My wife was just recently talking about this idea of feeling like an imposter. I think this is a common thing with a lot of people. I’m experiencing the same thing myself. Here’s my story:

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending the Georgia Educational Technology Conference. I learned a ton of stuff for my classroom, but what I really came away with was a desire to do some of those workshops.

Additionally, I ended up on a ed tech/STEM team for our county. We put on a couple of professional learning days for the county, and I was able to lead a few workshops. I loved it. I love exposing people to new ideas. I love when I can give someone else something useful.

But then I got an email calling for submissions for presentations for a conference down in Savannah. It would have been a good opportunity for me to get some more experience and expand my professional network. I froze, and I ended up not applying for it.

Why?

I didn’t feel qualified enough to put on a workshop at a big conference. Even a small conference. Why would I get picked? I’m not some big name in education.

I felt like an imposter. A wannabe.

I think a lot of us are like that. My students feel like it all the time. They ask me if I think they’ll ever get their life together. Will they ever figure it out? I usually tell them the same thing, and it’s the secret to this imposter syndrome.

The secret is simple: nobody has it figured out.

It really is that simple. I don’t have it figured out. In fact, the older I get, the more things I realize I don’t have figured out. I have, however, learned how to not let that hold me back. For the most part, at least. While I did ignore the application for one conference, I am looking into other conferences.

Life is nothing more than a process of failing and learning and applying and then failing at the next thing. The cycle continues. But it doesn’t need to stop us. We just have to keep working and learning and growing.