Get Your Students Hired
I'd like to hear from some of you what are the most problematic areas in a teacher's life that cause stress. I feel that my company, and the way they do things is the most stressful thing that I have to deal with. The nature of big business today is the lack of personal connection, which leads to confusion and stress.
Marco, we might work for the same educational corporation!
Lack of control of my circumstances is what makes me feel stressed.
I have all my curriculum in line, then corporate orders everything to change, add this, remove that. They took away the incentive of extra credit a few months ago companywide. I've been pulling 8am-8pm days since july to cover for the staffer that left us then, but they have not made much of an effort to fill the position. I have to comply with laws for WASC and my programmatic accrediting body and the company and the campus...just every time I blink someone sticks a pile of new, redundant paperwork on my desk or adds a 2 hour meeting in addition to the usual fun and just...there aren't enough hours in the day, week or term to do it all. I get sick, there is no one here to cover me and I can't cancel class.
I'm gaining weight because I can't do sports and cook like I used to and stress undercuts my self-control when eating, I miss my friends and my love life is non-existent because I'm married to this place.
...and I know the lesson here said "being transparent about your stressors is healthy" but really I feel like everyone in my life just thinks I'm a whiner. Every time someone asks "how's it going?" If I'm not complaining, I'm lying. I want to share less and less with those around me because I don't want to be perceived as negative, ineffective or masochistic.
Corporate talks big about how they promote a healthy work-life in their little emails about getting enough sleep and calcium, but what I really need here is an employee so I can go home at night to do laundry, exercise, call my family and sleep.
Okay. I vented. I'm going right now to go ask the director what is up with the new hire situation again because eliminating this long hour stressor is the #1 thing on my list and it's COMPLETELY unneccessary.
Mary Ellen, Sounds like your college has instituted a great system for providing full coverage to students. You are lucky as this is not always the case. Enjoy it while you have it!
Dr. Melissa Read
I agree with Paul.Many students work and my schedule for tutoring does 'nt always meet with their work schedule.The career college where I work has an instructor readily available to help both day and evening students .This has made it much easier for them to fit in a time when they can get some help with their studies.
Students who constantly do not understand or who regularly do poorly on assessments, yet show up late, are absent, and do not pay attention in class, cause me stress. At a career college, students are here to prepare themselves for a job and make money. Not only is it up to the student to learn as much as they can, but it is also the responsibility of the teacher to stimulate student learning and help them move ahead in life. Students have various experiences, educations, and problems which may cause a student to not pay attention or be absent. These backgrounds have to be taken into consideration when teaching. In this case additional support from tutoring, online learning, and off-campus learning experiences can help students achieve their goals.
Marco, These are some common problems Marco. Another big stressor for instructors is actually produced by students. When students have a hard time grasping concepts, it can be very frustrating. Finding new ways to teach students - who are educationally behind - can be overwhelming.
Dr. Melissa Read