Every year, about halfway through the semester, I feel a little overwhelmed as an instructor. Student questions pile up and no matter how many items I cross off my to-do list, it seems to grow like a task-based hydra. Then imposter syndrome starts to rear its ugly head.
As I've gained more experience, I haven't completely overcome these feelings, but I have developed some coping strategies that I think will be helpful to new teachers, and I suspect new K-12 teachers as well, although The Flow and ebb and flow of the school year is different from that of a college semester.
Of course, what works for the tangled collection of neurons that make up my brain may not work for your own ball of neurons. Adapt accordingly!
1. Recognize that the school year has ups and downs
The biggest thing that helps me this time of year is to constantly remind myself that the semester has busy times and bottlenecks. The bad news is that they seem inevitable. The good news is that it happens so often, and there are also quieter times during the year.
So, as the ungraded term papers and emails start piling up, I just remember that things will be quiet again before I know it. It may not feel like it when I'm in the middle of it, but it will happen.
2. Give yourself a fair rating
It's a good time of year to take a midterm exam. But be sure not to rate yourself too harshly. So you haven't responded with two-page comments to every student paper, and sometimes when you receive an email from a student while you're having dinner with your family, you wait until after you finish answering. That's all good!
I try to think of a teacher I respect and wonder if they did what I did, how I would feel. If I feel disappointed, it's time to take a step forward on my part; If I pass it, I think it's okay to stop feeling guilty for not doing more.
We can always do more as educators, but we must remember that we don't want to burn out and let the “great” be the enemy of the “good.” If there are things in our teaching that legitimately need improvement, let's acknowledge it and address it with new strategies and approaches. But let's also stop punishing ourselves for little things.
3. Readjust tasks
Just as war plans rarely survive contact with the enemy, assignment plans do not always survive contact with students. Sometimes the plan you have for a course in August no longer makes sense in October.
Consequently, it's okay to change the subject, as long as you give your students plenty of notice and, of course, don't do something like turn your writing into a Mets playoff viewing party. (I've never actually done this, but the Mets make the playoffs so rarely, could you blame me if I did?)
Seriously, making small changes to the course based on your own observations and student feedback tends to seem almost amateurish, but I've come to see it as the mark of a professional. Certain tasks don't work for certain students and there is nothing wrong with changing things.
Different institutions have different policies around absent students. But if you teach classes with 20 to 30 students, it's a good idea to reach out to those who have stopped attending. Or reach out again if you already emailed after the first few classes you missed.
I find that most of these students eventually show up, but by the time they do, it's too late to do anything about their failing grade. I like to send these “ghosts” a friendly email telling them that their grade has already been affected while also reminding them that there is still time to pass the class if things change now. You can also save some conversations at the end of the semester, which is another busy time of the school year.
For some reason, I get stressed out about students who have stopped contributing to class and sending these emails helps alleviate that too.
5. Remember the good parts of teaching
So far in this article I have focused on the negative things that I need to overcome. However, it is equally important to take some time mid-semester to focus on all the really good things you have done and how you have helped students.
For me, I am most proud of the time I spend responding to each student's writing. It doesn't always pay dividends, but I can rest assured that I've given you the best advice I have to improve your writing, and that always feels like time well spent. I try to remember this, especially during the busiest times of the school year.
I also enjoy meeting students in person and try to encourage them to get to know me, even and especially when I am busy. Sitting with a student for half an hour can make a big difference for them and often helps me recharge my educator batteries by reminding me why, as teachers, we do what we do. After all, there's something special about helping a fellow human being learn something new, but we can all use reminders of that from time to time.
