Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Rae Lynne, It sounds like you have some wonderful outlets that help you enjoy your life while reducing stress. This is great to hear. Spending time with children and siblings can really take your mind off work and can be great family bonding time too. Updating your to-do list and just reading to relax can help you focus on what's most important and then get away from it all. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Task Prioritization

Paula, That sounds like a great system for keeping organized and on top of the most important things. At the same time, it sounds like a lot of work. Perhaps you could automate some of the calculations in a MS Excel file. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Streamlining the Grading Process

Maryrose, Sounds like great direction. The highlighting method has worked particularly well for me. It not only facilitates my grading, but also facilitates student comprehensiveness when responding to test questions. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Coping with Stress

Sharon, So true. Many instructors focus on one thing or another, but the truth is both body and mind are key. The best coping mechanisms are balanced between the two. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Coping with Stress

Evangeline, These are all wonderful ideas. I particularly appreciate your tip about reading magazine articles that are light and funny. I can see how these would work well. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Streamlining the Grading Process

Andrea, Sounds like a wonderful plan. Leveraging a standardized test bank is a wonderful time saver. Most publishers have these for their texts, so it always pays to check on this when you start teaching a new course or get a new textbook. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Streamlining the Grading Process

Syed, Sounds like a great approach. Performance is important, but when students do not attend, they miss building important relationships with fellow students and instructors. So it's critical - for so many professions - to consider both metrics in evaluation. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Task Prioritization

Kris, Wonderful to hear. I imagine that this process gives you a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Many instructors just love crossing items out on their list and experiencing that progress. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Coping with Stress

Kim, Excellent to hear! It sounds like you are already moving along a great path and also have solid plans for the future. That's the best kind of direction. Dr. Melissa Read

Dr. Melissa Read

Discussion Comment

Coping with Stress

Syed, So true. It's important to have good outlets for dealing with stressful situations. Walks and movies are two great ones. Dr. Melissa Read