De-Stressing
From ElateWiki
Teaching online can be highly stressful. This may be compounded by the sense of isolation and lack of instructor camaraderie in various online teaching situations. (Faculty who teach from their farms or sailboats or other “home” venues may find this to be especially true.) Those who experience tech anxieties may experience even higher levels of stress. Long-term stress may lead to health problems and professional burn-out, so stress is not something that should be ignored or avoided (Maxfield, 2009).
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[edit] A Comfortable Workspace
Home offices can be quite expensive for full equipment and functionalities for the online instructor. The equipment and software also date out quickly, so there may be a need for constant purchasing of some technologies, software, equipment, and services. It is important to have a robust and secure computer to work through for online teaching. Online classes cannot afford much in the way of down-time, so a number of back-ups will be important for the data, the Internet access, the authoring tools, and so on.
[edit] Getting a Support Network
Joining virtual communities related to e-learning may not only offer a sense of professional camaraderie but also the exchange of relevant information about changing pedagogical approaches and technologies. With contemporary learners quite sophisticated in their uses of various technologies, online instructors need to keep up where it’s relevant.
The community should also include the administrator, whose support is important. This is especially true in situations where students may have had different expectations of the learning and complain. This is when having clear and enforced policies (that align with all laws and campus policies) matters, along with the back-up of administration.
It is important to connect to people and resources on the campus, too. Helpdesk supports (whether from the campus or third-parties) are important for successful online teaching.
[edit] Proper Work Loads
Some online instructors will double-up their loads by teaching for a number of institutions. Overloading on the work may short-change learners. It may also create undue stress. Those who freelance have the additional load of managing themselves, documenting income, hiring out for particular work (possibly), and running their own business. It’s helpful to consider these realities when deciding what sort of workload to take on.
Those who also conduct research, publish, review journal articles, attend conference, and collaborate with colleagues may also need to consider their many other professional commitments.
This hasn’t even mention commitments outside of work.
[edit] Taking Breaks
Then, there are the usual tips for lowering stress—by getting proper rest, nutrition, exercise, and work-life balance. Others suggest the importance of pursuing “passions, interests, and enrichment outside of work” (Eklund, 2009, p. 27). Still others suggest visualization techniques that can help lower stress for instructors (Lieberman, 2007). Malikow suggests developing a spiritual dimension to stay motivated and to avoid burnout (Malikow, 2007).
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
Eklund, N. (2009). Sustainable workplaces, retainable teachers. Phi Delta Kappan: 91(2), 25 – 27.
Lieberman, S. (2007). Back to school: Manage your stress one step at a time. Techniques. Association for Career and Technical Education: 82(7), 60 – 67.
Malikow, M. (2007). Staying motivated and avoiding burnout. Kappa Delta Pi Record: 43(3), 117 – 127.
Maxfield, D. (2009). Running into the fire: Survival tips for education’s first-responders. Education Week. 28 – 29.