses. This could also include intentional moments of self-reflection every day, noting what went well, what did not go well, and what you could do next time to modify your plans. Regardless of the format, stay in tune with who you are.

Not only is it important for teachers to know themselves, but they should also share a little about themselves with their students. Witt et al. (2004) found that teachers who are available to their students, who use immediacy and a sense of humor, and complement their students’ efforts are the teachers who positively affect their students and impact their learning.

Faulkner, Watson, Pollino & Shetterly (2021) studied inclusive practices and found that participants in their focus groups emphasized the importance of relationships with other students and with their instructors. Findings from this study indicate that teachers who introduce themselves and share about themselves at the beginning of the semester make students feel comfortable and in turn view the teacher as open and approachable (Faulkner et al., 2021).