STRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well, it's actually normal part of life . It can help achieve some of your goals, or it can also take control of your life. Take time to walk. It helps.
I have to respond.... Lunch off campus would be amazing. However, eating lunch at all would be even better. The demands in a career school in this economic climate is incredible. Between expectations of school, of student compliance and attendance, and financial burdens personally , I take refuge in a long commute to work and my favorite music on the radio. Iam thinking I am not alone-
Susan, You are indeed not alone. It's great to hear that you found a way to take something negative, like a long commute, and turn it into something so positive. Sometimes we have to take that alone time where we can get it.
Dr. Melissa Read
Combining roles at work is most stressful to me, Sometimes chasing down students for homework, time sheets from clinical can be stressful at times. I have developed a means of working around this by delegating tasks to others in order to relieve my stress.
I have taught stress management in the past and I think it is important to determine which stress pieces are within our control to change and which are not because often it is only our REACTION to the stressor that we have control over. In these cases, learning good and healthy coping mechanisms is best....go for a walk, play with the dog, listen to books on tape (for a long commute). have a cup of tea, or if in our control, prioritize the irritant and make the change happen.
Sometimes there is a single student who brings out my stress either because they constantly challenge me or they are so unparticipatory. Again, the choice is mine as to how I respond. When my personal life is balanced, I tend to be better in the classroom too.
I believe you must first identify the causes of stress before you can eliminate them . It is always not that easy
Your car can be a place to relieve stress. Like listening to music or a book you enjoy or praying, or listening to religious music by making your car environment pleasant
Stress can be relieved by putting it into perspective. How critical is this problem?
Having worked in the field as an automotive tech for 30 years before becoming an instructor in the same discipline, I find stress in this job to be nearly non-existent. There are nearly constant issues with IT keeping all of our student computers and diagnostic computers operating properly, and I do sometimes feel like politics take precedent over the needs of the students. If I get one or two "aha moments" in day they pretty much wipe out any frustration I might feel.
I completely agree with books on tape being a great coping mechanism or de stressor.
I used to listen to Eckart Tolle, The Power of Now in the car and go back to certain chapters worth repeating.
Jenni, Books on tape are wonderful. For those who have a train or even walking in the city commute, they are great too!
Dr. Melissa Read
Some of the stressors I have identified in my career are:
Inadequate technology needed to teach my students what they are required to learn to be network admin.
Inadequate staff to meet the needs of all the students in the program.
The program I teach changes daily and keeping up with the latest and greatest requires time outside of teaching to learn. This can be time comsuming.
Some general areas of stress are the amount of discussion board posts that are required to respond to each week in an online classroom; providing meaningful responses there, plus giving students effective written feedback on their papers can be really stressful.
Many of my stressors are personal in regards to my children, my commute and when large tasks are put on me by administrators on top of my teaching load.
Working day and night classes. I find myself walking around the building at work to release the stress.
Some of the biggest stress that I face is the attitude of some of the students
Social media...pare it down.
Everyone has challenges or will at some point so learning how to manage is key! The module gives good advice about identifying and eliminating stressors.
Jennifer, It sounds like your stress is pretty balanced between work and personal life. That's normal for most instructors.
Dr. Melissa Read
