Kim Lepre is a teacher and the host of Teachers Need Teachers Podcast. She was born in Pampanga, Philippines, and because her 
dad joined the Navy, she came to the United States when she was a year old. Kim has lived in a few states but spent the majority of her childhood in Washington state. After attending the University of Washington, she taught for a couple of years in the Seattle area before she moved down to sunny San Diego, where she has been teaching ever since. Kim is also the founder of the Lepre’s Learning Log which is a comprehensive resource for teachers just starting out in the profession or those that are trying to find ways to improve their teaching practice. Her mission is two fold which is to provide answers to the questions that new teachers didn’t even know they needed to ask and to introduce perspectives that seasoned teachers may not have thought of or are grappling with.
Kim shares how changing schools in her teaching career made her stop worrying about what other people thought of her and started living her true self.
Bio
Kim Lepre is a teacher and the host of Teachers Need Teachers Podcast.
Cultural Background
Kim is of Filipina descent.
Favorite Self Confidence Quote
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Definition of Self Confidence
Self confidence is believing that anything you attempt to do, you will either succeed or fail fantastically, but you’ll get through it. Knowing that you can overcome anything, achieve anything, and be anything you want.
Her Life Before the Discovery of Self Confidence
Kim was always trying to not be what her parents wanted of her while still trying to figure out who she was. She wanted to be this cool and edgy girl, so she tried dressing that way, got a bunch of tattoos, and was basically rebelling in her 30s. She wanted so much to be perceived a certain way even though it wasn’t her and even though her friends and family loved her for who she was.
She was insecure and never wanted to rock the boat. She didn’t speak up for herself, and she let people push her around.
Kim was also obsessed with the images she saw in the media. She wanted to be thin and wear certain clothes that didn’t work with her body, and she wanted to have a more lavish lifestyle than she could afford.
The “AHA” Moment
It really wasn’t until Kim was approaching her 40s when she realized that she was already cool even though she was nothing like the person she was trying to be. She switched schools several years ago to escape the toxic atmosphere at her previous schools, plus she was hoping she could just keep her head down and fly under the radar.
What she didn’t realize was that she was well-respected by her colleagues and people genuinely wanted to get to know her. Kim had established a reputation that preceded her, and she was completely unaware of it. She didn’t need to try so hard because people like her just how she was.
And she finally started to stop worrying about what everybody thought of her. If she was a genuinely good person who loved her family and friends, then she was happy.
Her Life After the Discovery of Self Confidence
It’s been very liberating to not worry about Kim’s image anymore. She is happy in her skin and doesn’t worry about weighing herself or watching what she eats. She wants to be a good role model for her daughter so that she doesn’t end up having the same neuroses as she did.
Kim also speaks up for herself now but in a diplomatic way. If something is bothering her, she will first try to understand the other person’s point of view and approach them from that angle. She thinks she has better professional relationships than she did before.
The One Self Confidence Tip For the Listener
Be kind to yourself and look at yourself with the love that the people you care about have for you. Take responsibility for your actions and constantly reflect. Blaming others gets you nowhere, but neither does dwelling on the past. Use the lessons that you learn to propel you forward with your goals and dreams.
