The work-from-home model has been implemented by online educators long before the 2020 crisis. This job was sometimes referred to as “teaching in your pyjamas” because it often required adjuncts to work full-time during the day and adjunct classes in the evening. Full-time employees may still be required to work during both day and night shifts, simply because students’ and teachers’ needs necessitate this arrangement. Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked in both roles, and my ability to maintain a work-and-life balance has improved as a result.
Each online school has its own unique set of roles, but there are some commonalities across all of them. To be effective in this position, you must be willing to sacrifice personal time to ensure that you have enough time to complete your responsibilities. Teaching is not a job where you can easily clock in and out or set strict hours for completing daily tasks, and I don’t say this to denigrate the profession in any way. There are some tasks, such as providing feedback and participating in class discussions, that can be estimated in terms of time. However, it is impossible to accurately estimate the amount of time it takes to engage with students. For me, being available, engaged, responsible, and easily accessible to students is more important than being efficient, even if it means devoting more time to them on a given day. When it comes to time, I don’t really care. My solution was to devise time management strategies that helped me stay on top of everything.
What’s the Requirement for Your School?
As an adjunct, you’ll often have contractually obligated deadlines. Due dates for feedback and class discussion are included in this section. Trying to meet all of those weekly deadlines can be stressful. You need to know the specifics of your contractual obligations in order to be prepared. Another type of document like a faculty handbook or teaching contract might exist. If you want to make sure you know exactly what your school expects of you, I suggest you go over these documents and school policies at the beginning of each term. Often, there is an unspoken rule about those adjuncts who don’t meet the requirements and are denied new contracts or additional course assignments. Furthermore, if a contractual requirement isn’t met, the company can be terminated based on the severity of the problem.
Do You Have Too Much on Your Plate?
Teaching for multiple institutions simultaneously is not uncommon for adjuncts. During my time as a faculty development specialist, I had the opportunity to interact with faculty members from as many as six different institutions. The thought of juggling so many classes at so many different colleges and universities is beyond my comprehension. However, I didn’t ask for any personal information because I didn’t want to complicate things further. Teaching at multiple institutions is how many part-time adjuncts make a living in this industry, and I can see why. The level of competition for jobs is at an all-time high. As a freshman in 2005, there were far more positions than faculty available, so this was not the case. Your personal and professional lives must be well-balanced when you are teaching multiple classes for multiple schools at the same time.
Those who deliberately take on too much work without regard for the quality of the work they produce exhibit an entirely different syndrome. My first contract with an online specialty school was to create their first Faculty Development Center a few years ago. I began online training as soon as it was completed and launched. The first set of Faculty Standards was created and faculty classes were reviewed as part of this project. In my research, I came across a common problem in the industry: faculty who teach for the money. “I agree” and “Good job” were some of the comments that were left on posts and papers. Since there were no standards in place before, it’s impossible for the school to know how well they’re doing.
What Exactly Is Work-Life Harmony?
When it comes to creating a time management strategy for an online educator, the responsibilities are difficult to estimate. As a result, it may be difficult to specify which day or days should be set aside for personal and professional activities when trying to schedule time for both. These four strategies can help you adapt your unique situation to find a sense of balance, which in turn will help you feel more prepared to complete your tasks, when they are required of you. Nonstop activity is impossible for any human being. It’s never too late to take a break, and this plan will help you begin.