Get Your Students Hired
Some stresses in my life is my 2 daughters one in College and the other getting ready for college so alot of prep is involved my husband is great he dose as much as he can but my daughters want me all the time to be there I have a wonderful relationship with my student I love my job. I try to stay on top of everything so I dont get overloaded so far so good
Continuing education required by the BON and additionally by the work facility: Recurring -plan to schedule on calendar to disburse throughout the year
Taking care of Elderly parent with physical issues: Recurring - Attend Yoga and plan some time with friends and family weekly to decrease isolation
Failure of students to pass required courses: Reduce - by increasing my knowledge base of instruction and explain expectation of accountability on the students part
Actually, I have been thinking about this topic a lot recently. The course seems very relevant to my life just now. It feels administration knows nothing about nursing and just looks at the numbers and spends little time on value and support for the Instructor. Students expectations are high and sometimes aren't accountable and other Instructors are too busy to help the new person and yes, Im at work on weekends when family activities take place. All that being said, the occasional reward of success on the students part and a thank you from them is worth a lot. The bigger picture is being a small part of promoting the profession and finding small ways to improve my own life as well as that of the student, co-worker and family.
Doing my job and someone else's job stresses me out. I don't mind helping out if a coworker is overwhelmed or running behind, but not just because they don't do the work that has to be done. Work stress of this sort is unnesisary.
Carl, This is an excellent point. Sometimes, we've got to proactively reach out to our administrations and fellow faculty members to understand where they are coming from. It's also critically important that we set expectations of others. That often requires we first decide for ourselves on what we want.
Dr. Melissa Read
Rebecca, Books on tape are wonderful at passing the time while in the car. I once missed an exit on a highway by 40 miles due to a great book!
Dr. Melissa Read
I like the idea of coping with traffic stress by listening to a "book on tape" then if I am stuck in traffic I just think to myself, I will get to listen to that much more of the book :) (it does help to allow extra time for traffic situations too)
I also find that lack of clear expectations (between the school and instructors as well as between instructors and students? causes a great deal of stress. We are not always informed whether a class will be running or not, that you will be observed the day you do not have a good lesson planned, etc. We need to hear more from the administration as to how we are doing with enrollment and retention as well.
My biggest stresses in my personal life are being a mom to a toddler and newborn. Both con be very demanding, not to mention my husband who can feel neglected sometimes. In the workplace, my biggest stress is organization and dealing with conflicting personalities
Edward, It sounds like you are working in a stressful environment. At the same time, it sounds like you have discovered a few perks to help balance yourself out. An unofficial extra day off per week sounds fantastic and can certainly help compensate for time lost on other days.
Dr. Melissa Read
Garry, It sounds like you have found the perfect coping mechanism to overcome a significantly stressful work experience. Yes, taking a step back can make a dramatic difference on our perception and effectiveness when we return to our environment too.
Dr. Melissa Read
There are Great Days and then there are The Days that could have been better. It really is amazing that discovery of a student. That a ha moment. It is dreamy. I can say I really enjoy my work demonstration, theory and then that practical lab. The lab that produces the product and skill that you can truly be proud of. Every day is a win for the student. Rules, expectations, timelines allow for the student to take ownership. Or not....All we can do is set the example live the example and then try to be sensitive to the student listen and decide how we can guide them toward success. At no point do you change the deadline, adjust the assessment. you must celebrate the small steps. Focus on the success, if we want a certain level from the student clear demands are necessary as well as the assessment to support the demands. My stress comes from the same whys talked about above. Not coming to school and then expecting to get the full experience out of lab. Stress is my disappointment in their caring for the craft they said they wanted to do, that I have done for the last 24 years and loved and learned and I am passionate about. But it is not about me. I remind myself to deliver the subject with all that passion with sensitivity and guidance.
There are several areas of stress in our facility.
The first is the lack of time between semesters. We run 4 semesters a year with 1 or 2 days between the semesters. To take any vacation time we must find replacements for all of our classes. This can be difficult for the most part, especially when you are teaching specialized material. The class schedule is Morning, afternoon and evening, which is not too bad unless you have early morning and late evening classes. this happens often and is a long day. The one nice thing on our schedule is that classes are Monday to Thursday, so Fridays tough official work days, we are unofficially allowed to have off.
There is the normal stress from student and administrative requirements.
The best part of the job that helps reduce the stress is from the students. When they get the material and do well, I can look at the success and say it was worth it.
I can relate with this module! Commute , work, and family/personal life are all stressors for me. Excercise typically helps me manage stress.
Felicia
Charlie Brown comes to mind; don't let a good wall go to waste! Beating ones' head against something at times does a lot of good, except for the sore spot the next day.
With understaffing and overcrowding educators can be pulled seven ways but straight dealing with student demands and IT problems within the classroom. When teaching two classes a day with sixty students involved, changing classrooms and course material on a fourteen hour work day leaves little time for stress management, surviving the day becomes the only goal, not becoming brain dead is optional.
In this situation I have found for myself getting off campus with a change in scenery and people oftentimes helps. A long lunch if possible in a quiet restaurant can give me a chance to recharge the batteries and address the next class's students in a much better disposition.
Paul, A lot of people struggle to balance work and home tasks. Some people create one consolidated list for all tasks and others keep their lists separate because a consolidated list is too overwhelming. It's all about what works best for you.
Dr. Melissa Read
There are a few things from a professional perspective that really stress me out. When students post or turn in work late. Especially if this is a chronic occurrence. Also, last minute meetings can get on the way of my productivity which of course creates stress. However, the largest area of stress for me is trying to find the work and personal life balance. It seems that my work schedule dictates my personal schedule. I have either missed family and friend events or been so distracted knowing what I have to accomplish in the classroom later that day, that I can not enjoy the event itself. I am trying to find that enjoyable ratio at this time. I have come to no solid conclusions.
Amy, I understand where you are coming from. It can be hard to motivate other people. A portion of motivation can be found from the external environment and it sounds like you are creating a great environment for your students. However, a portion of it is internal and is harder to influence.
Dr. Melissa Read