Get Your Students Hired
Philippe, Balancing work and home stress can be tough. It's hard because it often feels like you have no place of refuge. You might be someone who just needs to get away. If you can find time to take even a day off, might be worth it.
Dr. Melissa Read
Marianne, That sounds like a real challenge. Many instructors bounce around between several jobs at once. This is especially hard - to your point - when you have to switch between jobs during the same day.
Dr. Melissa Read
Most of my stress lately has been with my house that seems to be falling apart. Other causes of stress are students that are not motivated, schedule changes & long work hours.
Going from one job to the other and then back to the 1st one to come back to the 2nd one. Thats my stressor. I think if there was alittle bit of time between the two it would be less stressful.
Logistical factors are the most important stressors. Just trying to keep pace with everything around you and being able to meet deadlines at work , home , etc. in such a fast world.
Brandon, Absolutely. It's a really challenge when student motivation is low. Something that has worked well for me in those situations is to remind my students about their end game. Why are they in school in the first place? What are they trying to accomplish longer term. Sometimes, reorienting to the future state can really help.
Dr. Melissa Read
Steve, Yes, deadlines can be really tough. There are a few things we can do to make them easier. One thing that works is to find out about task assignments as early as possible. Reaching out to our administrations and fellow faculty members and finding out what's coming into our queue can give us good transparency to plan for the future.
Dr. Melissa Read
Stress @ school-mostly students who do not want to do the work or tests. They just want to skate through the program. Another thing is trying to keep the classes organized and not bring information from another class that I taught an hour before
Stress @ home - not a lot, but trying to keep up with my pets and husband. I try not to bring my stress from work home.
Friends and Family - not a lot of time with friends. I try but it is hard to do
I do have another job and it is hard to juggle all the responsibilitites I have
For sure, I have a unmotivated class for this rotation, I get stress that It makes me as an Instructor look bad. Do you ever feel that way?
Logistical:
-Attempting to prepare for many classes at once
-Spending a lot of prep time on courses I will not be able to teach in the future (changing accreditation requirements
Student Needs:
-Keeping up with absent students
-Inspiring students to be invested in their educations
-Providing interesting, quality lessons with limited resources and limited time
College Requirements:
-Having my hours and future possibilities limited by the changing standards of our accrediting body.
-Keeping up with professional development despite having to use UNPAID time to do so.
Admittedly, I am often a cause of stress in that I can sometimes make a mountain out of a mole hill. Once I actually dig into the source of the stress, I find it wasn't such a problem, and not really worth all my former worry.
That being stated: one outside source of stress that I encounter has to do with "easier said than done". Sometimes there are tasks that management or other co-workers will correctly identify as requiring attention. They feel as if pointing this out fulfills their obligation, when in reality there is alot more required in actually COMPLETING THE TASK than simply stating it needs to be done. If it is agreed that attention needs to be paid to a certain task/challenge/etc, then it should also be understood that it requires time and effort above and beyond the normal set of responsibilites to complete. I feel stressed when this idea isn't understood.
Most of my stress at work is logistical.Deadlines
are my biggest source of work place stress.Timing the class material to end right when the class is completed is just one example of my stresses.
Siobhan, Indeed true. There are so many sources of stress in our lives. Taking an inventory of the total landscape is a first great step in the right direction.
Dr. Melissa Read
Don, Sounds like you've got some difficult stressors to deal with in your workplace. Really sorry to hear. Sometimes the only thing we can do is focus on who and what we can control. Sounds like these stressors may not be part of that.
Dr. Melissa Read
I think a major stress for me is to be in a situation I didn't see coming. For example: Wanting and planning to complete a project only to find out that an emergency staff meeting has been called. I like to work on projects until they are finished, and feel strongly that some staff meetings are not that high a priority for me.
Stress can come from the students, from the management team, lack of resources and our personal lives. Identifying what stressors you have in your life is the first step in dealing with them.
Staff that "paraphrase" and then carry what was said to make someone who may be different or have a unique approach look bad. Also, those who ask the same question at the same time of day as if they are keeping a diary of your wherabouts and tasks to perhaps further their own cause or make you look bad in leaderships eyes. Both are a result of learned behaviors that is self-defeating and causes anxiety which then causes stress.
Stressors at work
Students who do not want to learn
Administrative rules that are added or discarded at will
Lack of communication
Home stressors
Failing health
Inability to complete normal tasks alone
Many people cause their own stress. I try not stress over things that I can not change, and try to change the things that I can control. Stress comes in many ways, time, more work than time, family, student needs, etc. If you can not control them, try not to stress. Some people I believe enjoy stress, and use it as a crutch. Also you take on more responsability than you can get done.
making the change from being a career professional for over 30 years to teaching in a fulltime class room was very daunting. alot of deep breaths and kind words got me through it but after several months/classes the stress level is far better and i am enjoing the change.