How can I manage performance anxiety or nerves before teaching?
If you’re a teacher who feels anxious before lessons, you’re not alone.
Many teachers describe the same pattern: struggling to switch off at night, replaying the next day in their head, then dragging their feet in the morning with a heavy feeling in their chest. By the time they arrive at school, they’re already tense. Teaching can start to feel less like a job and more like a performance.
A lot of teachers say something like:
“I know this sounds silly, but everyone else seems to have it covered. They look so calm. How do they do it?”
That quiet comparison can chip away at confidence very quickly.
Why teaching anxiety is so common
Teaching has a lot in common with public speaking. You’re visible, you’re being observed, and you’re making decisions in real time — often while managing behaviour, time pressure, and your own expectations.
Anxiety tends to show up most strongly when other teachers are present. In group settings, many teachers notice they:
Go quiet
Hold back questions or ideas
Feel watched or evaluated
Worry they’ll be judged as “not capable enough”
Sometimes another teacher steps in to help, and instead of feeling supported, it triggers a deeper fear: “They must think I can’t cope.”
Anxiety narrows perspective. It turns uncertainty into self-criticism.
The inner critic after the bell rings
What many teachers don’t see is how much of this happens after the lesson.
Teachers often describe sitting in the car on the drive home, replaying what they didn’t say. Later that night, the same scene loops again just as they’re trying to sleep. The inner critic is loud and persistent:
“Why didn’t I speak up?”
“What does that say about me?”
This cycle is exhausting — and it explains why anxiety before teaching can feel so relentless.
Confidence isn’t always visible
One of the most helpful shifts is understanding that confidence isn’t always visible.
The teachers who look smooth, calm, or organised may also feel anxious. Some are just further along in learning how to carry it. Others experience anxiety differently, so it doesn’t show in the same way.
And sometimes, when another teacher steps in, it isn’t a judgement at all. It may be about their discomfort or nervous energy in the room, rather than a reflection of your ability.
Anxiety often tells a very convincing story — but it isn’t always an accurate one.
Calming nerves before teaching
While insight helps, teachers often need something practical in the moment.
Some gentle strategies that can help include:
Prepare for safety, not perfection
Over-planning slightly can help anxious minds feel steadier, especially if you’re newer or facing a challenging class.Ground your body before the bell
Slow breathing, feeling your feet on the floor, or taking a brief pause to arrive in your body can reduce the physical surge of anxiety.Notice the inner critic
Instead of arguing with anxious thoughts, try naming them: “This is my inner critic.” Creating a little distance can soften their impact.Zoom out
One lesson or one awkward moment doesn’t define your competence as a teacher.
You don’t need to be fearless to be capable
Many teachers believe confidence means feeling calm all the time. In reality, confidence often looks like continuing to show up with anxiety present.
Caring deeply about your work can actually make anxiety more likely, not less. This is why teachers therapy often focuses on reducing self-judgement and building internal steadiness, rather than trying to eliminate anxiety altogether.
If you’ve ever found yourself searching for a confidence therapist near me, it may be because you’re tired of carrying this alone — not because anything is wrong with you.
A gentler ending
If you recognise yourself in this, I hope you feel a little softer towards yourself.
Anxiety before teaching doesn’t mean you’re failing or that you’re less capable than the teachers around you. It means your nervous system is under pressure in a demanding role.
Support doesn’t have to be urgent or dramatic. Sometimes it’s simply having space to understand what’s happening inside you, without judgement.
If this resonates, you’re welcome to explore support in your own time. You don’t need to look confident to be capable — and you don’t have to do this on your own.