By Cortney Holles
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
Hello Teachers with Heart,
I have been struggling this semester. And not just in the usual ways of pushing deadlines or getting behind on grading. I came into this semester in one of the most under-resourced states of my career, and I have been learning hard lessons about my relationship with time these past two months.
One prominent theme is how out of control time has seemed lately. I have felt pushed and pulled by the external demands of others. I have felt inundated with input and requests, often unwelcome or ill-timed. As a result, I’ve been over-anxious or over-tired, and haven’t been allowing much downtime to hear my voice amid the chatter. I have noticed strains in all my close relationships and my focus has been harder to reign in than ever before.
In short, what I am learning is that I have very few boundaries on my time. I am showing up burnt out and frazzled because all my tasks feel interrupted or incomplete.
My focus for the rest of this year is this: create and enforce some boundaries on my time to take back some agency. I can notice where I lack focus and commit to enforcing boundaries based on my highest priorities, not based on the urgency of a new request or demand from an outside force.
I love the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast from Bonnie Stachowiak for great discussions on all sorts of issues that impact our work. This episode on Intentional Calendaring has been a good starting point for me in tuning into my intentions for my time boundaries. Some other general tips for setting boundaries on time are the following:
- Identify Your Priorities
- List your teaching, research, and service commitments.
- Determine what is essential for your personal and professional growth.
- Create a Structured Schedule
- Use a planner or digital calendar to block off time for classes, research, meetings, and personal activities.
- Be realistic about the time needed for grading, preparation, and collaboration.
- Communicate Your Availability
- Clearly convey your office hours and availability to students and colleagues.
- Utilize email auto-replies or calendar tools to reinforce your boundaries during busy periods.
- Practice Saying No
- Politely decline additional responsibilities or meetings that conflict with your priorities or overwhelm your schedule.
- Remember, it’s essential to protect your time for teaching and research.
- Establish “Do Not Disturb” Times
- Designate specific hours when you won’t check emails or attend meetings, focusing instead on teaching or research tasks.
- Use this time for deep work or self-care.
- Reflect and Adjust
- Regularly evaluate how your boundaries are serving you. Are you feeling more balanced? More productive?
- Be flexible and adjust as necessary based on your workload and personal needs.
- Start small
- This week, choose one boundary to implement. Whether it’s setting specific office hours or carving out dedicated research time, take a small step towards reclaiming your time.
Please share with colleagues how you relate to struggles with time management and calendar demands:
You might be an expert and have a well-controlled calendar. If so, I’m curious what effective techniques for time management and personal boundaries you employ.
You might be struggling with some aspect of managing your time like I am. What areas feel more challenging in managing your calendar? Are there particular people or entities that you find it especially challenging to say no to? What support do you need?
Let’s help each other find a little more balance and a little more space and time to teach with heart. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Take good care, ~Cortney