My stress originates from working full time and teaching part time, as well as being in school and being a parent. Basically all the stress listed in the examples of this module.
In career education there are many stressors involved. The main goal is to make sure you are dealing with the stress effectively while ensuring the students get the education they deserve. A lot a stress can be eliminated by communicating the stress to the people that are causing it and correcting the behavirs. If I have a student that chronically misses my exams, I give them a due date to make it up so I don not get behind in my lessons. If not completed they get a zero. this helps make the students resonsible and communicate with me.
One of the things that I find most stressful is the schedule. Since we are open from early morning until late at night 5 days a week, and since we work all shifts, I do think it produces stress that negatively affects our health.
We sometimes teach 10+ hours in a row,or are sometimes are at work until 10:30 at night and back in at 7:00 am. That is hard on your body, and that causes both physical and mental stress.
I love what I do, but I do feel it taking its toll on me physically as we go nonstop one term after another after another.
I have to watch my stress. Do not want another heart attack.
Adapting the class for each rotation of students to achive the common goal.
the inventory of parts and ordering parts every month and staying ahead of it.
Co-workers not meeting the room requirements.
the student that thinks everything should be perfect and handed to them on silver platter.
Keeping the trining aids in working condition.
Keeping up with continued education along with other duties.
personal finances are a huge stressor in my life. As for my instructor career I find that most of the time I leave my personal items in the parking lot when I step on campus
Some of the stressors in my life are personal things like trying to start a family, and career wise is trying to finish school on top of two jobs which is a full time during the day and then teaching at night. They are based on organizational factors, because I am a control freak and I want things to work out the way I want them to, but at the same time I can accept it if things do NOT work my way. It's juggling work and time with family and friends, as well as things around the house that I need to get done.
Jeffery, It sounds like you are dealing with a lot of stress, coming from multiple directions! I'm curious to hear about what you are doing to manage through it all.
Dr. Melissa Read
Child care was a great source of stress. Now that my children are a little older and more self sufficient, that has eliminated this to a great degree. Professionally, not being adequately prepared is a great source of stress, that I have control over. I will get prepared and organized until I feel comfortable with the material. I need to remind myself that if it is new material or a class, that I just need to stay one or two steps ahead of the class. when I take this approach, I can relax a bit, focus on smaller, more manageable bits of information, and present it with a sense of expertise and confidence.
My biggest stress is the commute. I try to relax by listening to music and talk radio. Then what is also stressful, is when students arrive late for class. I do not like to repeat myself during my lesson but sometimes I have no choice!
Nicholas, Late students can be particularly frustrating, but it's important to remember that you do have a choice. When students learn that your class info is presented once and only once, it may motivate them to be more timely in the future!
Dr. Melissa Read
My stress seems to stem from family problems instead of problems at work. Work is really a stress releaser.
Anne, You are lucky to have such a wonderful outlet in work. Some of the students in these forums share that stress comes from both places, and they have to find other outlets altogether.
Dr. Melissa Read
I've had a totally new stress from teaching after 8 years, i'm using a book series I'm not familiar with, and can't grade on the portal until the student has uploaded their project. So when the student asks how he/she is doing I have to make a extra spreadsheet just so I know what their grade is. Change... survival of the fitest
My full time job is constantly stressful -- I work in an ASAP environment... Everything is an emergency. It is unfortunately the culture of the organization I work for. That said, I teach on an adjunct basis and find this far less stressful than my full time job.
When it comes to stress I can honestly say work does not stress me. I have a lot of external things that cause great stress in my life. I have refused to let it kill me.
Eryn, It's interesting to hear how your second job is almost a stress outlet for your first job! ASAP organizations can be tough. We have to do a lot of expectation setting in those scenarios to deliver on time and keep people happy.
Dr. Melissa Read
Lori, That's a great attitude. It's easy to feel buried alive by the stress in our lives. Rising above it is not always easy.
Dr. Melissa Read
Usually I make a list of tasks I have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. I do the high-priority items first. If I have something particularly unpleasant to do, I get it over with early. The rest of my day will be more pleasant as a result.
Most recently, during the severe cold weather, the physical environment of the classroom was causing me stress. Students and instructor had to attend class--in lab--with our winter coats on because the heaters were not strong enough to keep up with the polar vortex.
