Stressed for Success | Booklets-FaCET-WKU

Stressed for Success !

Stress comes predictably for teachers-- grading, papers, end of term crisis. This book is a compilation of means of coping w/ the stresses of teaching, particularly around the holiday season. There is a biography at the end with further aids.

Hope it is helpful,
Sally Kuhlenschmidt
Psychology Professor
CTL Director

Table of Contents

Reducing Grading Stress- Joan Krenzin, Patty Randolph, Barry Brunson, & other WKU Faculty Members
Preventative Measures - Henry Baughman, Steve Spencer, and other WKU Faculty Members
Handling Holiday of Stress - Ideas from Nancy Givens, Health & Fitness Lab
Coping Strategies- Donald F. DeMoulin
Bibliography

Reducing Grading Stress

I give to students at least two weeks before the end of the semester a breakdown of their grades so I have more time to handle their stress and to be ahead on grading before the final. I keep a carbon of their grade sheet on which I need to add only the final grade. No papers are due after Thanksgiving. They are to write their papers much earlier and they’ve projects that expand upon the text and lecture.
--Joan Krenzin, Sociology, 1996

Have a speaker phone on your telephone. It reduces the length of your conversations. I use it when I’m grading and don’t want to be interrupted for long. People are uncomfortable talking on it and quickly conduct their business.
--Patty Randolph, Psychology, 1996

I listen to music which fits the stage of grading — classical for thought papers, loud rock for grade calculation.
--Barry Brunson, Math, 1996

CONTRIBUTED BY OTHER WKU FACULTY:

Be nice to yourself! Set aside some play time just for you
Pace yourself in attacking that set of papers. Don’t let them pile up
Take time to reflect upon the performance of all students, not just the poor or problem ones
Buy a talking or printing calculator to help with verification of correct entry of grades
Wear comfortable clothing and order out food
Schedule oral presentations for class when you’re grading papers heavily
Forgive yourself for not having perfect holiday preparations
Leave the building and walk around outside
Grade somewhere other than your office

Preventative Measures Reduce --- Stress

Student gripes and complaints are prevented, for the most part, by a well-worded syllabus and informing the students on the first day of class what is expected of them and how their grades will be determined.
--Henry Baughaman, Public Health, 1996

Be careful in scheduling papers (assignments in general) due dates. Balance due dates across the semester. This frees up the student as well as the instructor during the last two weeks of the semester.
--Steve Spencer, Recreation & Park Administration, 1996

Contributed by other WKU faculty:
· Do Christmas shopping during the summer.

· Warn students that semester’s end is stressful for you as well as for them. Thus they may not encounter the same nice person the middle of December that they met in August. They should take this into account when asking for extensions, exceptions, etc. Caution students to plan ahead in their management of the situation.

Handling Holiday Stress
by Nancy Givens, Health & Fitness Lab, 1996

While the holiday season can be exciting and stimulating, it can also be a time of stress “overload” for many people. Expectations are high and time demands increased. Family relationship and financial strains may also come into play. This year, how can you navigate the holiday season without landing down in the dumps:

• View these seasonal demands as a challenge, not a threat or unending series of hassles. Remember, attitude is everything.
• Get in touch with the deeper meaning of holidays and sharing with loved ones. Getting too caught up in the commercial side can leave you feeling “flat.”
• Do not go on a great credit card spending spree. Save for the holidays in advance, then spend only as much as you comfortably can; make presents. Hone your organizational skills to a fine art. Plan ahead, make lists, be efficient, stay focused on the task - and somehow it will all get done.
• Maintain your physical fitness throughout the holidays. Exercise is possibly the greatest stress reliever known. Moderate eating and adequate rest and sleep will also pay big dividends in greater enjoyment of the season.
• Take time for you. It is easy to get so caught up in the seasonal celebrations and festivities that there is no time left for reflection or quiet time. This is a surefire road to burnout. Pace yourself so you have something left to give.
• Laugh frequently - and play hard. It prolongs life, and makes the holiday season all the more enjoyable!
• Prepare and enjoy healthful holiday cooking. Look for newer recipe books which de-emphasize fat but still place a premium on good taste and appearance.
• Don’t drink too much. Anything more than 1-2 drinks in a day is probably too much. Too much drink is bad for your health, your relationships, and your mood.
• If you do find yourself feeling depressed, find someone to talk with, write your thoughts and feelings down in a journal, or seek professional help. Early action can prevent later problems.

Increasing Your Stress Hardiness:

If anything is constant today, it is change. Along with that, for many people, comes stress. When stress gets out of control it can cause apathy, depression, low productivity, accidents, and eventually, physical disease. With so much to do, so little time to do it in, and every thing changing at a rapid pace...how can people keep their stressloads within manageable levels? Stress-hardy people - those who deal effectively with stress in whatever form it takes - seem to share certain important characteristics:

They see life as a challenge, not as a threat or an unending series of hassles. Remember, every problem is an opportunity in disguise
They are committed to what they are doing. Having a mission or purpose in life - an overriding belief that what you are doing is right and meaningful - gives you tremendous staying power.
They have a sense of being in control of their life. Feeling in control, capable of handling whatever problems arise, frees a person from the distractions and depletion of energy experienced by someone who feels like a “victim.”

Other useful tips for enhancing your stress management skills include:

Improve time management and organizational skills. All you have is time in this life - use it wisely
Maintain your physical fitness. Exercise is possibly the greatest stress reliever known. Eating right and getting adequate rest and sleep are also essential. Make time for play in your life
Laugh frequently - and hard. It prolongs life!
Keep a personal journal. It can be very therapeutic.
Maintain an active intellectual (read books!), spiritual (find meaning!), and social life (make life-long friends!)

Coping Strategies
by Donald F. DeMoulin, Educational Leadership, 1996

Organizational Coping Strategies
-prepare ahead
-write it down
-say “no” more often
-unclutter your life
-set appointments
-have goals
-set priorities
-have a plan B

Attitudinal Coping Strategies
-avoid negative people
-smile, often
-say something nice
-strive for excellence, not perfection
-look at problems as challenges
-visualize winning
-look for the silver lining
-recognize that you do not have
all the answers

Physical Coping Strategies
-get up earlier
-avoid chemical aids
-maintain your ideal weight
-consistent exercise
-get enough sleep
-avoid tight clothes
-breathe slowly and evenly
-stretch
-scream at ballgames
-meditate at different times

Personal Coping Strategies
-schedule playtime
-look at the stars
-listen to a symphony
-stop a bad habit
-take a bubble bath
-read a poem
-do something new
-smell a flower

Bibilography

These books are available for checkout at the Center.
Boice, Robert. Advice for New Faculty Members. Needham Heights [MA]: Allyn & Bacon, 2000.

Cranton, Patricia. University Challenges in Faculty Work: Fresh Perspectives from Around the World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997.

Fisch, Linc. Ethical Dimensions of College Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, 1996.

Frost, Peter J. and M. Susan Taylor. Rhythms of Academic Life. Thousand Oaks [CA]: Sage Publishers, 1996.

Gmelch, Walter H. Coping with Faculty Stress. Newburg Park, [CA]: Sage Publishers, 1993.

Keith-Spiegel, Patricia, et al. The Ethics of Teaching: A Case Book. Muncie: Ball State UP, 1993.

Lyons, Richard E., Marcella L. Kysilka, and George E. Pawlas. The Adjunct Professor's Guide to Success. Needham Heights [MA]: Allyn & Bacon, 1999.

Palmer, Parker J. The Courage to Teach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.

Richardson, Steven M. Promoting Civility: A Teaching Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

Russell, Joseph. Stress Free Teaching: A Practical Guide to Tackling Stress in Teaching, Lecturing & Tutoring. London:Kogan, 2000.

Top

This website is in compliance with Section 508 and W3C Priority-I guidelines.
If you find it to be inaccessible, please contact Webmaster.
E-Mail facet@wku.edu -- Phone (270) 745-6508 -- Fax (270) 745-6145.
Write to the Center for Teaching & Learning, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576
Last Modified Dec 2002. All Contents Copyright © 2000, Site created July 1996 Western Kentucky University