“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

Every teacher has moments of self-doubt. But when those doubts become a consistent inner narrative “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not leadership material,” or “I could never work outside the classroom” they form what psychologists call limiting self-beliefs.

These beliefs don’t just whisper discouragement; they shape the ceiling of your potential. If left unchecked, they can keep passionate, talented educators stuck, unseen, and under-confident in a profession that desperately needs their voice and leadership.

In this blog, we’ll explore what limiting self-beliefs are, how they manifest in teaching careers, practical strategies to overcome them, and how you can help students and colleagues break free as well.

What Are Limiting Self-Beliefs?

Limiting self-beliefs are thoughts or convictions that restrict us in some way. They often sound like:

• “I’m not qualified to do that.”
  
• “I’m just a teacher.”
  
• “Others are better at that than I am.”
  
• “I don’t have the confidence to lead.”
  

These beliefs aren’t based in fact—they’re often rooted in past experiences, fear of failure, or internalised criticism.

As psychologist Carol Dweck explains through her research on the growth mindset, our beliefs about our abilities directly impact our motivation, performance, and resilience. “In a fixed mindset,” Dweck writes, “students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits.” The same is true for teachers. When you believe you’re limited, you are.

How Limiting Self-Beliefs Hold Teachers Back

In a field like education—where burnout, scrutiny, and imposter syndrome are common—limiting beliefs can quietly thrive.

They might stop you from:

• Applying for a promotion or a subject lead role
  
• Sharing your ideas in staff meetings
  
• Exploring opportunities in EdTech, curriculum design, training, or mentoring
  
• Pursuing a dream of writing, presenting, or leading CPD
  

Teachers often internalise these beliefs because the profession is historically underappreciated. You might start to believe the system’s limitations are your own.

5 Strategies To Overcome Limiting Self-Beliefs

1. Name the Belief and Challenge It

Awareness is the first step. Write down your limiting beliefs. Then ask:

• Is this really true?
  
• Where did I learn this?
  
• What would I say to a friend who thought this?
  

Dr. Marcia Reynolds, an executive coach, recommends reframing these thoughts:

“Instead of focusing on what you fear you lack, highlight what you’re curious to learn.”

2. Build a Career Vision Board

What do you really want in your career? Leadership? Creativity? Flexibility? Start collecting images, words, and quotes that reflect that. Visualising your ideal path reminds your brain it’s possible—and worth fighting for.

3. Surround Yourself with Possibility Thinkers

Join teacher networks, LinkedIn groups, or CPD events where others are stretching themselves. Seeing someone else break through permits you to do the same.

Look into communities like WomenEd; they often host events or publish real-life stories of teacher progression and reinvention.

4. Adopt a Growth Mindset for Yourself

You teach it to students—now apply it to yourself. Every new challenge is a skill in development, not a test of identity.

Dweck’s research shows that feedback like “not yet” rather than “no” fuels resilience and persistence. So the next time you feel like you’ve failed, say: “I’m not there… yet.”

5. Keep a ‘Wins’ Journal

Once a week, jot down a moment when you helped a student, shared an idea, or overcame a fear. Over time, this journal becomes a living argument against your self-doubt.

Top Tip – If you create this as an Excel document, it will be easy to drag and drop achievements for any application forms or CVs.

How Teachers Can Help Others Break Through

With Students

• Model risk-taking. Share your own challenges and how you worked through them. Let them see you fail forward.
  
• Praise effort, not just outcome. Reinforce the idea that growth comes through struggle.
  
• Use affirmations and reflection journals. Encourage students to rewrite their inner narratives.
  

With Colleagues

• Call out their potential. Sometimes, a colleague just needs someone to say, “You’d be amazing at that role.”
  
• Share your own doubts openly. Vulnerability breeds courage. If you’re honest about your limiting beliefs, you give others permission to challenge their own.
  
• Collaborate on CPD. Offer to co-deliver a workshop or write a blog together. Sharing the spotlight builds confidence.
  

Final Thoughts: You Are More Than Your Beliefs

“The only thing that limits us is the belief that we are limited.” Andrew Lloyd Webber

Your potential as an educator, leader, and innovator is immense. But you’ll only see it when you start challenging the voice that says, “You can’t.”

Whether you want to stay in the classroom or branch out into coaching, curriculum design, or consultancy, your growth begins with belief.

Believe that you can. Then prove yourself right.

Further Reading & Resources

• Mindset by Carol Dweck – World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea-the power of our mindset.

• The Confidence Code by Katty Kay & Claire Shipman -The authors of the New York Times bestseller Womenomics deconstruct this essential, elusive, and misunderstood quality and offer a blueprint for bringing more of it into our lives. Is confidence hardwired into the DNA of a lucky few, or can anyone learn it?

• WomenEd Community – At the core of our mission lies the support for women to achieve their full potential. Through our programmes, resources, and community, we strive to create an inclusive space where women feel supported and empowered to pursue their dreams.

• Education Support – Resources For Individuals – Working in education is demanding. Our resources help you check how your teams are coping, and boost everyone’s wellbeing.

• Teacher Wellbeing Index 2024 – Key Takeaways – Working in the school system is hugely rewarding but comes with challenges. This year’s 2024 Teacher Wellbeing Index published by Education Support shows some positive cultural shifts but the education workforce continues to experience a wellbeing significantly lower than that of the general population.