Eva,
Students constantly missing assignment and test dates in the online environment cause me stress as I have no way of knowing if their excuses are legitimate. I feel they take advantage of the system. Extensions are not fair to the students who do things on time.
What are some general areas that you can identify as major stressors in your life/career?
I CAN IDENTIFY STRESSORS AT CHURCH, AT HOME AND AT WORK. I HAVE ACTIVELY TRIED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OBLIGATIONS TO WHICH I HAVE COMMITTED THIS YEAR. IT HAS BEEN A SLOW GOING PROCESS, BUT IT IS WORKING. I DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE A GAP IN THE DEPARTMENT FROM WHICH I AM TRANSITIONING. ON ANOTHER NOTE, I AM CONTEMPLATING A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP CHANGE. WE HAVE A THREE YEAR OLD AND I AM REALLY TORN WITH THAT. BUT, I AM TAKING MY TIME TO PROCESS THROUGH THIS PERSONALLY AND WITH HELP FROM A COUNSELOR, WHOSE SERVICES I HAVE RETAINED.
Are these stressors based upon logistical (organizational) factors, student needs, or college requirements? Develop a list of your stressors within these general categories or create additional categories based upon your personal needs.
I HAVE ANSWERED THIS PRETTY MUCH THROUGH SOME OF MY ELABORATION EARLIER. THE ONLY ONE I DID NOT ADDRESS IS MY WORK. WORK IS GOING BETTER NOW. I JUST HAD A MID YEAR REVIEW AND IT WENT WELL. I DO NOT LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE (SUPERVISORS) ACT PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVELY AND WAIT UNTIL YOUR EVALUATION TO BRING UP THINGS THAT ARE A CONCERN THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT THEY CHOOSE NOT TO ADDRESS AND PROVIDE YOU WITH SPACE TO CORRECT THEM. CONSEQUENTLY, I AM HAVING TO WORK THROUGH THE SUGGESTIONS THAT SHE WANTS FOR ME TO IMPROVE ON. THIS HAS TAUGHT ME TO BECOME A PERSON WHO KNOWS HOW TO PLAY POLITICS WITH SMILING WITH YOU IN YOUR FACE AND TELLING YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR AND LAUGHING AT YOU IN PRIVATE BEHIND YOUR BACK BECAUSE YOU DO NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH OF A DONKEY (THAT IS BEING NICE) YOU ARE. AYE, AYE, AYE.
This is a great list Amy. Unprepared students are definitely an important stressor to mention. We expect our students to come ready to learn. Often, this is not the case. Sometimes in my course syllabus, I provide a list of things students can do to be more prepared for their coursework. This has helped... at least for the ones who read the syllabus!
I have the stress of working from home & having young children.
Between working & being a taxi cab mom I find I am easily distracted.
Not being able to complete my household duties is stressful as well.
Grading papers while meeting school requirements for comment length & feedback when there are 35+ students per class.
Kids always wanting to be with me. (I mean 24/7)
I think that standards are a huge form of stress. Requiring administrative duties can cause stress, because it is just another item on the list.
List:
internet issues/ technological issues
unprepared students
admin tasks
time requirements for grading and live chats
taking time away from my family
Thanks,
Amy
Making changes to simplify life can often cause stress in the short term as you go through the transition. Hold on and you will get through the learning curve and come out happier for investing the time to change.
Sending children to college can definitely be stressful. For some students, need and merit based scholarships can offset the financial burden. If you haven't explored them already with your child, I'd encourage them to visit their financial aid office.
Hi Anne,
I completely agree with your comments on the commute. I teach mainly online, but I teach once a week on campus. I look forward to the time to myself in the car. -Some people would say this is crazy, but I really do look forward to it.
There are many factors contributing to the stress I experience in my daily life. One of the biggest sources of stress for me is balancing responsibilities. I teach multiple classes and I am a mother of three. Also, I have recently started teaching online and learning a new type of technology. I am trying to continue to learn and be a great instructor for my students.
I use time management skills to manage my stress, but it seems there is never "enough" time in the day. I do wish I had more time for myself.
MArraige
5 kids
Dissertation
WORK WORK WORK
To releive this stress i allocate time for me myself and I.
Whether a ballgame with a freind thats doesnt like to talk about problems or just as simple as taking a walk. This time is a must.
I know that feeling. When I started my business things were hectic. With two businesses thats crazy...your asking for trouble. I found thaT... sometimes you really need to create time for yourself.
I use this time not to only relax or smoke a cigar (cigar not recommended for stress) but as a time of reflection on what to do next...whats the best possible solution to this or that specific problem. Another technique that works is take advantage of the time spent in the bathroom...its a good time to think, Great ideas have been developed.....Lol
*Financial stress (working on contract, not knowing if the contract will be renewed)
*Student issues that are very time sensitive (working out an effective solution with the student in a very short time frame)
The main cause of stress that I face is meeting all of the requirements that I am responsible for on a daily basis. At the present time, we have two children in college and a third on her way. Meeting the obligations associated with college expenses is a major source of stress since we will not take on additional debt in the current economy. I work full time operating a business and teach part time.
My two biggest stressors center around my family and the requirements of different colleges. I wanted to move into online teaching so that I could spend more time with my family, and I believe that this will eventually be the case. However, the learning curve on getting all of the minutia down concerning procedures at varying colleges is taking up twice as much time right now and, thus, causing stress not only in itself but with my family too.
Each college and each class has innumerable requirements to keep track of, to notate... marks that must be hit at a certain rate and within a specific timeframe. Once I get the schedule down, and it becomes routine, the stress will be greatly reduced. Until then... I have to sort of "suck it up" and keep at it.
One of my biggest stressors comes from the standards of the school. Sometimes the fundamentals of what needs to be taught within the discipline are not addressed within the class and when working from a standardized curriculum I have no power to change them. Yes, we can sometimes "add to" and we have all heard about completing our evaluations and making recommendations, but while such recommendations are under review, I have to continue to teach what has been given to me.
Ha! What a great outlook Ronald. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like you teach for a great college Wendy. I'd like to learn more about what they are doing right to create the right environment for instructors like you.
Here is my list:
Learning and apply new standards at my school.
Keeping up with “housekeeping” (such as updating announcements, ensuring grades are posted properly) tasks of an online school.
Responding to discussion thread posts properly with the correct type of comment, question, or example.
Grading and providing feedback.
Preparing online chat lectures.
Generally, the pace of of teaching online courses can feel overwhelimg. I loose track of time and seem to be on the computer a good portion of each day. Sometimes I even set an alarm clock to remind me to go to the gym or take a break.
I read once in the life and times of a 109 year old woman (some magazine someplace) that she would ask herself if the issue she had stress about, "would matter or impact anything or anyone five years from now", if it didn't meet those criteria, she didn't give it a second thought. Thus, the reason she had survived so many years.
Ron
I find it difficult to balance the responsibilities in my daily life. I often find that work takes precedence. I really enjoy teaching and the interaction that I have with my students but it is very time consuming. I have an 8 month old and lucky enough to be able to have my mother babysit him. It requires an extra drive to and from her home in addition to the commute to work. I find myself driving for about 2 1/2 hours a day, before working a full time and often more. I also teach a class at night once a week therefore on that day, work consumes my entire day. During the weekend, I grade assignments and complete neglected household chores. i also try to fit in quality time with my son whenever possible, he makes everything worth while!
