Causes of Stress
What are some general areas that you can identify as major stressors in your life/career? Are these stressors based upon logistical (organizational) factors, student needs, or college requirements? Develop a list of your stressors within these general categories or create additional categories based upon your personal needs.
the majority of my stress is due to the fact that i am an adjunct instructor where i teach and attend school as well. i am not paid for my time grading papers, doing faculty development, faculty meeings and i schedule my time away from work in school classes and find that the administrative duties overwhelm me at times, i have inner conflict because i feel like i am essentially working for free alot of the time and it does cause me to stress about it
logistical
my office could be cleaner/neater
my house could be less cluttered
Standards
we have to follow the curriculum given to us yet some of the mterial is outdated
Leigh, That sounds like a tough challenge. When you have to play two roles in the same environment, it can be hard to switch between them. It sounds like you are also not satisfied with your compensation for teaching. You might approach your administration respectfully with these concerns. It can be good to be open and honest about our expectations.
Dr. Melissa Read
Ive got a great one....I am stressed because I think I am a horrible doctor...everytime I perform surgery I have to calm myself and assure myself that I didnt do anything that would compromise my patient...I dont sleep well, have anxiety attacks etc...and its my career. I am/have been on meds but it still takes a lot out of me. I thought teaching would be less stressful but now when I do surgery I have the owners of the animals watching because they are students. I know I am not a bad doctor...I do not compromise my patients...my stress/anxiety is not rational but I can only hope to quiet it vs really control it. My attempts to marry rich so I can quit and relax on the beach with a margarita every day have proven fruitless... ;)
One of the biggest stressors for me are the students needs , and also the logistical factors in the workplace.
I tend to add stress innately-smile.
logistical (organizational) factors- need newer up to date computer,
student needs- My face to face school has students who are used to being spoon fed material. I temper my "nuts and bolts" approach with empathy. However, I ultimately demand excellence.
college requirements- My online school has an exhaustive feedback requirement for instructors. I have been with them for several years and the standards/requirements increase every year.
The majority of my stress is life; being a full time instructor, a full time student and a mother of two year old. However, the ability to manage time greatly reduces the amount of stress. I feel student needs aren't a stressor because I am usually able to tend to most of them, even if its on my own time. I do find organizational stressors when it comes to balancing tutoring or completing paperwork. I would rather do the tutoring, which i find more beneficial than the paperwork.
My stressors at work are mostly standards from the ever changing rules in my department and from students working out in the real world who do not turn in their homework each week. One is a pressure to conform quickly and the other is a pressure to get someone else to do what they are supposed to do to keep them successful.
My job can be stressful at time. Not by me but by others being unorganized. Stress is what you make it to be.
Most of my stressors are personal. I carry a lot of responsibility for my family members, which I shouldn't. I am a problem solver and I try to do what I can to make everybody else's life easier.
My primary stressors are student needs, making sure the students are placed properly and that they understand the requirements of externship. If the student is fired from externship, another stressor appears, making sure the student takes accountability for actions causing the issue, and understanding how not to repeat it and learn new behaviors. Then, of course, I will stress about whether or not the student will/can succeed if given another chance.
College requirements always present a significant number of stressors, such as constantly changing curriculum, changing policies, changing students, changing collegues, the list goes on.
If one is to be successful, it is important to know the boundaries of each area of life, and to try and work within those boundaries.
I feel most of my stressors are from 'Standards' and 'Inadequate Experience'. For me, the "teaching" concept is new and some of the newer material if tough to agree with. I have had several years of hands on experience in my field and have been very successful! Coming back and having to actually teach and communicate my ways and ideas to students becomes rather overwhelming and I always feel unprepared.
Vanessa
Vanessa, That sounds like a tough spot. On one hand, with all of your hands on experience, you probably have a lot more to offer your students than many of your colleagues. On the other hand, trying to communicate that information in a framework that is too ridged likely feels incredibly limiting.
Dr. Melissa Read
The most cause me a lot of stress is commute/ hard to find a parking space, Everyday I am planning to do something before my class but I failed then it cause me stress.
My biggest sources of stress are family responsibilities and trying to do too much in a short amount of time. In other words, not allowing sufficient time to complete tasks. As such, I have found it helpful to set expectations for family members regarding what I will and will not tackle. Also, considering how long projects take on my "to list" is advantageous.
Deadlines are aways stressful by becoming an organized individual some of this stress can be elementated.
My biggest stressor is that I am the single father of teen-aged girls. Fortunatly I love my career, and the girls know it, so they really don't get into trouble. But the worry is stll there
I get stressed when administration tells you to do a project and as soon as you get done they change their mind and say well we are going to go in a totally different direction.
Conni, This is an important point. Many of us are great at setting expectations in the workplace but not at home. This can lead to challenges with family and friends as we try to balance our personal responsibilities. Communicating our needs and limits can make a big differences in our personal relationships.
Dr. Melissa Read
