When I heard that the classes were going online after the extended spring break, I thought it was fine. I already have all my class material in the learning management system, and thanks to my online classes I know how to make online quizzes and assignments. I only had to create online labs, one per week. Or so I thought.
Somehow, it fell on me to create labs for one course and distribute to everyone else. I think it's because I have a habit of answering emails quickly while others are really on a break. 😊 Now I must create labs very early so everyone else has enough time to read, and prepare. And I am answering emails and phone calls. It stresses me out. I have been sleeping only 4-5 hours last few days. Finally, today I decided to stop working on lesson plans after dinner. I read several blogs and commented. I listened to music on YouTube, and spent sometime reading funny memes on Facebook.
I made a list of tasks. It always makes me feel better to have a to-do list and check things off. My two online course were easy, I only had to change assignment due dates and test dates. I also teach 3 face to face lectures and three labs. For the lectures, I found old videos that I did several years ago, and decided to use them without creating new videos. I created 3 labs for the first week. Tomorrow I am going to write the second week's lab and send it to other instructors. Then I have a couple of days to relax. If I am two weeks ahead of the schedule, that should give me some breathing room.
Before spring break started, I brought all my notes, textbooks and lab manuals home. I didn't know for sure, but I suspected that the break would be extended. Yesterday our dean sent an email and asked us to go to school and get anything we need from our offices , just in case. So I drove to school, and brought several old lab reports home. I can use them to create online labs. I'm not sure if there will be a stay at home order - the county is against it so far - but the mayor wants one.
I neglected the garden for a couple of days. I wish we had rain. Everything is turning brown. I don't have a sprinkler system, so unless it rains, grass dies very quickly.
Luckily, I still have enough food. I know I'm fortunate to be able to stay home and work, and get paid. So I shouldn't complain and count my blessings.
Take care all.
XXX
Nil
You are a very smart cookie, Nil! You've thought this thing out very well and the others will be blessed by your preparations for them. Such a good thing you thought ahead about the 'just in case.' We're waiting for the wamer Spring temps to get here and stay! I need the outside so badly right now!! You be safe and stay well, Nil!! blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Diana. I hope all is well with you.
DeleteIt’s already too warm here. 😊
I can understand what a stressful environment it is for you Nil but it sounds like stricter measures will be just around the corner for you as with everywhere else. I think it's important that you try and relax after dinner and do things you enjoy. The work will get done, it always does.The online environment is a strange one and still very unsettling. Hope things will settle down for you work wise very soon as it is not healthy to be stressed. All the best, Pauline
ReplyDeleteThank you Pauline.
DeleteI’m not very good at working under pressure. I feel better now, after preparing labs for the first week. 😊
I'm sorry you have to prepare lessons for everyone else, too, Nil. This whole situation is stressful enough without added stress due to an increase in the workload! Hopefully, when staff evaluation time comes up, they will remember this and you will be rewarded for your hard work! I'm glad you took time to relax a bit after dinner, today. Make sure you are getting enough sleep.
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to send you some of our rain! We are having a very rainy March!
We have a very small department, Bless. One person completely disappeared during the break. So I had to step in and do the work.
DeleteOh, I wish you could send me some rain. 😁
Nil, that is great that you still have your job as thousands here in Australia lost their jobs yesterday when the government shut down places like cafes, restaurants, gyms etc. in an attempt to halt the progress of the Corona virus. It seems that a lot of people are getting off cruise ships who are infected with the virus. Hopefully life will get back to normal sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteMany are losing their jobs here too, Chel. Especially restaurant workers. Unemployment rate us increasing. What a stressful time for everyone around the world!
DeleteI hope those people from cruise ships are quarantined.
Stay safe, Chel.
It is a blessing to be able to work at home, although I am sure it is much more stressful to have to get ahead of the game in a new way. It sounds like you are up to the challenge. I have found making lists, a habit I have never cultivated, does help one sleep better.
ReplyDeleteIt’s stressful Susanne, because we have to do this in a very short time. However, compared to what people who lost their jobs going through, this is nothing.
DeleteWhat subject do you teach? It sounds like a lot of extra work so I hope you will get the opportunity to fit in some relaxation for yourself. Take care x
ReplyDeleteI teach physics, Eileen. Making labs is the most difficult part, because we can’t expect students to buy lab kits in the middle of the semester.
DeleteIt sounds like a lot and more work! I would think labs would be more difficult to prepare. Keep safe! Andrea
ReplyDeleteYes, Andrea. Lab are the most difficult. Students have already paid a lab fee, so now we can’t ask them to buy lab kits to work at home.
DeleteNil, stop over to my crochet blog, Tinkering with yarn, I've posted there about the Crochet Mandala. My son is in his senior year at High School, and is of course learning from home. I told him this is new for the teachers as well. New territory for all of us. Thank you for stopping over my place. I've moved the crochet talk over to the other blog, I like to talk about it, but not everybody crochets or has an interest, we'll see how that goes for a while. I don't get much traffic. If it doesn't pick up, or there is no interest, I'll move that topic to my regular blog. Stay Well.
ReplyDeleteI will visit your crochet blog soon, Faith. 😊
DeleteI’d like to start a new project, but I’m overwhelmed at the moment. Soon I hope.
Taking a break is so important, particularly when you work at home on your own. It is very tempting to just do another thing, quickly... I am totally guilty of this but will take a break soon and go for my once a day outside exercise, a dog walk. I am allowed to take the boys because we are a household, which is good.
ReplyDeleteFor my online lectures, I use an application called Articular Rise. It looks very pretty online but is a bit of a faff. I am lucky to have an e-learning technologist who converts my recorded lectures into something really quite fancy. How do you run your online labs? I don't actually know what your background is and it could be anything from computer labs to virtual biology wet labs.
Fingers crossed for some rain for your garden xx
Our learning management system is called Canvas. We have e-learning technologists, but suddenly turning a traditional face to face course to an online one is hard. Especially within a week, in the middle of the semester. Sigh...
DeleteI am trying to find simulations for labs. These used to be on campus labs, students have already paid lab fees, so we can’t ask them to buy lab kits to do experiments at home.
My real online classes are ok, it’s what I call baby physics, so their activities are super simple. 😁
You certainly have been busy. I understand about being the one who answers emails promptly and ends up being responsible for organizing tasks. It used to happen to me in my professional life quite often. I hope you get some rain your way-we are having a Miracle March here-lots of rain.
ReplyDeleteAh, that’s what happens to me always. 😊
DeleteI hate waiting until the last moment, and complete things in advance. So I get more!
Oh no lack of sleep is terrible, it also compromises your immune system and in this virus age we need our immune system really good and ready to fight it. Get some sleep. Because I wake up at 3am to go to work I have to be in bed by 7pm to get a decent sleep. Goodluck with the online lessons
ReplyDeleteLast night I was able to sleep 7 hours. I think venting on the blog helped. Heheee
DeleteOh my goodness Bridget, you wake up at 3 am? That’s way too early!
Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteThanks R. You too!
DeleteThat sounds like a heavy teaching load with 3 lectures, 3 labs and 2 online classes! I hope those aren't three different labs per week you have to make. I find making labs the hardest, although I'm not a fan of recording lectures either. I have 3 classes with 3 labs, but two of those are the same course, so that means only 2 different labs per week. I think you should definitely take a break after dinner and not work constantly and get more sleep (although I understand being stressed out and not being able to sleep even though you want to).
ReplyDeleteYes, Julie. They are three different labs. I teach 4 different courses, and 3 different labs. One course doesn’t have labs (only very simple activities) and I teach two sections of that course, online.
DeleteSounds like you are working hard, Nil. It's so nice that they can count on you to gt those labs done. I'm sorry you are not getting much sleep though. Self care is so important, so please try to take good care of yourself. I hope you get some rain soon, we have plenty, too bad we can't send you some. Stay safe. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like both CA and TN are getting a lot of rain. 😊 I wish I had some. Today I watered both front and backyard.
DeleteThanks to you, I placed an order for a Misfits box. It should come in a day or two. I can’t wait! 😁
I think it's a really good idea to set a "clocking off" time for your work at home, Nil. Then you have time, at the end of each day, to relax and get ready for sleep. I always read before I go to sleep. MegXx
ReplyDeleteI too read before going to sleep, Meg. Sometimes too long. 😁
Deleteyou certainly are overload it seems, Nil, and it does seem a bit unfair that you seemingly are doing the work of others. I know that preparing the online lessons is a tough chore that wasn't expected, but hope you do build more down time into your schedule. And, if you need to rant or vent, you know the blog community is always around to at least listen. It's always difficult to know what advice to give others. Stay safe and healthy and rest.
ReplyDeleteThank you Beatrice. I think ranting helped, because I did sleep 7 hours last night. 😁
DeleteGood on you Nil, you are doing great. We need to take care of ourselves! I hope you can find some time during the day for a nap -that will help if you are not sleeping so long.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I do take naps, earthmotherwithin. My problem is that I can’t take short naps. My naps are at least two hours long. 😂
DeleteI don't think all of that responsibility should fall on your shoulders, Nil. It's too much. I hope you can work it out so that it isn't so stressful and high pressure. You are very kind, dependable, and conscientious, and sometimes people take advantage of those types of employees. It used to happen to me, too. Now I say no.
ReplyDeleteWe have a very small department, Stephenie. There are only two full time faculty members and many adjuncts, so full time people have more responsibilities. I do get things done quickly, so I get more work. Sometimes I don’t mind. But sometimes it stresses me out.
DeleteI am sorry you are having ton pick up the slack in your department, Nil. This is the new normal, at least for a bit, and everyone is having to do things differently. Wishing you luck and safety!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anne. I hope you are doing well.
Delete"Somehow it fell to you..." Nope, I don't buy this. You were "guilted" into it. And you should stop immediately.
ReplyDeleteJust because you are the most efficient, does not mean, that you should allow extra work, to be dumped on you. I'm sure you are the-very-very-nice person, in your department. And those, will always, be taken advantage of. Don't allow it!!!!!
Gentle hugs,
🌸 🌸 🌸
I'm still learning to say no, Wisps. :)
DeleteAnd I do feel bad for my students who suddenly have to learn online. I want to do my best for them. Some have lost their jobs, and I don't want to see them dropping out, especially during this very difficult time.
Good for you, Dear One!!!! We all have to learn to say No.... When it is not good for us. And first believe, that this is not only a-duty-to-self... But to not, is harming our health. And to harm one's own health, can never be the right thing to do.
DeleteI'm sure you were brought up to be a good girl. But that only goes so far.
🌸Gentle hugs🌸