As an instructor I find that following the rules and procedures not difficult as long as there is consistency. Some employers are inconsistent in applying the rules and procedures on a daily basis. That is extrememely stressful. We have been allow to set guidlines for students who miss quizzes and exams which are now set in a course policy. This has help to lightened the stress load at the end of each five weeks, which is major testing week.
Some of my stress comes from students that miss exams on test days, miss class on a regular basis, and tell me after class that they did not understand anything that I taught that day. Some stress comes from wondering if I am teaching the material in the best way that I can, rewriting exams, and changing lesson plans.
As a school director, trying to juggle everything and not drop the ball on anything is a huge stressor. Sometimes on Sunday night I can't even go to sleep because I'm thinking about what needs to be done. Another stressor is all of the student issues. Sometimes they have so many problems.
Feeling unfulfilled in my job adds to my stress level. There was a time it felt great to come to work. Rules and procedures seem to consume the day. I love my hobby but know that it may not earn a good living. Unstable shift schedules are making it nearly impossible to attend college. I know that I am the one ultimately in control of this but, how do I make changes without affecting my obligations to family? I believe it's something called balance. It's hard to achieve this in daily life. Some never do.
Great points Steven. Low job satisfaction is often linked to job stress. And rules and procedures can definitely diminish satisfaction. Maybe it’s time to try to remember what it was that made you so excited about coming to work – earlier in your career. And if you can remember, maybe it’s time to try to bring some of those things back – even if for just a little while every day.
We all have stress in our lives. Many people probably have more stressors occurring than they realize. Creating the stress list IS a great way to identify all of the stressors in our lives. After reviewing my own personal stress list I did note some things in my life that I could easily change to reduce some of the stress. There are however some things that cause stress that are out of my control and I have not yet learned to deal with them. I have extemely high expectations from everyone around me not just students. Simply lowering my expectations is not the answer. I have eventually come to believe that at least some amount of stress is the price we pay for caring. With this thought in mind it seems (at least in my case)that a little stress is normal and that in itself eases the stess somewhat.
Great thoughts David. A little stress is normal and can even help motivate us to achieve good things.
While we often can’t (and shouldn’t) lower expectations of others, we can find was of properly setting expectations. Just letting people know what’s on your plate and what your situation is like is a great start in helping them respect your time.
The chief stressor at work is the changing back and forth between major subject matters. Every 3 weeks we change up. We change once a week also within that 3 week also. We teach on the fly.
That’s an interesting challenge Carlton. Changing between subject matters or any kind of task can be time consuming. Building buffers into your schedule to account for these transitions can be key.
Two major stresses that I experience are the commute and spending quality time with the family. I took care of the commute by using the interstate route to work, there are less traffic lights. I and the family put one day aside for family. I notice that my productivity has increased significantly.
That sounds great Willie! Allowing yourself a change of pace, like spending time with family, can really put your work life stressors into perspective. It can also help motivate you to stay more focused while at work.
Most of our stressors are linked to the economy right now. Retention is very important to us. Our students have trouble with work, paying for gas, higher stressors at home...our faculty feel the same realities.
My Stressors:
A. Full-Time Career as an in-house attorney working with our sales group,
1. I am constantly needed to reply to request regarding customer contracts which need time to research and advise.
2. I am responsible for drafting our revenue producing customer contracts each quarter.
3. I have a new boss that I am trying to prove my worth to (I've been with the company for over 8 years, he has joined the company last year)
4. We are under-staffed which make 1-3 above even more difficult
B. Academic Responsibilties with my University include:
1. teaching a new course each semester (as a small university there are limited instructors)
2. I am the department chair for my college and with no administrative support, I am responsible for all administrative duties.
3. I am a sub-committee chair for our accredidation commitee and with no administrative support, I am responsible for all administrative duties.
C. Family Responsibilities include:
1. 9 month old baby boy that is very time demanding.
2. 6 year old boy that is very time demanding.
3. Wife works full time in the financial industry (which in these economic times has been a bit stressful)
The type of day you are having will will be the big determining factor in what stresses you out. It coulbe anything from not sleeping well,someone cutting you off in traffic down to something small like taking a pen or pencil of your desk. I myself am not going to say i don't have ANY stress but i try to keep it at a low level so not to "spill out" on to someone else.
My only stressor that I'm having a difficult time overcoming is "Student Attitude".
Students feel "entitled" to a grade, not that they should "earn" it. Their approach is one of, who cares if I do the work, I'm paying for the degree. I use the following example to show them that they are missing out on what they are paying for:
You go to a fine restaurant, order the most expensive meal and a fine bottle of wine, and then leave without eating or drinking anything. Someone asks you how you liked the place and you respond; "I don't know I didn't eat anything." Such a waste and it applies to the education they are paying for.
I can't make them want to learn and I can't elevate their ability to learn so I must put aside my preconceived notion that I can actually make a difference in their attitudes.
Students with a feeling of entitlement just because they paid for a class. When you explain that you get out of a course of instruction just what you put into it, they go over your head to complain that you refuse to help them. Now I must explain to my superiors that the student shows up late if at all, missed key lectures, has no notes even for an open book test and show no interest or effort. It does stress me that I must make every effort to get this student to graduate when this student is unwilling to do the same.
I'm sure we all go through that. I once failed a graduate student because she couldn't write and what she did write no one could understand. She e-mailed the dean and he called me in asking me to read the e-mail and explain what she was saying. I said I believe she is complaining because I failed her. He looked at the e-mail and asked "How did she get in here in the first place?" Mark up one for the good guys.
These are important points James. We must remind our students that they don’t ‘get grades,’ they ‘earn grades.’ Doing so can help inspire some students to get on track again.
My stress is having students that do not have any common sence.
To your point Eugene, sometimes the most stressful thing about teaching is realizing how much we’re going to be able to accomplish with each student. Each student has unique capabilities. Some students are quick to think on their feet. Some are naturally bright and motivated. Some have common sense. But only every once in a while do I find students who have all of these qualities. My strategy has always been to try to find the strengths of each student, and leverage those strengths when teaching them skills they’ll need in the workplace.
