Listing stressers are a good "Western" way of trying to identify those things that cause anxiety in ones life. My recommendation, however, would be exercise, yoga, and medetation. Large amounts of stress can be an indication of a chemical/emotional imbalance. Medetation helps a great deal with this.
At Work
-standards and a changing curriculum
-non working technology
-students come stressed by their own lives
Home
-work life balance is always a challenge
Meetings called by administrators who do not teach and have no understanding of the classroom schedule.
Using a textbook that has no basis to the subject being taught.
These are just a few of my favorite gripes.
Logistical:
Relative inexperience as a teacher.
Ever changing curriculum.
Cumbersome process for providing materials to students.
Large amount of contact time due to teaching two classes a day.
Student needs:
Less than adequate standardized tests.
Lack of lab time.
Personal:
familial obligations
Obligations to outside organizations of which I am a member.
Where to begin with Stress... I juggle a full time and part time job. I have a family as well.
I have learned organization is key to juggling life. We need to make time for everything work, family, self, finances and HEALTH. I am fortunate my classroom size is no more than 12 students. I enjoy being a teacher.
I find that what stresses me is not being able to help students enough. Either their inactivity or the way the school is run hinders their ability to excel. Otherwise, I'm fine.
General Stressors in my life would be having to count on others to complete their work on time. It can be difficult to meet a deadline when not eveyone is doing what s/he is suppose to beforehand. These are college requirements.
I also have had my share of personal stress, Child in Iraq, remodeling home, new job, Another Child moved back home, just finished my degree, Third child in serious accident, and getting ready to move. Yikes!
College requirements are a pretty big stressor. I teach audio and up until now, I've only worked in recording studios. Getting used to keeping everything up to par and "official" is very new to me and is a big stressor because those aren't things that I automatically think about.
Having to use the same space and equipment as other instructors is very stressful also. I feel like I am always stumbling upon malfunctioning equipment that nobody knows how or when it was broken.
I have no/little stress from administration. I feel that admin has my back. When there is a challenge, they know I am doing my best. They give good support, advice, training. Wow, that feels good to say that! (organization = low stress :)
I feel stress from conflict of student expectations versus my or curriculum's expectations. (Too much homework.) Some students need a lot of review of prerequisite courses. (Student needs)
A big stress is from home. I care for my mother-in-law and worry about balancing home/work yet having time for myself too. (personal)
Have you thought of looking for a new job?
Joan, It's wonderful when we have the support of our administrations. It often makes us so productive and confident in what we do. Finding the right educational environment to teach in can really make all the difference in our day to day lives.
Dr. Melissa Read
I can have stress related to juggling the demands of several jobs, from helping keep my students focused and motivated as well as from meeting deadlines imposed by the organization of the school term.
Paul, Sounds tough. You are not alone. These are the typical demands of instructors. Trying to balance work and life can be tricky and can take practice. When we have multiple jobs and multiple supervisors, they often compete for our time too. Hang in there.
Dr. Melissa Read
I feel as we are functioning in a shaky economy, the work load is heavier as job become eliminated. The amount of work goes up but the length of day remains the same! It then goes back to the beginning of this lesson when prioritizing and timely work become important.
stress at work...students who don't care
stress from home...3 teen-age boys
Wow, three teen-age boys sound tough Angela. When kids become teens, we do experience an extra layer of stress. Then they go to college and our worries change. It doesn't always get easier, but the kind of stress we experience is different over time.
Dr. Melissa Read
Yes you are right, but life will have unexpectated changes, we must learn how to handle out stress. There will always be stress in and out of work.
-Shalchian
Instructor, can come across the stress in so many different situations, putting final grades on time, cheeking projects, homework giving students on time. As soon as module is over coping syllabus, preparing notes for new classes, and you already nervous that class you are going to have, gave very hard time to last module instructor. Course I was teaching for past 8 modules is different now, not enough time preparation.
Most of my day to day stress is probably a result of my students lack of interest. My students seem to think that they are only required to show up to class in order to gain mastery in the topics being taught. They come to class completely un prepared and want everything spoon feed to them it stresses me out.
I believe sometime people make their own stress. I have learned over the years that one can only do so much then they begin to do poorly on everything they do. Need to be able to prioritize issues in order to reduce stress and maintain positive attitude.
