As a teacher, confidence is good.

Some think a good teacher is a meek teacher. Quiet. Reserved. Introverted. Not sure of what to say. No opinion.

It’s imperative for teachers to be professionally confident. Would you like a confident surgeon when she’s about to give you a knee replacement? Would you like a confident attorney before you go to trial? Would you like a confident contractor who’s going to install your pool?

The same logic applies to education. Do you want a confident first grade teacher who’s going to instill a love of science in your child? Do you want a confident 7th grade English teacher who will teach your child how to write precisely and concisely? Do you want a confident math teacher who will explain calculus in a way that will help your child when she’s an engineering student at Cal Poly, SLO?

Don’t confuse confidence with cockiness. The confident person is actually the furthest thing from cocky.

It’s time for all teachers to be confident–just like effective professionals in other fields.