Dr. Melissa Read

Excellent plan Walt! I particularly like your last bullet about always having something to look forward to. It's so important in life to treat ourselves and that's something instructors often don't do.

This is true Eric. But sometimes it's hard not to bring your personal stress into the classroom. Similarly, sometimes it's hard not to bring work stress home.

It does feel really nice to knock things out of your queue instead of saving them for later Lloyd. I'm glad you've tried a few different approaches. That's the best way to figure out what works best for you!

What a great strategy Michelle. You are not alone either. Many instructors leverage their commutes to decompress or be productive. Some listen to the radio or books on tape. Others simply drive with everything off to clear their thoughts.

Those sound like very frustrating challenges Walt, particularly the accountability piece. When we are proficient at our jobs and are delivering in our roles, it's frustrating to by micromanaged.

Thanks for asking Jennifer. That's a good point. When you teach English, you've got to read lots of essays. Another suggestion for instructors in your situation is to ask the students to write the main points to the side of their essays. These would include the thesis as well as the supporting arguments. In addition to helping you grade faster, this method also helps the student organize their thoughts and ensure that they've fully answered the question.

This is all true Warren. I like the idea of setting reasonable expectations with ourselves about what we can and cannot accomplish in any given period of time. Really helps us to feel better about the work we are getting done.

Excellent plan Julie! Healthy eating, exercise and rest are all great contributors to a more stress free lifestyle.

Yes, it's really all about choosing activities that are going to work best for you Jill. Don't worry so much about perceptions of others in selecting activities that help you cope with stress.

Excellent work Shelly. Really like the idea of your reduce and eliminate designation. Sounds like it's really working well for you.