What do many beginning teachers believe about their teaching ability when starting?

Many beginning teachers often experience an initial burst of confidence about their teaching abilities, believing they can effectively manage their classrooms and deliver lessons. However, as they face the real challenges of teaching—such as classroom management, meeting diverse student needs, and handling administrative tasks—they may start to feel overwhelmed. This can lead to a decline in their self-confidence, as they encounter situations that are more complex than they had anticipated.

The transition from theory and preparation to practical application in the classroom can be daunting, which is why many new educators report starting with a sense of confidence that can erode in response to the realities of the teaching profession. This pattern is quite common among novice teachers, as they navigate their growing responsibilities and the high expectations placed upon them. Therefore, the understanding of beginning teachers starting with confidence but eventually facing challenges, which impacts that confidence, aligns with many personal experiences shared in educational literature and teacher surveys.