This is true Scott. These days, it seems people cannot power down. This is especially true when it comes to the use of data devices. They are designed to make our lives easier and give us the ability to do more. But they change our lives and habits so much too. Sometimes it's best to turn them off for a few hours.
Some causes of stress is not having the tools necessary for teaching the course. Sometimes we have to move to a different room and for Anatomy & Physiology it is more challenging to teach the bones without our friend Henry the skeleton hanging around. The learners can't really get a visual.
A stressor outside of the classroom is just the basic everyday life "stuff" that comes at the wrong time. Keeping a good to-do list and managing my time helps me keep things in perspective.
The only stress I experience is the sometime "daydreaming" driver on the commute in. Some days the "technology" that people keep themselves wired to needs to be shut down.
Each area of responsibility within our lives can be area of stress. My most common areas of stress originate from the following:
1. Personal goals and expectations.
2. Family and Friend expectations.
3. Career expectations.
4. Instructor expectations.
All of the areas share the commonality of expectations. Each are important areas of my time and commitment.
Trying to balance each of these important areas can be difficult at times, but only focusing on what I can control has been very helpful.
Focusing on areas outside of my control have been areas that had created a great deal of stress. Gaining an understanding about which ares where REALLY my responsibility provided the perspective I needed in managing potential areas of stress.
This module has provided some great insights in identifying origins of stress.
Best!
Nicholas
Sounds like you have stress coming in from all angles Michael. That can be tough. Work, family and economic stress are all a challenge for most instructors.
work can some times cause stress , and also i have 3 kids that like to test us every day .bills also keep me stressed out with only 1 of us working .
Really like hearing that you still take the time to decompress after such long days John. I think it takes tremendous dedication to yourself to take a walk at 2am but if it helps, more power to you.
Wow. Stress coming from many different directions. Students that are misplaced, staff that are more worried about office politics than they are about goals, and the lack of down time. The car has become my sanctuary.
Even though I don't get home until 2:00 am, I walk. I will log about two miles walking the blocks until I forget what I do for a living. After a shower and a 6 hour sleep...I'm feeling pretty rested.
I guess one has to find their own personal decompression technique for it to work. Not everyone reacts the same.
Stress is caoued from students not relating to things we say will help them in their future that we want them to do while they are in school. I feel other instructors can help us greatly if we all choose to do what is best.
Company policy really can be stressful Patrick, especially when it changes. One way to deal is to be on the committees who decide which changes will happen. This way, you can be more in control of the changes and can use your position to make improvements that will help instructors like you.
My biggest stresser is probably dealing with company policy. Its hard enough sometimes dealing with my normal everyday issues, then to have policy changes or enforcements thrown in can make for a stressful enviroment.
This is a solid list John - and very common stressors for instructors. You are right in that most of these are hard to control. The students leaving early and showing up late might be one opportunity space. It's possible, through guidelines in your course syllabus, to correct this kind of behavior.
1. The Ride to work
2. Hard to find parking space
3. Time clock failure
4. Too Many Emails
5. Copiers that break often
6. Students that show up late
7. Students that leave early
8. Attendance errors
These are just 8 stressors that can get you started in the wrong direction. Most of which you can do nothing about but just accept them and move on. Remaining positive and remembering to smile can get you through.
I found a heavy bag works very well for me
After many years of teaching management I have developed a list of maxims that predict many stressors and in some cases offer resolution:
1. When management is far way (geographically or attitudinally ) from the production and delivery of goods and services, the less valid is their decision making.
2. When you see the same problems occurring again and again, it is proof your strategies are not wroking. Change your strategy.
3. When goals are not being achieved it is proof that principles in the organization do not know what the goals are.
4. When conflict is occuring again and again on a peer level, it is proof that the peer group manager is out of touch with their subordinates.
5. Fixing on fewer goals leads to greater achievement.
6. Goals cannot be achieved without first establishing how goal achievement can be measured.
7. Acting on information without first investigating and evaluating is a sin.
And the llist goes on an on.
Essentially, it comes down to critically strategic thinking while trying to avoid reactionary behavior making people busy but not in the right direction.
This is true Clive. In this economy, administrations have put a lot of pressure on their faculty. Doing more with less has become a focus and this approach can be a big challenge.
Teaching is a very stressful occupation. There is the stress of preparation for class, the strss of grading test ( in time to meeting the student need to how well he/she did),the stress of organizational requirements.The major stressors is those created by organizations.Most company's are cutting back on administrational employees which results in more administrational work load pass on to the teachers.More time is wasted on issues not class related, which resulted lost of time that should be spent with students.This results a very stressful teacher.
Wow, this is a long list Curt -- but it probably feels nice to get it on paper and out of your head. I can see that some of these items are likely out of your control, but others in your sphere of influence. Deal with those you can control first and you will make some good progress.
Yes, maintaining a healthy balance between personal and professional activities is key Robert. If we are not careful in the short term, we really can burn out longer term. So it's important to focus on the causes of stress early and deal with them quickly.
There are the stressors that arise as an instructor. Finding ways to deal with and balance the stresses associated with student, organization, and personal needs is imperative. Living on stress only last so long before burn out occurs. Finding the balance between professional and personal life is key to achievement.
