Each week, the Faculty Collaborative for Teaching will bring you an easy-to-implement tool that you can use immediately in your classroom teaching. The goals of these tips will be to add to your teaching toolbox, share resources on teaching, and alert you to upcoming teaching and learning opportunities from the Faculty Collaborative.

TUESDAY TEACHING TIP: Faculty Burnout

Feeling tired? Overwhelmed? Too many things on your mind or to-do list? We get it. The quarter moves so quickly. It’s a constant cycle of prep, grade, and repeat. Students feel the pressure of the pace too but we really can’t fully be present in our classes and for our students if we aren’t taking care of ourselves first. Many of us are even counting down the days until the start of the summer. So, what can you do to stay (or get) engaged?

This week, we challenge you to do something for yourself with the goal of reducing feelings of burnout or pressure for yourself.

Here are some strategies:

• Think about support. Research shows that social support can reduce feelings of burnout. Connect with colleagues, mentors, or counselors. Discuss your feelings and seek advice.
• Evaluate Expectations. Set realistic expectations for yourself. Reflect: perfection isn’t always necessary; in fact, it rarely is.
• Try to understand the cause of your burnout. Perhaps your feeling of overwhelm is related to a specific project, or maybe it’s simply the result of too many different small tasks. Can you find ways to manage those causes and, at the same time, give yourself some grace?
• Rethink your time. Balance work with other aspects of life. Allocate time for hobbies, relaxation, and self-care.
• Seek some professional assistance. SCU has an Employee Assistance Program (offered through Concern) where you can work directly with a licensed professional to develop specific tools to help manage your feelings of burnout.
• Enjoy our beautiful campus. Grab a colleague or your lunch and spend some time outside today, or enjoy the moment with events through SCU Presents or athletics.

DID YOU DO IT?

Let us know how it went. We would love to hear your feedback about how you implemented today’s Tuesday Teaching Tip in your classroom. Click here to fill out our 3-question survey.

Additional Resources available through Human Resources:

• Visit the Employee Wellness Site for information on Mental Health, Mindfulness, and Employee Assistance Program resources. 
• Sign up for a chair massage ($5 for 13 mins). Or a Reiki Sound Meditation. Click here for more information.
• The Calm App is available free to all benefits-eligible employees. To get started:
• Visit this link to Calm for SCU employees. Click here for more information.

WANT TO READ A LITTLE MORE?

• Faculty Collaborative DRT page on Supporting Students’ Well-Being

This week’s Tuesday Teaching Tip was prepared by Justin Boren and Patti Simone on behalf of the Faculty Collaborative.

Missed a teaching tip? Read them all here:

• Teaching Tip #1 - Reflection (January 30, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #2 - Mid-Course Evaluation (February 6, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #3 - Beyond Think-Pair-Share (February 13, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #4 Grading–Good for them and good for you? (February 20, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #5 - Inclusive Teaching (February 27, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #6 - Mindfulness and Self Care (March 5, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #7 - Syllabus Design (March 12, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #8 - Assignment Design (March 19, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #9 - Orienting Students (April 2, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #10 - Office Hours (April 9, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #11 - Accessibility Check In (April 16, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #12 - Academic Integrity (April 23, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #13 - Upgrading (April 30, 2024)
• Teaching Tip #14 - Motivation (May 7, 2024)

And check out our full calendar of CAFEs and other Faculty Development and Faculty Collaborative events.