Prof explains how to live the joys of teaching

Many educators believe that living a relaxed life is a central issue in being able to function effectively in the classroom. The point here is that your attitudes and feelings are self-maintaining. You probably believe that you can influence much of what happens to you. Add to this, you probably take actions to make things happen in your life.

Living the joys of teaching isn't hard. But it does require that you take control of your mind and what you think as well as your body and what you do. These same joys can travel the full length of your body if you live your life in special ways. For those instructors wishing to live the joys of teaching and have it show, I offer these simple body control techniques:

1. Live with integrity. There is no need to develop a list of absolute and relative rules for living. You know what is right and what actions are risky or counterproductive when it comes to achieving your personal and professional goals. Integrity means living in harmony with your standards. You increase the chances of living a more relaxed life when you support behaviorally the things you claim to value.
2. Increase personal time with students. When instructors reflect upon their lives they often say, "I wish I'd spent more time with my students." The hectic pace of daily life can lead you to neglect the thing many of you value most-your students. Build into each day 60 to 90 minutes to be spent only with your students. This means participating in shared activities such as talking and listening to each other, eating lunch together, exercising together, and celebrating certain events, such as birthdays and achievements. Your students always come first!
3. Commit to a relationship with students. Relationships are built on commitments to be there for your students regardless of what they have done. This doesn't mean you rescue them from the consequences of their actions. It means you never stop trying to understand what they are feeling and experiencing, listening to their problems, offering words of encouragement, and helping out whenever possible. Supportive instructors work to sustain hope in as many contexts as possible through stressing mutual problem solving.
4. Praise students. Your students are not unlike you. Both of you need to feel valued. There are a number of specific steps you can take to ensure a more supportive point of view. One is to adopt the 80/20 rule of instructor-student communication. In practical terms, roughly 80-plus percent of what a student does is performed at an acceptable to excellent level. The other 20 percent is not. The goal is to make positive communication a daily habit. Look for those things, big and small, that are worthwhile and then communicate back to students the positive side of their lives. In praise of praising students, a list of "qualities to praise" is given below. The list is not exhaustive. In fact, you might want to add your own qualities to the list.
   • Positive Attitude-remains optimistic and enthusiastic about the challenges each day presents.
   • Creativity-sees and acts in different ways in the face of changing situations.
   • Effort-gives their all and goes the extra mile in pursuit of excellence.
   • Assistance-lends a helping hand to others without being asked.
   • Achievement-achieves results with others to accomplish outcomes that benefit the overall functioning of the group.
   • Character-displays character strengths such as honesty, fairness, promise keeping, fidelity, caring and respect for others, responsible citizenship, forgiveness, patience, and hard work.
   • Humility-draws little attention to own self-importance while exhibiting a fuller ear to affirming the presence and accomplishments of others.
   • Kindness-freely reaches out to help strangers without reward, recognition or keeping score.
   • Self-Control-has a full range of feelings and emotions but remains in control of their words and actions through living by a well-grounded set of values.
   • Sense of Humor-sees the light side of life and can poke fun at self.
   • Teamwork-focuses on goals which maximize team outcomes.
5. Reduce Interference. Cynical co-workers can rob you of your enthusiasm. They deplete your ability to smile, laugh and enjoy your profession. As a result, they should be treated in special ways. If possible, give them a wide berth by realistically managing things. For example, if you can't change the person or the events surrounding your relationship with the person, stop giving away your attention and energy. It may be in your best interest to seek serenity through a storm by moving toward peace during the storm. The goal here is to flow through the situation by saying to yourself, "Isn't this interesting! I don't think I can change things so I am not going to let this get to me." Helen Keller tells us, "Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadows." Keep a sharp eye out for any opportunity to spend time with people who demonstrate that life is sacred to them. Seek out and spend quality time with people who never mention or think the worst because they are looking forward to new possibilities.
6. Say yes to the child within you. Instructors who live a relaxed life give fun a high priority in life. They walk around with broad smiles stretched across their faces because they have learned to do things that bring out the child within them. For instance, you might want to take time to doodle, play with a puzzle, ride a bicycle, color books, play with toys, read a humorous book, watch a favorite movie, read a joke book, fish, hunt, walk, jog, cook, work in the yard, or play with the dog or cat. The playful attitude that results might allow you to feel good and enjoy life.
7. Self care. One of the essential ingredients of living a relaxed life is to take the time to attend to your own physical well-being. This involves (a) regular exercise; (b) getting enough sleep; (c) eating a balanced died that emphasizes whole and nutritious foods; (d) reducing the intake of total fat, calories, foods containing artificial additives or preservatives; (e) limit the consumption of alcohol; and (f) not smoking and using illegal drugs.

Flick is a professor in the Department of Communication