A HEALTHY "ME" BREAK IN BETWEEN LECTURES AND SESSIONS
How do we alleviate the stress or tension in the classroom, if we ourselves are stressed out?
There are situations when students just pushed our buttons to drive us to the point of expressing our own frustrations and stress by our body language. When I feel that I am so stressed out, I put out my little mirror from my bag, put this infront of my computer, and tell myself (smile and don't worry about small stuff, because THIS TOO WILL PASS :-)
I give students a little "me" break or me time.
I find that I can acquire a bit more "me" time between classes by utilizing the fact that I teach adults. Instead of dismissing the students a few minutes early (which I do occasionally), there are times when I will take the 5-10 minutes before break to wrap things up by delegating responsibility. Students with an eye for detail will be asked to assist in the cleaning & restocking of the lab. Others who are quick to have their belongings all ready to go may be asked to hand graded assignments back before leaving the room. I often have students eager to help and even offer to take on an extra responsibility in class maintenence as it helps them feel like more of an active participant or "class leader". This reduces my stress by entrusting my students with the "little things" that always seem to add up, as well as boosting their interest in class, their productivity and pride in knowing that they are making a difference in the smooth running of THEIR class.
Lisa, So true. The in between time as you define it can really add up too. Some of us have not yet learned how to capitalize on these moments. It's an important skill though.
Dr. Melissa Read
I think the in between time can be skillful and theraputic o ease the stress in quick switching of roles.The drive in between helps me relax or grabbing a quick lunch, walking around the block with my teaching assistant.
I try to plan some break-out activities, just in case. If the class seems to need a change of direction, instead of giving them an early break, it changes the tone of the class, and gives me a break from lecturing. What I do is I split them up into groups (of either 2-5 students) and give them a topic to work on/discuss. Then I get to sit and watch and walk around to observe them. This can really liven up a session that might have been getting stressed, or if I was stressed, it gives me a chance to regroup. Good luck!
I have, on multiple occasions, sent my class on break earlier than normal because they had gotten under my skin that day. The last thing I want to do is let me temper flare up in front of my students, so if they're pushing my buttons, I try to separate myself from them for long enough for me to cool down.
