This interactive workshop will focus on practices of self-care, wellness and balance for teachers in higher education. Autonomy with the promise of pursuing research and teaching in a collegial atmosphere are the ultimate pay off for becoming a professor. No wonder Susan Adams in a 2013 Forbes article named “university professor” as one of the least stressful jobs! In reality, stress, fatigue and burnout are not uncommon among post-secondary teachers who face pressing multiple demands from their personal and professional lives while dealing with swiftly changing institutions. These are the not-so-secret but seldom publicly acknowledged results of a work ethic focused on achievement against all odds and with a ‘do whatever it takes even if it ruins you’ attitude. These habits are often formed as students and are linked to achievement and recognition in young scholars. However, they may in fact set the stage for discord, lack of productivity and dissatisfaction by mid or later career. This workshop will discuss recent literature on wellness and focus on sharing practical strategies and solutions aimed at enhancing individual teacher self-care. We will also discuss our collective responsibility to change teaching culture to foster wellness as a core principle at an institutional level.
Sources:
Adams, Susan. (2013). The Least Stressful Jobs of 2013. Forbes, January 3, 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/01/03/the-least-stressful-jobs-of-2013/ Accessed January 9, 2015.
Hubball, H., & West, D. (2008). Faculty wellness strategies: Critical foundations for the scholarship of teaching and learning. Transformative Dialogues, Teaching & Learning Journal, 2(1), 1-11, Article 2.
Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of the Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York: Bantam, 2013.
