Today, I begin my sixth year as a part-time professor at Algonquin College. That first class five years ago, I was so nervous I was visibly shaking and spoke so quietly that my students in the first row couldn't hear me. By the end of the lecture, I had given myself a stress headache, and I was still shaking.

Since then, I have grown a lot as a teacher. I have developed and delivered over 700 lectures across 13 terms and 7 different courses. With each lecture, I have improved and fine-tuned my ability to present with confidence and authority. I have become more effective and engaging as a professor and as a speaker.

And despite all that, I am still nervous about today's lecture.