Dr. Melissa Read

I can see how this experience is both rewarding and challenging Kathleen. It's great that you have a way of taking a step back on your walks and visits with friends. Sometimes, taking a short step back from the challenges we face in life helps us reorient and return with a refreshed outlook.

Dennis, I like the way you have organized your list by primary and secondary tasks. This method probably keeps you focused on taking care of what's most important.

Wow Peter, It sounds like you accomplish a lot in life but manage things very well. I too find that I really enjoy the things I spend the most time doing. Time just seems to fly by and even when work gets hard, stress effects me less because I'm enjoying things.

Sounds like several of your classroom stressors relate to equipment and resources Kevin. That can be tough.

It's true Joseph, Task prioritization is an art. To do it well, we must balance things like task urgency with our estimates of task completion time. We must also fold in a healthy respect for who we are delivering to.

This is true Michael. Sometimes, attacking difficult tasks head on is the best approach. When we do, we let go of our worries and temptations to procrastinate.

This is true Sandra. We really must focus on minimizing the stress in our own lives before we can go on to help others. When we are stress free, we are in a better position to help others reach that state.

Great question Wanda! One tip is to make sure you set student expectations. If you expect students to make their own corrections to their revised essay, articulate that at the start of each semester. As for grammar and mechanics errors, I would allow your students to type their answers if there is opportunity (e.g. access to computer lab). Typing is more consistent with what students will do in the real working world and programs like MS Word will reduce the number of errors students produce.

It sounds like you have a great grading system in place Michael. You are right in that hands-on subjects like culinary skills don't require essay exams. In fact, essay exams make far less sense than real world evaluation.

This is true Hans. Identifying the highest priority task can be the most challenging. Some instructors base their decision on time to completion or which task is the most urgent. Other instructors focus on who they are delivering to, with different people getting different priority weightings.