I woke up a 2am last night, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I also didn’t feel like getting up. I know the reason: today is the first day of classes, and I always feel some low-level anxiety before getting up in front of 30 strangers and talking for an hour. The one thing I’ve learned in 45+ years of this business is how to hide it.
I’m really good at concealing the fact that my guts are writhing and my brain is whirling and I’m sure I’ll forget what I’m supposed to say as soon as I step up to the lectern. I just refuse to let it show.
Also, don’t you dare tell me to imagine my audience naked — these are 19-20 year old students, the thought of that would send my anxiety through the roof and also would be morally wrong.
PZ, I had the same experience every semester for 48 years of teaching. Especially with a large class (mine were often 400+) there are a million things to think about and take care of before that first lecture. I never slept well, even though every first day of class went very well every single semester – I just couldn’t convince myself there was nothing to worry about.
But then, I slept VERY well the next day! Best Wishes, Ken.
I’ve been teaching since dinosaurs roamed the earth, and I still get nervous before class. In fact, I’m sitting here watching the clock count down to my Physics I class in 35 minutes, wondering if I can remember all the tidbits and anecdotes I didn’t explicitly put in my notes. So… I know exactly what you mean.
It’s clearly a common experience. I also invariably sleep really badly before the first session of an academic year, despite the fact that decades of experience tell me that it will be absolutely fine the moment I start talking to that class.