Circle High Five.png
Circle High Five.png

Grounded: Authenticity, Confidence, and Leadership in Teaching

$225.00

Grounded is a six-week micro-credential for Bachelor of Education students, built around one problem every new teacher runs into: the gap between the teacher you're performing and the teacher you actually are. That gap is where imposter syndrome lives, where boundaries get lost, and where confidence erodes before it's had a chance to build.

Who this is for

B.Ed. candidates preparing for their first years in the classroom. No prior coursework in this area is required. What's required is a willingness to look honestly at your own experience.

What you'll be able to do by the end

  • Tell the difference between an authentic teaching identity and a performed professional persona, and name what sustained performance costs you and your students.

  • Recognize imposter syndrome for what it is (a near-universal experience among beginning teachers, not a sign you don't belong) and use emotion-regulation and self-compassion strategies to interrupt it.

  • Write a values-grounded teaching identity statement built from your own strengths and lived experience.

  • Apply purposeful self-disclosure and hold professional boundaries appropriately in a classroom.

  • Reframe a difficult classroom moment into a teachable one instead of getting stuck in it.

Grounded is a six-week micro-credential for Bachelor of Education students, built around one problem every new teacher runs into: the gap between the teacher you're performing and the teacher you actually are. That gap is where imposter syndrome lives, where boundaries get lost, and where confidence erodes before it's had a chance to build.

Who this is for

B.Ed. candidates preparing for their first years in the classroom. No prior coursework in this area is required. What's required is a willingness to look honestly at your own experience.

What you'll be able to do by the end

  • Tell the difference between an authentic teaching identity and a performed professional persona, and name what sustained performance costs you and your students.

  • Recognize imposter syndrome for what it is (a near-universal experience among beginning teachers, not a sign you don't belong) and use emotion-regulation and self-compassion strategies to interrupt it.

  • Write a values-grounded teaching identity statement built from your own strengths and lived experience.

  • Apply purposeful self-disclosure and hold professional boundaries appropriately in a classroom.

  • Reframe a difficult classroom moment into a teachable one instead of getting stuck in it.

How the six weeks break down

Week 1, Finding Your Footing: We start with a full-day in-person workshop where you and your cohort build the trust and emotional safety the rest of the work depends on. You leave with a baseline read on your own professional self-presentation.

Week 2, The Thriving Mindset, the Persona, and Imposter Syndrome: You name the two forces that most often pull candidates away from authenticity: self-doubt and the pressure to perform a role. A live reflection circle with your cohort normalizes what you're finding.

Week 3, Care, Emotional Safety, and Your Values: You start authoring your teaching identity for real, grounded in your own strengths, values, and experience, and you work through what makes a classroom feel safe.

Week 4, Self-Disclosure, Boundaries, and Teachable Moments: You practice disclosing appropriately, holding a boundary without losing warmth, and turning a disruption into a teachable moment, all in one integrated scenario.

Week 5, Ownership, Goals, and the Driver's Seat: You consolidate the work into commitments and goals for teaching, and share them with your cohort in a live circle.

Week 6, The Grounded Commitment: A live closing session where you share your teaching identity and leadership commitment, witnessed by your cohort, and are formally recognized.

Format and time commitment

About 24 hours total over six weeks:

~30% (8 hours) in-person full-day starting workshop to open the credential

~50% (12 hours) asynchronous self-paced modules and reflective work you complete on your own time.

~20% synchronous (4 hours): live online reflection and discussion circles to work with peers and instructors.

Dates and registration

In-person workshop day: November 15. Attendance is mandatory; if you cannot attend, you will have to defer to the next cohort.

Online classroom opens: November 13. You'll need to be registered in the Google Classroom on or before November 15. We can help you get set up in person if necessary.

What you'll need

A computer or tablet with a current browser, a reliable internet connection, and a working webcam and microphone. You will require to have a Google account to access the course, all materials, submissions, and live sessions run through Google Classroom, Google Meet, Google Docs, and Google Forms. If any of this is difficult to arrange, reach out before the course starts, and we'll sort it out with you.

What you earn

A Grounded Certificate digital badge issued by Nipissing University Extended Learning, recognizing that you've developed an authentic teaching identity that supports confidence, resilience, emotional safety, and leadership in the classroom.

If you have any questions or need clarification, please reach out to: thrive@enablingpotential.ca