Dr. Melissa Read

Wow, you've really got a lot of stress that you're dealing with Ward. Over the years, I have heard many instructors talk about experiencing these kinds of stressors individually. It's rare to meet someone who experiences so many of them at once! I can't imagine what the stress landscape looks like for you when you combine personal stressors to this list too. Sounds like a real challenge. Hang in there. Try some light breathing exercises at your desk when things get tough.

Excellent to hear Keegan! Do try to integrate this for both homework and exam style grading. You'll be absolutely amazed at how much faster you are with grading. Additionally, your students will learn to focus on providing correct, clear and concise answers!

Sounds like a tough challenge Joseph. For many smokers, quitting is one of the hardest goals to achieve. However, I like that you are talking about it. That's a great first step in the right direction.

Nice tactic Terry and I can relate. These days, career schools are constantly changing. Factors like the economy, new performance metrics and a host of other things contribute to driving change. The best instructors are the ones who have good coping mechanisms to deal with these changes daily.

That's a tough place to be Ward. When administrations have standard grading formats, there are benefits and setbacks. If you see big opportunities for improvement, don't be afraid to escalate them to your administration.

Interesting Suzanne. For people who have bad knees, swimming can work great. It's low impact. Chair exercises work too. Even if you have two new knees, it's good to take it easy.

Completely understand where you're coming from Earl. It's important to both get tasks complete while at the same time enjoy your personal time. Working ahead on tasks that are not due right away are great, but do with limits so as to enjoy life a little too!

Yes, being proactive is a great approach Suzanne. Really helps us stay on top of things. Of course, random things always seem to pop up no matter how proactive we are. At times, we have to react too.

Great plan Carlos. Sharing, sleeping and exercise are all great coping mechanisms. Even concentrating on just one out of the three can make a big difference.

Excellent to hear Linda. Note that sometimes it really is better to knock out a few easy tasks before getting to the more complex stuff. Easy tasks can be great confidence builders.