Boundaries in Action: Stop Grading on Weekends

Faculty in higher education are often pulled in many different directions. From teaching, research, and service obligations, to committee work and administrative duties, our workload can quickly become overwhelming. If we don't set boundaries, we risk burning out and experiencing negative consequences like anxiety, exhaustion, and poor job performance.

Recently, I worked with a colleague who was feeling anxious, working evenings and weekends, and having trouble sleeping due to the overwhelming amount of grading she had to do. We agreed that setting and maintaining boundaries was crucial to protecting her mental and emotional well-being.

First, we clarified intention of grading. Grading is not just about assigning a grade to a student's work, but also about providing feedback that helps students learn and grow. By focusing on this intention, my colleague was able to see that her work was not just about completing a task, but about making a positive impact on her students' learning.

Next, we worked on aligning her assignments more closely with the course learning outcomes. By doing this, my colleague was able to streamline her grading process and focus on the most important aspects of each assignment. This not only saved her time, but also helped her provide more meaningful feedback to her students.

Another strategy we used was to incorporate more peer feedback into her assignments. This allowed students to learn from each other and reduced the amount of grading my colleague had to do. By setting clear expectations for what peer feedback should look like, my colleague was able to trust that her students were providing high-quality feedback to each other.

Finally, we worked on reducing the amount of feedback my colleague was providing to her students. While feedback is important, it can also be overwhelming to students if there is too much of it. We focused on providing less feedback, but making sure that it was more meaningful and actionable. This not only saved my colleague time, but also helped her students learn and grow more effectively.

Through these strategies, my colleague was able to set and maintain boundaries that protected her mental and emotional well-being, while still allowing her to feel like a good teacher. She started to feel more in control of her workload, and to experience less anxiety and stress as a result.

Setting boundaries can be difficult, especially in a culture where overworking and burnout are often seen as signs of dedication and commitment. By setting boundaries, we can protect ourselves from burnout, improve our job performance, and be more present for our students and colleagues.

Some strategies for setting boundaries might include

• Scheduling specific times for different tasks and sticking to those schedules as much as possible.

• Saying no to unnecessary commitments and delegating tasks when possible.

• Communicating your expectations and limitations clearly to colleagues and administrators.

• Focusing on the most important tasks and aligning them with your priorities and goals.

• Using tools like peer feedback, rubrics, and checklists to streamline your workload.
  

I wonder what tasks you might be able to streamline and simplify to protect your time and energy?

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