Elizabeth Cowan, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Do you ever worry that you’re not academically competent enough to tackle graduate studies? Have you ever felt like your abilities have been overestimated, or that your successes were not earned through your own merit? This internal experience of feeling like a phony ripe for exposure is not a new one, and could be influencing your effectiveness as a teaching assistant (TA). Matthews and Clance (1985) described the concept as the impostor phenomenon, where high-achieving and successful individuals are plagued by insecure and anxious feelings of self-doubt (Sakulku & Alexander, 2011).
As it relates to a graduate student’s role as a TA, feeling like an impostor may limit potential effectiveness for supporting and enhancing undergraduate learning. In a study researching the perceived utility and knowledge of graduate TAs, Tulane and Beckert (2011) found that TAs ranked themselves as less knowledgeable than the instructors of the course perceived them to be. This perception can present some real challenges to effective teaching. While TAs assume an intermediary role between undergraduate students and faculty, they are simultaneously assuming the role of graduate student, subject expert and developing researcher. As Bennett and Folley (2014) point out, graduate students often identify as both experts and novices; in other words, they are simultaneously considered to be expert students and novice postsecondary faculty. This “hybridised identity” can create tension and cause new graduate TAs to play it safe or avoid unnecessary risks in their teaching for fear of being exposed as an impostor (Bennett & Folley, 2014).
If this phenomenon strikes a chord with you, there are several ways that the impostor syndrome can be addressed to ensure that your teaching effectiveness does not suffer. First, take ownership for your successes and focus on the value you bring to the course as a TA (Warrell, 2007). You were granted the opportunity to TA because you worked hard and demonstrated competence in your field, so there is no reason to talk yourself down! The intermediary role of the TA offers unique opportunities for teaching, but some of these opportunities will be inaccessible if you continue feeling unworthy of your position and avoid risk-taking. Embracing your accomplishments requires self-acceptance and confidence, which strengthen your position as a skilled and effective TA. As you become comfortable with the teaching basics and your ability to carry out the job, you will find yourself open to new and creative teaching strategies that could improve your overall effectiveness as a TA.
Bennett and Folley (2014) also suggest the use of social media to gain support from other graduate students who may be experiencing similar challenges with the impostor phenomenon. Through web-based tools such as blogs and social networking tools, TAs are presented with a non-threatening medium to access graduate student communities that help to reduce isolation and foster the exchange of motivational guidance (Bennett & Folley, 2014). Social media platforms can help graduate students to express and wrestle with the challenges of their multi-faceted roles. It is a feasible means for graduate students to experiment with how to present their developing identity, and it offers the flexibility to reshape and adapt this identity as necessary.
While not every graduate student experiences the impostor phenomenon, it is a common occurrence in a wide range of workplaces- including institutions of higher education. This phenomenon could potentially represent a barrier to effective teaching for TAs who identify with the feelings of intellectual phoniness and self-doubt. By taking ownership for successes, remaining open to challenging risks and connecting with graduate student communities through social media, TAs will benefit from enhanced effectiveness in the classroom.
References
Bennett, L., & Folley, S. (2014). A tale of two doctoral students: social media tools and hybridized identities. Research in Learning Technology, 22, 23791. Retrieved from: http://www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/index.php/rlt/article/view/23791
Matthews, G., & Clance, P.R. (1985). Treatment of the Impostor Phenomenon in Psychotherapy Clients. Psychotherapy in Private Practice, 3(1), 71 81. Retrieved from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J294v03n01_09#.VFOWbV4Q8oY
Sakulku, J., & Alexander, J. (2011). The Impostor Phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioural Science, 6(1), 73-92. Retrieved from: http://bsris.swu.ac.th/journal/i6/6-6_Jaruwan_73-92.pdf
Tulane, S., & Beckert, T.E. (2011). Perceived utility and knowledge of graduate teaching assistants. Journal of the Scholarship and Teaching of Learning, 11(4), 44-55. Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ956752.pdf
Warrell, M. (2014, March 4). Afraid of being ‘found out’? How to overcome the impostor syndrome. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/04/03/impostor-syndrome/