Peter,
Good point. We have to keep students and family AND ourselves happy. We can do it with some planning. Thanks!
Deborah,
I agree totally. Proactive communication is so much better than reactive.
Planning is essential. Thanks!
Deborah,
Excellent idea. The alarm can help you stick to working time and down time. Thanks for the tip.
I schedule time to do the different tasks that are necessary to be a good online instructor. For example, I will plan time for when I answer emails, respond to posts in the discussions, grade assignments, develop lectures if necessary, etc. I like to respond to email questions very quickly so it is a good practice to check email at different times of day. One practice I like to utilize is to go to a coffee shop and focus on grading assignments because this eliminates distractions.
I have had to set office hours for teaching online. It wasn’t my students that were complaining it was my family. I was always online it seemed and they couldn’t make plans that included me. By stating my office online hours and literally posting those hours on the refrigerator saved a lot of heartache.
I agree. Being proactive is key. I try to note what students need in a class each week and plan to provide information to address the needs. A little planning helps with time management
I try to balance the time online:
I set an alarm clock to 10:00 am and 2:00 pm every day to spend time walking, exercising, painting or another activity that is not online.
I do not answer emails or calls after 6:30 pm so I can spend time with family and friends or rest.
I post times and days I am available to students.
I find time management tools and techniques (such a feedback templates, pre-developed announcements and how to tips, etc.) to use for each class I teach. Also, I review and research articles on online teaching and try out advice. For example, I found an article about promoting critical thinking in discussions with boilerplate or “stem sentence†questions you can customize. I keep this information in a binder on my desk so I can use it when I am tired or low on creativity.
Sandra,
We all work to make our balance better, but I think the key is that we are working toward a better balance. Thanks for your tips. Sounds like you're on the right track. Do what works for you and your students. We all have to! ;-)
Adib,
A cut-off time is as important as a start time and designating specific time to work on grading or feedback. We all need the family/friends time. We just have to balance the time we have. Thanks!
Detra,
Definitely. I even put it in my syllabus that students should be proactive in their communication and not reactive. I do not accept late work, so communication after the fact does not help the students. I do tell students their proactive communication should also include what they do not understand. I am not a mind reader and I don't understand what they don't understand unless they tell me what they don't understand. I tell them that. ;-) Hope this is helpful.
I balance work and life carefully and I'm not sure I have a great balance. I have a spouse who is pretty understanding. I have one child in college who occasionally needs for me to listen; she is pretty independent. I make time to do this, except during recording of my live chats. She is usually aware of my schedule. I have another student in middle school. He is also pretty independent. When he needs help with Algebra or a special project, we set aside a time to work.
I am in communication with church members who will leave messages if I am unavailable. I return calls promptly.
I embrace each day and accomplish a lot, given that I also work full-time. I am involved daily in the classroom. I do take off Wednesday nights so that I can attend Bible Study. I also take off on Friday nights and do not do any classroom work. I hope that I will have longevity by scheduling and organizing my time effectively.
I balance my work life and online life by setting a cut-off time where I am finished with work for the day. Additionally, I work very hard to ensure that I spend quality time with my family & friends without interruption because it is important to maintain a strong balance between work and family.
Detra,
Timely feedback is essential. I make things due on Wednesday and make sure grades are posted by Friday evening. We all find what works for us. Thanks.
Detra,
My smartphone, I think many times, may be smarter than me! Ha! Sounds like you have a system working for you. Thanks.
Roger,
I'm big on being proactive versus reactive. I make it a point to "share my screen" during the my live chat sessions to make sure students know exactly where everything is located and can be found. This definitely reduces the number of emails from students which say, "I don't get this!"
LE,
I have specific days that I grade assignments. I try to begin grading as soon as the week ends so that my students receive feedback in a timely manner. I like to get things done at the beginning of the week, just in case some unforeseen circumstance arises.
I balance work and life when teaching online by setting aside a specific amount of time for my online responsibilities. I use a calendar to keep me on track as well as a reminder on my smartphone.
Nizar,
Right on! The students and instructors can all benefit from time management and organization skills. We all want to balance what we can. Nice job.
Hi Dr. Crews,
I agree with the teachings in this class that time management, organization, and discipline will help any person, not just online learners, to multi task and create the balance between work, school, and personal life. And while it's not easy, it's also not impossible. It does take some planning and getting used to this balance. When I started out with one online course, I put in some good habits as time of day, expectations for myself, and got the support of my family as well. As I added my teaching load, it did become difficult to manage. So, I decided to cut back on my teaching load so I can be an effective teacher, and still be able to enjoy my life.
roger,
Love the use of you term: "confused instruction." I think many times when we start teaching or are teaching something new for the first time, we think we have it all laid out perfectly and the know the students will understand it perfectly as well. Then, we find they have many questions and we have to regroup and edit the communication and documentation. Thanks for bringing that up.
