Motivation/Time Management

[Charlotte]

This is my first semester as a full time instructor and I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by the teaching requirements and learning the ropes.

I had previously committed to a research project before I got this job and trying to finish it is proving to be difficult. Writing is like pulling teeth and I'm finding that I have little interest in the project. I have one month to complete my portion (although finishing earlier would definitely be better) and quite frankly I'm feeling so exhausted that this seems impossible.

How do you stay motivated in times like this? On the one hand, a month seems more than sufficient to finish, but when it comes down to it I should have been finished long before now. On the other hand, my coauthors keep adding on things that I need to do and new research to incorporate.

How do you balance your teaching and your research? What helps you write when writing is the last thing that you want to do? When do you fit it in?

[Ruralguy]

Make time. I don't know if you have to schedule it formally, but if you have a lot of demands on your time, and not  all are from academics, you may wish to just say "weekend mornings and Thursday afternoon's are for my research" and keep to it unless there is an emergency.  Also, dedicate summers and sabbaticals (if you are eligible) to research. If slight distraction of music or whatever helps, then you can play that while writing.

That's more or less what I have done for 21 years. No, I don't match my pre-1999 output. No, I'm not in contention for any society prizes in my field. But, I get stuff out.

The one thing I've done which I don't advise pre-tenure or even pre-full: in the last few years I've dumped collaborators. They've put way too much pressure on me and it was
driving me nuts. I've gotten stuff out, but not really in my original research field.

[polly_mer]

I agree with Ruralguy that formally scheduling time during normal work hours helps.  Trying to wedge research/writing into the edges when you're already tired is harder for motivation.

The first year of full-time teaching is hard for everyone, even those who have teaching experience.

One question to ask yourself as you look at your schedule to make formal time for research/writing is whether those activities need to be part of your professional life.  Many people answer no when they are honest about their energy and other parts of life.  People who answer yes often get other jobs where support for research/writing is higher as part of the job or at least free time is greater to have enough energy to write outside of the job.

[Hegemony]

Schedule half an hour per day, five days a week. Don't incorporate all the stuff your co-authors tell you that you need to be exhaustive. Just do a reasonable amount and declare it done. Also, you need some down time in your remaining days or your weekends — don't schedule yourself with work night and day. You'll feel much better when you get it done and sent off.

[dr_codex]

Schedule half an hour per day, five days a week. Don't incorporate all the stuff your co-authors tell you that you need to be exhaustive. Just do a reasonable amount and declare it done. Also, you need some down time in your remaining days or your weekends — don't schedule yourself with work night and day. You'll feel much better when you get it done and sent off.

Echoing this, and especially suggesting scheduling these demi-hours early in the day, and not putting them off for almost anything. That's how commercial authors do it, and if you're serious about writing you probably should, too.

Also: Pencils down when the bell rings. Hemingway's advice about "leaving something in the well" is sound. If you feel the need to cart around a notebook for insights, that helps, too, But if you can crank out 500 words/day, fresh copy, you'll have a decent legacy.

Last thought: Teaching is a gas. Service is a gas. Both will expand to fill whatever volume you give them. Choose your containers wisely.

dc

[Charlotte]

Thanks everyone. I think part of my frustration with this project is that I came on board after they dangled a carrot in front of me and it looked attractive. However, it turned out to be a half baked carrot (idea) when I thought it was fully cooked. They switched directions on me late and I was left floundering a bit while I'm already floundering with my first semester teaching.

I don't know if it is stress with everything going on (COVID changes and new job) or if it turns out that I dislike teaching. I really enjoyed being a TA, but I have to fight to not be short-tempered with the students, the endless strange hoops to jump through for students frustrate me, and the actual teaching aspect discourages me because the students don't seem to care at all about learning.

I don't know if this is temporary due to stress or if I'm not suited to teaching. But I suspect it is very bad to be feeling so burned out when it is only my first semester!

I will use your recommendations and get through this project as quickly as possible before dropping this particular coauthor group. I had not worked with them before and I'm finding their lack of clarity and/or the times they get distracted by shiny objects to be frustrating.

I'm generally a lot more patient but my patience is in short supply these days.

[polly_mer]

I don't know if it is stress with everything going on (COVID changes and new job) or if it turns out that I dislike teaching. I really enjoyed being a TA, but I have to fight to not be short-tempered with the students, the endless strange hoops to jump through for students frustrate me, and the actual teaching aspect discourages me because the students don't seem to care at all about learning.

I don't know if this is temporary due to stress or if I'm not suited to teaching. But I suspect it is very bad to be feeling so burned out when it is only my first semester!

1) That first semester full time teaching is a killer for most people.  Be gentle with yourself, especially for this being a very strange time to be teaching for most folks.

2) How does your current position compare to your own experiences as a student and then as a TA?  Years ago, I encountered the idea of

People with high motivation and minimal background can be taught. 
People with solid background and any discernible motivation can be taught. 
Little can be done with people who have neither the background nor the motivation, and are angry about any learning activities.

I like to teach people who want to learn.  I have put a lot of energy into figuring out what people need to know and what examples/experiences help people from different backgrounds come up to speed in my areas.

I have zero patience at this point for people who want me to be the bad guy for a voluntary activity.  I am currently not a classroom teacher in large part because I'd rather spend my time doing directed research and informal teaching over the painful situation of trying to teach people who don't want to learn.

Teaching covers a wide array of activities and there's no shame in realizing that some teaching situations better align with one's personality and best efforts than other teaching situations.

3) That first year of full-time teaching is rough for everyone.  Don't make any rash decisions based on that first year because most people hit burnout conditions and this year will be especially hard.  However, if you can face it, then a targeted search to dream jobs is always a good idea, especially if you aren't already in a TT position.

[Cheerful]

Thanks everyone. I think part of my frustration with this project is that I came on board after they dangled a carrot in front of me and it looked attractive. However, it turned out to be a half baked carrot (idea) when I thought it was fully cooked. They switched directions on me late and I was left floundering a bit while I'm already floundering with my first semester teaching.

I don't know if it is stress with everything going on (COVID changes and new job) or if it turns out that I dislike teaching. I really enjoyed being a TA, but I have to fight to not be short-tempered with the students, the endless strange hoops to jump through for students frustrate me, and the actual teaching aspect discourages me because the students don't seem to care at all about learning.

I don't know if this is temporary due to stress or if I'm not suited to teaching. But I suspect it is very bad to be feeling so burned out when it is only my first semester!

I will use your recommendations and get through this project as quickly as possible before dropping this particular coauthor group. I had not worked with them before and I'm finding their lack of clarity and/or the times they get distracted by shiny objects to be frustrating.

I'm generally a lot more patient but my patience is in short supply these days.

This is all normal, Charlotte.  The first year is the most difficult.  The pandemic is a huge add-on to  the usual heavy stress of the first year.

The experiences you list are extremely valuable to you.  You are learning lots about research, teaching, service, your colleagues, your students, and yourself.  This knowledge and experience will make each future year easier.

Be as efficient as possible.  dr _ codex is right about teaching and service consuming almost unlimited time if you let that occur.  Due to random luck, some groups of students are much easier to work with than others.  Some classes are difficult or lackluster.  Over time, you learn how to make the best of each situation.

A few days off completely free from work should help you.  Try to block out a solid 48 hours with no work asap.

[Ruralguy]

I agree with Polly.

However, I'd add that you shouldn't be too quick to lump everyone together. There are often one or two majors or just people randomly interested in that ocean of bored faces. Also, don't over interpret smirks or eye rolls, etc. People just do that, and it doesn't indicate disinterest or anger. Never take it personally, since it's rarely meant that way.

First year is very tough, and sometimes meshing with students can take a long time.

Nonetless, there's no shame in looking for other options, but don't let it keep you from doing your best at your current job.

[Caracal]

I don't know if it is stress with everything going on (COVID changes and new job) or if it turns out that I dislike teaching. I really enjoyed being a TA, but I have to fight to not be short-tempered with the students, the endless strange hoops to jump through for students frustrate me, and the actual teaching aspect discourages me because the students don't seem to care at all about learning.

I felt like this for quite a while about teaching. Then one semester it all suddenly got better. Some people have a very workable teaching persona from the beginning. I did not. Looking back, I think I just didn't know how to be in charge. I made students anxious, then they made me anxious, which made me grumpy, and I got stuck in a bad feedback loop.

Looking back, things improved mostly because I just got more comfortable and relaxed-which allows me to seem like I know what I'm doing even when I screw something up. The more in control you are, the easier it is to be pleasant to students and they tend to respond in kind. Then you stop feeling like your students are a bunch of hostile jerks who don't care about anything.

But, also its a global pandemic! Everything is a mess. Teaching conditions are a mess. Your students are a mess. They might not care about learning that much right now. I'm often struggling to care about my teaching. These are not good conditions to make long term assessments about your feelings about teaching.

[Vkw10]

Don't judge yourself or the job on your first year of teaching. I've never met anyone who enjoyed the first year, even people who went on to win teaching awards. You're learning how to balance competing demands while being 100% responsible for every aspect of your work for the first time, probably in a new place away from friends and family and that hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that always relaxes you. Schedule some down time for yourself daily, for a run or a bubble bath or whatever makes you happy, and remind yourself that next year you'll know the local system.

Making research time is like saving money. You have to pay yourself first. With money, that means setting up automatic transfers from paycheck to saving/investing accounts. With research, that means blocking out regular time for research and refusing to look at anything else during that time. I mute my phone, close my email, lock my office door, and use a desk lamp instead of overhead lights, all of which signals research time to me. Early morning works well for many people, before other demands intrude.

As for collaborators who keep asking you to do more, remind yourself and them that you aren't a student anymore. Your doctoral committee could tell you to do more. Your collaborators can just suggest ideas. Learn to say, "that's a great idea for our next paper" and "that's a great idea, go ahead and do it yourself."

[nonsensical]

There are some great ideas on this thread for how to make time for research. I wonder if it might help to also think about how to reduce the amount of time spent on teaching. I am at an institution that cares a lot about research, and some or all of these suggestions may be inappropriate at a more teaching-oriented place, but I figured I'd put them here in case some of this was useful to you:

- You could devote certain times for teaching activities and not work on teaching outside of those times. That would help prevent teaching from expanding to fill the available time. I have heard several people talk about prepping their classes in the hour or so before the class meeting so that they can't spend forever tinkering with their slides.
- When I was an undergrad, I had one professor who held regular weekly office hours to which anyone could come without an appointment, and refused to meet at other times unless someone had a documented course scheduling conflict with all of her office hours. This was also at a research-intensive university and may not work for you, but it could be something to consider.
- If the above suggestion seems too severe, it may be possible to coordinate your student meetings more efficiently. When I meet with students, I send them a few options of time that are bookended against something else (e.g., 30 minutes before another meeting). That way the meetings can't take forever and I don't have random 20-minute gaps between things during which it's difficult to get anything done.
- When designing syllabi, it may be helpful to include work with which you're already very familiar, including your own. Reusing materials from year to year also helps, though this is more a suggestion for the future than for right now.
- Would it be possible to schedule some class time for a guest speaker? This would take some pressure off of you for that class period and introduce students to another scholar, which they might appreciate.
- Somewhere (maybe on these fora?) I read advice from someone to make a Word document with common pieces of feedback for student papers. They could then copy and paste from the Word document as relevant rather than providing the same comment 20 different times in 20 different ways on 20 different papers.
- Another thought from my own undergrad days: One of my professors told us to write a note on our final paper if we wanted comments. Otherwise, she'd just provide the grade, because people sometimes don't care about feedback that they can't use in the rest of that specific class. That might save you some time toward the end of the semester.
- If you teach multiple classes, I'd try to stagger exams and major assignments so that you're only grading things for one class at a time, if possible.

[Hegemony]

- When I was an undergrad, I had one professor who held regular weekly office hours to which anyone could come without an appointment, and refused to meet at other times unless someone had a documented course scheduling conflict with all of her office hours. This was also at a research-intensive university and may not work for you, but it could be something to consider.

I have always assumed this is the norm. You certainly should not agree to meet outside regularly scheduled office hours unless the student has a good reason why they can't come to the regularly scheduled ones. In my experience, half the students don't show up to their appointments anyway, so it is folly (and infuriating) to show up for meetings which the student ghosts. So hold your regular office hours, and have them show up then. Making your research/admin hours into open season for student appointments is definitely a way to fragment your precious time for no good reason.

Also, prep your classes and keep each one in its own folder. For instance, for a certain class, I will have a Week 1 folder, a Week 2 folder, a Week 3 folder, etc. Inside each folder is a list of what we do on that particular day ("1. Remind students that papers are due on Wednesday. 2. Review timeline from last week. 3. Discuss X," etc.), and all the papers and materials needed to do it. If something goes badly wrong, make a note of it in the folder, and if quick and easy, change the activity right then and there, ready for next time. Do not change anything that went well!  Resist the urge to tinker endlessly. The goal is that next time you teach the class, you haul out your pile of folders and the course is all ready to go. When I finally learned to do this, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel each time I taught a class, my sanity level shot up.

[fizzycist]

This is my first semester as a full time instructor

.., my coauthors keep adding on things that I need to do and new research to incorporate.

So do I take it that "instructor" means you have a full teaching load, like 3-4 classes? And the research project is an unrelated side thing that you do not draw salary from?

If so, it is absurd for your collaborators to think you can work more than a peripheral amount on the research project during your first semester.

If it were me, I'd tell them you may have more time this summer but right now you are swamped and can only commit to joining update meetings and reading the manuscript.

If they are reasonable, then this should be a very quick and agreeable conversation that they were already anticipating.

[polly_mer]

- When I was an undergrad, I had one professor who held regular weekly office hours to which anyone could come without an appointment, and refused to meet at other times unless someone had a documented course scheduling conflict with all of her office hours. This was also at a research-intensive university and may not work for you, but it could be something to consider.

I have always assumed this is the norm. You certainly should not agree to meet outside regularly scheduled office hours unless the student has a good reason why they can't come to the regularly scheduled ones. In my experience, half the students don't show up to their appointments anyway, so it is folly (and infuriating) to show up for meetings which the student ghosts. So hold your regular office hours, and have them show up then. Making your research/admin hours into open season for student appointments is definitely a way to fragment your precious time for no good reason.

This works at an R1 for faculty where research productivity is a requirement.

Someone who is an instructor or at a teaching place is often required to take appointments and otherwise focus on the student needs.  I've watched people at teaching places get denied tenure by demonstrably not focusing on teaching and students to focus on research.