Mental exhaustion from e-teaching? Here are tips on how to avoid it.
As educators, working from home is convenient, because it’s more flexible, no bus to catch/fuel to pay for, and other numerous benefits. However, this new normal of teaching and learning online has brought along some rather unprecedented fatigue that many may not even be aware of (Duong, 2020). Let’s delve into some remedies for that:
Reconsider video alternatives.
According to Duong (2020), online platforms provide one with the privilege of seeing their ‘reflection’. Therefore the temptation to keep analyzing one’s own non-verbal cues is too great. This increases strain because of trying to concentrate and still evaluate yourself. The best tip for this is to use the video option only when necessary. Insist that for your students too. Hide your own video if it is distracting. Lastly use speaker view as opposed to gallery view so as to use less visual energy.
Minimize distractions
Duong (2020) also states that refocusing after being distracted is a tall order and it takes up a lot of energy. Consequently, it is advisable to turn off all notifications and pop-ups on all your devices, for maximum concentration. You need to spare your energy for the delivery of content and monitoring of your learners. Teach your students to do the same too.
All work and no play…
As you schedule your online sessions, slot in transitional breaks too, from one session to another (Fosslien & Duffy, 2020). During that time, take a walk, grab a snack, or engage in any other relaxing activity. This will fill up your drained energy reservoirs, especially mentally.
Vary the online platforms you use
As teachers teaching online, it is inevitable to have your video on for most of your day because you talk most of the time. For your personal life’s virtual social meet-ups, however, this is not the case. Take advantage of that and opt for chats as opposed to more video sessions, or schedule the videos to days when you have fewer or no online classes (Schroeder, 2020). Variety is the spice of life so do not let video sessions become a monopoly in your online routine.
Do not make the entire class a monologue
You are the teacher but most probably, your students are not dumb. Even if they are, you can still find a way to engage them during the online class. This will in turn give you time to breathe and re-strategize if need be. A user experience researcher, Zachary Yorke, noted in the Google blog that the effectiveness of an online meeting is greater when the effort is put into turn-taking to ensure that there is an equal chance of everyone contributing (Schroeder, 2020). The impact of an online meeting is greatly reduced when it is monopolized by 1 person’s speech.
Sharpen your ax before attempting to cut your tree
Take a few minutes to converge your thoughts, focus your attention, and consciously drive all your energy to your upcoming class just before it starts (Kampen, 2020). Take a deep breath and deliberately mute all the noise from your personal life before you start your class. Such simple practices are good recipes for greatly reducing your mental strain during your online class.
A problem shared is half solved
Lastly, consider confiding in a trusted friend, especially if you have one who is a teacher like you (Kampen, 2020). We educators are humans too, and sometimes we need to vent, just like everyone else. Failure let off steam increases stress levels and heightens mental fatigue.
