Motivation/Time Management

[Ruralguy]

Yeah, if I didn't allow drop-ins, I'd be in a pickle at my school (a middle of the road SLAC) for sure.

Its not so much that I'd definitely have been fired, its more that my own dept. and students, some parents, some admin would constantly be on my case even if I kept "handbook" hours religiously (and nothing else).  Now what you can do is offer hours during times they can actually come (so drop ins are less frequent) , offer some aid in class, give online help, etc.. It not so much a weird "face time" thing as it is an actual expectation that you be highly available. We advertise ourselves as "high touch" (or whatever the more politically correct term might be now).

Even so, I don't tend to get bugged that much outside of stated hours, and I manage to get stuff done, even if it isn't at R1 levels.

Also, a school like mine has high service expectations, especially for full professorships or "named chairs."

[AvidReader]

Schedule half an hour per day, five days a week.

Yes, or schedule a larger block of time one day a week. I wrote my first book on Fridays while adjuncting at three schools.

As others have said, make yourself unavailable for all but the most pressing activities during your scheduled time. I told my students that I would not respond to emails on Fridays. I turned down classes that met on Fridays (the one perk of adjuncting). I told most people who scheduled meetings that I was unavailable on Fridays. You don't have to give a reason: "I'm sorry, I already have a commitment that day/time" works really well in most cases.

I also found it very helpful to have a designated research space. For me, this used to be a library, but that's harder now (but if your campus library is open, working there also makes it clearer that you are unavailable, since you won't be in the office if "drop-ins" arrive). Once I am in my designated space, I don't allow myself to check email, and on writing (rather than research) days, I also don't use the internet.

AR.

[Charlotte]

I cannot tell you all how relieved I am to read your responses and hear that this is all normal! I've been writing down your suggestions and am working on incorporating them. But mostly, thank you all so much for taking the time to respond. Being such a new instructor I don't have anyone to go to and discuss issues like this. Receiving support and advice from all of you has meant a great deal.

I blocked off time as suggested and threw out several of the new additions the coauthors wanted. I reorganized the paper and streamlined it a bit to be more focused rather than wandering. This alone helped because I didn't realize how stressed it was making me knowing how unfocused the project is. I estimate that I can complete it if I give it about four more good chunks of time. Then I will send it along and forget about it for now.

I'm getting many emails from students who have not completed any assignments all semester and apparently just realized this is earning them a 0. They expect to be allowed to make them all up. Once I got over my initial irritation, I wrote a polite but firm email and saved it in a word document along with several other replies I had to make. Being able to copy and paste is already saving me time so thank you, Nonsensical!

I am also experiencing my first round of finishing this semester while simultaneously preparing classes for next semester which I think is what sent me close to the edge.

Thank you all! I am off to do some writing and feeling much better about life and career!

[polly_mer]

Hang in there, Charlotte!

Years ago, Tenured_feminist pointed out that the middle of the term always looks impossible, but people get through it.

[traductio]

Hang in there, Charlotte!

Years ago, Tenured_feminist pointed out that the middle of the term always looks impossible, but people get through it.

Every semester at this point I tell myself I'm quitting -- for real this time. (And yet here I am...)

[hungry_ghost]

OP, it will get better. This is burnout time already, even without covid.
If you liked teaching before, you'll learn to like it again. You have a different set of responsibilities and pressures now, but in time you'll adjust.
I wish it were possible to link OP to the original Jedi Mind Tricks thread. I actually downloaded the PDF (ALL 89 pages!!) before the CHE fora closed and would be happy to share.

[Myword]

A difficult situation when you are uninterested in material.

What I do is this: I find an angle or point of view that does interest me greatly and try to incorporate it into the writing, even if only a footnote or an example. Make it relevant somehow. I did this for my Ph.D. exams and they were stressful. I notice other scholars use examples that are barely relevant and it is published. Just do not overdo it. It must be tied in   to improve the paper.

[mamselle]

I get the glums for a bit, lasts a day or two, then they dissipate, it seems.

The thing is not to make decisions that would negatively affect you or your work or others at times when you know you're down.

I'm fighting it right now; i have mountains of stuff to do and I Just.Don't.Wanna.

It does pass, quite often (although not always; there are longer-term depressions that have a clinical dimension to them and you have to deal with those differently).

Find nurture and sometimes just do the minimum to keep going...but keep going.

You are most definitely not alone.

M. 

[fizzycist]

I get the glums for a bit, lasts a day or two, then they dissipate, it seems.

The thing is not to make decisions that would negatively affect you or your work or others at times when you know you're down.

I'm fighting it right now; i have mountains of stuff to do and I Just.Don't.Wanna.

It does pass, quite often (although not always; there are longer-term depressions that have a clinical dimension to them and you have to deal with those differently).

Find nurture and sometimes just do the minimum to keep going...but keep going.

You are most definitely not alone.

M.

+1 !!

[FishProf]

i have hit a wall and it is hitting back (Interthreduality).

How do I cope with this inevitable dip?  Wine.

AND, I will take the time Tomorrow or Saturday to go through my TODO list and set aside everything that does NOT need to be done before the end of the semester.  I just set it aside.  Then I plow through ONLY the immediate semester completing needs.

AFTER the semester has ended, I'll take up the remainder of the list and reprioritize and focus.  But for now, the task at hand is GET THROUGH THE SEMESTER.

this is normal, good luck.