This is my last “quick tip” in the series sharing what I learned from the amazing IUB instructors who facilitated workshops during our annual Associate Instructor Orientation. In case you missed the earlier ones (although I like to assume you read our blog posts as soon as they land in your inbox), I’ve already shared posts about combating deficit thinking, creating inclusive STEM labs, active learning and analysis strategies. Today I want to share a strategy I learned from Milo Hicks and Ryan Schaben, who led the workshop “From Overwhelmed to Organized – An Inclusive First Week Workshop.” (Spoiler – it’s not just for the first week!)
Milo and Ryan led new associate instructors through four workstations, one of which focused on the ultimate goal of academic survival: building routines, habits, and community for self-care. We’re now knee-deep in the semester and you might be looking around realizing… no… you’re not taking care of yourself like you promised you would in August. Ryan and Milo reminded us that grad school is a massive transition and it’s easy to let your healthy habits slide when you’re navigating new places, cultures, and communities. However, when you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s difficult to give your best to your classrooms and students. We want to model helpful habits to those we’re teaching.
Milo and Ryan suggested approaching this by focusing on areas of growth—think sleep, work, exercise, eating, friendships, mentorship, and asking for help. How? Create concrete plans around self-care. Yep, create actual goals, just like you set learning goals for your students – the kind you write down and check in on. Don’t worry, it’s not as overwhelming as it sounds. Ryan and Milo gave participants a worksheet (because, who doesn’t love a good worksheet?) to start setting these goals. They encouraged everyone to think of how you’d see evidence of these goals, so you can know when you’re succeeding.
And hey, if you’re reading this and feeling overwhelmed (hi, relatable), I highly recommend you check out this worksheet or the other materials Ryan and Milo created, which included helpful strategies for establishing clear boundaries, prepping your first day, and designing equitable syllabi. Remember that this is a work in progress, and it takes time to set helpful habits (something we can remind our students as well)!
Thank you to Ryan and Milo for sharing their brilliance with us at AI Orientation; instructors sharing their knowledge truly makes our campus better!
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