Finding and Defining Balance
Wow! Was that as exhausting for anyone else as it was for me? I was fortunate enough not to teach this summer, so I had lots of plans. I planned to start this blog and finally met that goal two days before the semester started. Posting on social media to market this blog was also on the agenda. Well, I’m finally doing that too. At no time did I forget that I would be teaching again in the fall. Nonetheless, I did not prepare enough ahead of the start of this term. I regret my bad choices now.
Of course, I updated my syllabi before the academic year began. My modules for my online courses were ready to roll out on Day One. I made sure to take my own advice. I connected with every student personally this week. Guess what that means? I AM TIRED! I don’t just need a nap; I need a whole weekend of rest and sleep.
Like most of my students and colleagues, my life keeps moving. There is no stopping for me to catch up on my sleep. My lone child still living at home is a Senior. This week all the exciting school events start, and apparently, we can’t miss a single minute! I’m joking, of course (sort of). I sat down today and filled in our September calendar and can’t find a free weekend anywhere. I want to work on my own projects. I also want to remain present for my students, my family, my peers, and my (hopefully) growing number of followers. How can we do it all?
We Deserve Grace Too
I’m here to tell you that none of us can do it all and THAT’S OKAY! All of life is about prioritizing. I regularly tell my students to set priorities in their lives. It is one of the things they learn in an online course, whether with me or another instructor. This is true with traditional, face-to-face classes. But, it can be more challenging for students and instructors in online courses.
I mentioned in my earlier post that working from home presents challenges. Separating work time from non-work time is difficult. For our adult students, that can mean balancing an infant in their lap while posting their weekly discussion posts. Perhaps they find themselves fitting in a study session during their lunch break. They could be working late in the evening long after their families have settled in for the night. For another student, it might require collaborating with someone in your institution’s Student Success office. Together, they can create a workable study schedule. They may need assistance understanding the expectations of a rubric, or learning how to cite sources in a new way. A student athlete might need help balancing practice, classes, and study time. They could also require assistance with required physical therapy, meals, and team meetings.
Ideas to Make Your Schedule Easier
So, I get it, we are all exhausted after Week One. As you head into Week Two (or three for some), here are some suggestions for creating a better work-life balance for you and ways to help your students:
- Pick two days to focus on your own projects. These are the days you will do research, writing, blogging, and social media.
- Pick two days to focus on your teaching. Use these days for posting in discussions, posting announcements or supplemental content material, and, of course, grading.
- On the fifth day of the work week, take care of administrative items. For me, this is when I do any required trainings (FERPA, Title IX, IT Security, etc.). Sometimes, I also use this time to review the latest industry blogs, magazines, and newsletters. I listen to higher education related podcasts that I follow.
- Check email every day, even on weekends. This will prevent you from spending Monday morning going through loads of emails and deleting a whole bunch of garbage. If anything is urgent, address it. If not, let it wait until Monday.
What about our students? Helping them to stay motivated!
- Give them a shout out. Let them know that you understand how challenging all of this can be and that you appreciate their efforts. I do it in an announcement. Even students who may not be on track quite yet are usually giving it their best. This is especially true at the beginning of the term. A little encouragement can go a long way.
- If you’ve noticed several students struggling with the same topic or activity, post a clarifying announcement. For my courses, this is almost always about citation expectations. I proactively post an announcement about it in the middle of Week One. The beginning of Week Two works too.
- Post some available resources to assist with something that you know can be particularly challenging in your course. In my classes that is the heavy reading and writing expectations. For a STEM class, it might be keeping up with labs. It could also be how to get help with concepts if the class seems overwhelming for them already.
Keep up the good work friends and colleagues. Our work is hard, but it is meaningful! Don’t let the outside noise tell you otherwise.
Until next time…
Stephanie @TheHIgherEdAlly
