A challenge to juggle it all
Sometimes as a professor I find it difficult to juggle all of my different commitments. AFter all, I am working full-time, working on various side projects, and teaching the course. I have always believed in the "lead by example" clause and when students explain they are having hard times I immediately relate to them and explain what my schedule is like and how I manage it. I have had a few "heart to heart" conversations with students and they have said that I really helped them.
-Ron Stefanski
Ron,
It is good to shape these kinds of things with students at different times. In many cases they think we professors live in bubbles where real life never reaches us. Big time wrong as we know, so by sharing they can see that we have our struggles so we do understand what they are going through as students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Yes I agree. Not having enough time is always a challenge. Being a full time instructor, tutoring, counseling students, grading, preparing lesson plans and tests. There are so many good ideas I'm coming away with after listening to these lectures but finding time to incorporate them is the ultimate challenge.
I think it is important to remember we are human. We can only do so much. I try to do everything myself and at the end of the day there is just not enough time. At my campus several of the instructors will pitch in and help when someone gets behind. It was hard for me to accept this help at first, but then I realized we are all in it together as a team.
Roger,
Good for you and your colleagues. The more we can cooperate and share with each other the more we learn about what others are doing plus we spread some of the work around.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Just today students saw me taking this mini-course on the computer. They asked "What are you doing?" I replied that as an instructor I also had continuing education requirements. I explained what CEUs were and how they would be required to perform them also. I explained to them the many facets of my instructor's job( the lesson prep, the studying of the course material, the incorporation of new course material, the practicing of lectures, preparing/grading of exams,etc.). I think the students appreciated all of the work we do outside of classroom. I hope I conveyed to them that learning is a lifelong process along a twisted and curving road. WHAT FUN!
Peggy,
Talk about a teachable moment. I think many of our students think that upon graduation we all quit learning. Little do they know it has only just begun. I am sure your sharing that you are taking this course helped them to see that if they are going to progress in their careers they are going to have to be life long learners.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
