“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
That First Classroom Feeling
When I was hired for my first teaching job, I went to the school where I would be working and met the principal. He walked me down to my first classroom. After saying a few words about the position, he said, “Well, I’ll leave you to get to it.”
I sat down at the teacher’s desk and looked out at the empty rows of desks. Then, a wave of shock set in. I had no real idea what I was going to do, and I was completely on my own for the first time.
Don’t Just Plan the What—Know the Who
Naturally, I did what most new teachers do. I dove into the curriculum, mapped out a plan, and started thinking through all the content I needed to teach. But if I could go back and talk to my first-year self, I would say: Stop. Before planning the what, I should have focused on the who. Who was I going to be to my students? Who was I going to show up as in that space? Because before students buy into your content, they buy into you.
Why Authentic Teaching Matters
Atomic Teaching Habit #10 is about being authentic in your space.
You are a highly skilled, deeply experienced educational professional who’s been trusted to shape the lives of young people. You are the most vital component in the educational process. To think otherwise is a mistake.
We must value ourselves, trust our instincts, and bring our full, honest selves into the classroom. Authentic teaching isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being real. You’re not a bottled-up, scripted, uniform “teacher version” of yourself. You are you, and that’s who your students need to see.
Here are three ways to build authenticity in the classroom and transform your teaching.
1. Share Who You Are
If your students are going to trust you, they need to know you. This doesn’t mean over-sharing personal details. It means letting your personality, values, and voice come through naturally. Mention the things you love. Share what brought you to teaching. Laugh. Be curious. Tell the truth about your day. Many teachers hold back, afraid to be too vulnerable or too “human.” But in doing so, they risk becoming disconnected, and students can feel that distance. Let them see what makes you you.
2. Be Honest When It Counts
There’s often a tension between what you want to say and what you think you’re supposed to say. Yes, there are times when you’ll need to hold your tongue. But there are also moments when a little honesty goes a long way in creating trust and connection.That might sound like:
“I know this short story has been hard. Honestly, if I were picking, it wouldn’t be the one we’d read. But after I went through it twice, I did find something cool I want to show you…”
That kind of honesty doesn’t break trust, it builds it.
3. Never Forget the Student Perspective
You were a student once. It might’ve been 30 years ago or just a few, but you remember what it was like. You remember the teachers who inspired you. You also remember the ones who didn’t. Use that. Tell your students what you loved about school—and what you hated. Let them know how those experiences shape your decisions as a teacher. Let them see that your classroom choices are intentional, human, and grounded in care. When students know you haven’t forgotten their perspective, they listen differently.
Your Authentic Self Is Your Best Teaching Tool
The most important thing you can do is simply be yourself. What you bring into the space, your identity, your presence,and your content knowledge, is essential. But you are so much more than your knowledge.
You are you. You are human. And so are your students. Being real and human in the learning space can be messy, but that’s okay. You can trust yourself to always do your best. And if you show up authentically, your students will leave better for having shared the space with you.
Show Up as You, Every Day
Like Emerson said, you must be yourself. There will always be voices, internal and external, that push you toward conformity. But your path to real connection and lasting teaching joy runs straight through your authenticity.
Show up as you. Every day.
Because the real you is exactly who your students need.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
These posts are all for teachers. They are intended to help in your space, and I’d love to hear from you! How do you bring your authentic self into your classroom? What parts of “being real” feel natural or hard for you?
Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear how you’re building connection and classroom culture through authenticity. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Atomic Teaching Habits series!
Miles O'Shea 
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