PIDP 3260 - Exploring Imposter Syndrome
Hello again!
Well, it’s week 3, and we have recently read Chapter 2, “Experiencing Teaching,” in Stephen Brookfield’s book The Skillfull Teacher. It has left me contemplating the first of Stephen’s “most important truths” that he has established after a career of teaching.
“I will always feel like an imposter and will never lose the sense of amazement I feel when people treat me as if I have something valuable to offer.”
Tom Hanks: Sometimes I feel like a fraud…
That really hits home. Stephen Brookfield has written 38 books, has three honorary doctor of letters degrees, and is the recipient of numerous awards in education. That certainly sounds like an expert to me. I have heard others - people who I consider established experts or high performers in their field - who have said something similar. I have felt it myself at times. However, as weird as it is to see, there is a modicum of comfort that can be taken from this; if someone who is widely recognized as a successful expert can have feelings of self-doubt, well, I find that humanizing. It validates and normalizes the self-doubt that I might feel.
So what is imposter syndrome? I resourced an article at Psychology Today that had some interesting information…
Benjamin Keep, PhD, JD: What happens when you become an expert
That leads me to question what makes someone an expert. According to Benjamin Keep, “experts don’t just know more, they know differently. The expert has organized knowledge structures.” This causes experts to perceive situations differently than a novice. It allows them to automate complex things without having to concentrate on the task like a novice would. And because they understand their field better, experts have an increased ability to reflect on their own performance. If you want to learn more about what happens when you become an expert, check out Benjamin’s short video (right).
So what can we do if we feel like a fraud? The folks at Psychology Today have some suggestions on that…
Huh. Well that’s some food for thought…self-doubts can be quite common, even in people who you might not expect. It’s good to have some tools to manage it though, and there is nothing wrong with recognizing bone fide successes in ourselves, as well as those around us.
Thanks for dropping in, and we will chat again soon!
~ Jennifer
Resources:
Brookfield, S.D. (2015). The skillful teacher. Jossey-Bass.
Keep, B. (2022). What happens when you become an expert [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwDzjQsM3yQ
Psychology Today (2025). Imposter Syndrome. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome
Stephen Brookfield. In Wikipedia. Accessed 2025, July 22, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Brookfield
Today (2020). Tom Hanks: Sometimes I feel like a fraud [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO_38nkhR2I
