{"id":4878,"date":"2012-12-20T20:38:28","date_gmt":"2012-12-20T20:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eltchat.org\/wordpress\/?p=4878"},"modified":"2012-12-20T20:38:28","modified_gmt":"2012-12-20T20:38:28","slug":"how-do-you-balance-personalprofessional-life-eltchat-summary-28112012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/2012\/12\/20\/how-do-you-balance-personalprofessional-life-eltchat-summary-28112012\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you balance personal\/professional life? #ELTchat Summary 28\/11\/2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

This summary was contributed by Phil Longwell @teacherphil and is reproduced here from his blog\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

How do you balance personal\/professional life? – An\u00a0#ELTchat<\/a>\u00a0Summary<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Image: http:\/\/www.bubble-jobs.co.uk\/<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The first\u00a0#ELTchat<\/a>\u00a0on Wednesday 28 November, suggested on the\u00a0website\u00a0by\u00a0Mariana Manolova<\/a>, posed the question of ‘How do you balance your personal and professional life as a teacher?’ This, for many, referred to the much discussed idea of obtaining or managing a ‘work\/life balance’ (later referred to as WLB).\u00a0 Too much focus on work can affect your personal life, whereas too much focus on the latter can have consequences on your chosen career.\u00a0 Here,\u00a0I will not digress too much into any wider discussion on this topic, focusing instead on the actual chat and what was said in relation to the role of teacher.\u00a0 I do, however, highlight some quotes shortly from two sources mentioned\u00a0early in the chat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The chat was moderated by\u00a0@Marisa_C<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@TheTeacherJames<\/a>\u00a0who brought their own opinions to bear on a topic which espoused the benefits of creating a work-life balance.\u00a0 Common themes were the importance of doing things outside or perceived to be outside of work, the pressures faced by workloads and the mistakes that get made in prioritising work over leisure and a number of techniques that individual chatters had for switching off and relaxing away from their jobs. \u00a0 This summary provides a snapshot of what was said and does not claim to be a comprehensive review, so apologies if your spectacularly insightful comment was not included.<\/p>\n

Early\u00a0in the chat,\u00a0@MrChrisJWilson<\/a>\u00a0highlighted a blog post by David Petrie – a.k.a.\u00a0@teflgeek<\/a>\u00a0– ‘Can\u00a0you have a normal life and work in ELT?’ – link at the end.\u00a0In this post, @teflgeek, who was also present for the chat, questioned the actual number of hours required to do a particular teaching job:<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had contracts which only specified the number of teaching hours I was expected to fulfil per week \u2013 but the expectations of the school were that I be at work for a set period of time per day and made no mention of the extra-curricular activities the school expected me to take part in.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

@Teflgeek<\/a>\u00a0highlighted the demands of the ELT industry which can be evidenced by taking on a new class at short notice, or the obligations of the job which exceed that of the job description:<\/p>\n

If the parents of a failing child want me to help their child with extra homework or even extra tutorials \u2013 am I obliged to do so? \u00a0The answer of course is \u201cyes\u201d. \u00a0I am obliged to do all of these things and of course as a consummate professional I do them with a spring in my step and a smile in my heart. \u00a0(most of the time\u2026)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He reasons that working in the ELT industry seems to be\u00a0diametrically\u00a0opposed to the concept of \u201ca normal life\u201d. He is later critical of those who bemoan the industry for not being particularly lucrative:<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t teach, it is argued, because we want to be rich \u2013 we do it because we care. \u00a0We do not exist in the realm of material things, we serve an ethereal higher purpose. \u00a0 We are the ones who meld the minds of the future generations, we challenge and shape opinions, guide our charges to critical thinking, we help our students become more than the sum of their parts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

@Teflgeek<\/a>\u00a0later highlighted a TED talk by Nigel Marsh (May 2010) on work-life balance, in which he claimed to have found it very easy to balance the two, provided he didn’t have any work!\u00a0 He goes on to address some wider issues, framed particularly by the needs of providing childcare:<\/p>\n

The trouble is so many people talk so much rubbish about work-life balance.\u00a0 All the discussions about flexitime or dress-down Fridays or paternity leave only serve to mask the core issue which is that certain job and career choices are fundamentally incompatible with being meaningfully engaged on a day-to-day basis with a young family … The reality … is there are thousands and thousands of people out there leading lives of quiet, screaming desperation, where they work long, hard hours at jobs they hate, to enable them to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Marsh was talking more generally about the issue, rather than that of teaching or the ELT\u00a0world.\u00a0 But there are some parallels with the larger EFL companies, institutions or employers who might resemble ‘abbatoirs of the human soul’.\u00a0 Commercial companies, which could include some language institutions, are ‘inherently designed to get as much out of you as they can get away with.’\u00a0 He says that worthy it is to have, for example, proper childcare facilities at work, it is up to employees to make small but significant changes in your life outside.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
image licenced from Cartoon Stock – ref: forn2220<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n

The chat began with a number of participants stating that they either don’t think they’ve got the balance right or that their personal life, taken as being things outside of work, is impacted too often by things directly or indirectly related to work.\u00a0\u00a0@Teacherphili<\/a>, for one, felt he was guilty of not getting it right.\u00a0\u00a0 Others felt they were ‘guilty’, if that is the right word, of spending too much time reading up about EFL practice in their own time.\u00a0\u00a0@MrChrisJWilson<\/a>, for example, thought there can be too much continuous professional development (CPD) and that maybe people need a minimalist approach.\u00a0\u00a0@esolcourses<\/a>\u00a0agreed that too much CPD can be counter-productive. She added that she was getting better at limiting time on and switching off devices, presumably, to avoid too much work-based distraction.\u00a0@ELTExperiences<\/a>added that ‘switching off’ and spending a day away from everything was a good idea.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n

@FrancesEales<\/a>\u00a0joked that even out-of-work use of Twitter had increased her ‘professional’ time’ before adding it is more difficult to get WLB right when you are new as, for example, planning took longer.\u00a0\u00a0@Teflerinha<\/a>\u00a0agreed but noted that it should be a way of life.\u00a0 A typical EFL life abroad contributes to a poor WLB, she felt.\u00a0 Some commented how they were trying to limit their Twitter time, and the stream of links that ensue.\u00a0\u00a0@ELTExperiences<\/a>\u00a0was amongst those who found Twitter too addictive.\u00a0@David_Boughton<\/a>, meanwhile, suggested that being a good (quick) lesson planner was key to saving time. This is something that comes with experience, added\u00a0@Teflerinha<\/a>, although at least one teacher,@7Mrsjames<\/a>\u00a0prepares it all at home.\u00a0\u00a0@7Mrsjames<\/a>\u00a0believed an effort needs to be made otherwise it consumes family time and that time left for oneself.\u00a0 ‘Always a struggle,’ replied\u00a0@TheTeacherJames<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n

@Teflerinha<\/a>\u00a0believed the daily exercise, meditation and boundaries are all important, but wondered if teaching attracted the kinds of people who can’t say no or care too much.\u00a0\u00a0@BobK99<\/a>\u00a0pointed out that too much caring can burn you out.\u00a0 ‘Are we born victims?’, asked\u00a0@Marisa_C<\/a>, one of those, due to Delta assessments, who stated her personal life was currently ‘zilch’.\u00a0\u00a0@Esolcourses<\/a>\u00a0suggested that ‘teachers tend to be nice and others play on our goodwill.’<\/p>\n

Having a ‘not to do list’ was suggested by\u00a0@MrChrisJWilson<\/a>, as well as a ‘to done’ list to show what you have achieved. \u00a0 He also added he had learned the value of being still and productivity not being the be all and end all.<\/p>\n

@Dragonfly_edu<\/a>\u00a0thought the answer could be found in Jim Smith’s ‘The Lazy Teacher’s Handbook – How your pupils learn more when you teach less’.<\/p>\n

@Teflgeek<\/a>\u00a0wondered whether teachers had any kind of life that isn’t professional? before adding the annoyance of the presumption that ALL his time be at the disposal of his employer.\u00a0 He stated that he separates between ‘job’, ‘professional life’ and ‘personal life’. ‘Compartmentalising’ can help, although for\u00a0@Ratnavathy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@yitzha_sarwono<\/a>\u00a0it was ‘tough getting work off the mind’, especially during term time.\u00a0 Esolcourses tried to keep professional and personal spaces separate, especially Facebook, which is one of those platforms where the two areas have diverged.\u00a0@dragonfly_edu<\/a>\u00a0felt personal lives are overlapping with all the microblogging going on.\u00a0 Many friends are also colleagues or members of one’s personal learning network and so the boundaries are not always clear.\u00a0 Teaching isn’t just something we do, believed\u00a0@Teflgeek<\/a>, it is something we are.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n

@ELTExperiences<\/a>\u00a0stated that he is constantly thinking about lessons, materials and teaching when away from work. Constantly blogging doesn’t help either to separate the two Ps.\u00a0 However, he enjoys it, and manages to mix in family time successfully.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n

@Marisa_C<\/a>\u00a0asked the question whether it was more difficult for freelancers, those without an employer, to strike a balance.\u00a0\u00a0@Esolcourses<\/a>\u00a0thought so, with part of the problem being that there is no such thing as ‘out of office’ time.\u00a0@ELTExperiences<\/a>\u00a0agreed that you can’t be out of the office when plugged into Twitter.\u00a0@TheTeacherJames<\/a>\u00a0thought this an advantage because you have more freedom to do things the way you wish, to which\u00a0@ElaWassell<\/a>\u00a0agreed, saying she had choice over when to take holidays.\u00a0 Both\u00a0@AnnaMusielak<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@PatrickAndrews<\/a>\u00a0said that it is difficult to turn work down if freelance. Unfortunately there are rules, added\u00a0@AnnaMusielak<\/a>, about being in touch even on days off and that it was ‘hard to stop’ thinking about lessons. Meanwhile,\u00a0@ELTexperiences<\/a>\u00a0wondered how to become freelance in the first place.<\/p>\n

@7Mrsjames<\/a>\u00a0asked for tips for being more productive with time, asking for the number of hours per day required for planning, marking etc.\u00a0\u00a0@Teflerinha<\/a>\u00a0suggests that she tries to build in time for other things.\u00a0\u00a0@yitzha_sarwono<\/a>\u00a0agreed the life needs enriching with many things far from work.\u00a0@ChrisJWilson<\/a>\u00a0advised to stop multitasking.\u00a0 Otherwise, tips were not forthcoming.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n

@Teflerinha<\/a>\u00a0asked whether the industry attracted people who can’t say ‘no’, another extension of\u00a0@teflgeek<\/a>‘s post comment about caring too much.\u00a0@Esolcourses<\/a>\u00a0suggested it is easier to say no when you have an in-demand skill.@Teacherphili<\/a>\u00a0said this was important if you didn’t want extra work to eat into your private life.\u00a0@7Mrsjames<\/a>\u00a0said you should be aware of limits.\u00a0\u00a0@Telferinha<\/a>\u00a0has started to be more ruthless.\u00a0Meanwhile,\u00a0@TheTeacherJames<\/a>\u00a0reminded us of an experiment he did where he just said ‘yes’.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

@Phil3wade<\/a>\u00a0suggested having a strong union, to enable sit down or ‘pen down’ strikes.\u00a0\u00a0@esolcourses<\/a>\u00a0offered that it was better to resist explotiation than simply to strike.\u00a0 Joining a union was recommended, but that passive resistance can work too, while\u00a0@teflgeek<\/a>\u00a0spoke more about collective bargaining and the setting of standards.\u00a0 A Batman or Avenger type hero was called for, with many offering to take on special powers if necessary and hide in a cave, provided there was a good wi-fi connection.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The problem for many conscientious professionals is they simply love what they do.\u00a0 And when you love it, according to\u00a0@Marisa_C<\/a>, you don’t think you are working.\u00a0 This is great, said\u00a0@Teflerinha<\/a>, but you can still suffer from burnout.\u00a0 We can be driven by anxiety or fear to do more and more.\u00a0 This anxiety, felt\u00a0@teacherphili<\/a>‘, can be based on a misguided perception.\u00a0\u00a0@esolcourses<\/a>\u00a0said we could all feel like that sometimes, especially when confronted with heavy workloads.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some wondered if it was worth maintaining outside interests or having a hobby, besides the common activity of blogging, usually about ‘work’.\u00a0\u00a0@PatrickAndrews<\/a>\u00a0thought we cannot empathise with learners if we don’t.\u00a0\u00a0 Finding ways to relax was highlighted by a number of different chatters, although this actually takes some discipline and practice, according to\u00a0@AnnaMusielak<\/a>, something which\u00a0@TheTeacherJames<\/a>\u00a0recognised, who admitted being terrible at ‘relaxing’ and would rather be ‘doing’ something.\u00a0 Even a walk has to be combined with something else.@yitzha_sarwono<\/a>\u00a0offered knitting and snorkelling, Marisa_C said online scrabble, backgammon and swimming.\u00a0 That’s actual swimming, not ‘online swimming’.\u00a0@Teflerinha<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@BobK99<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0@FrancesEales<\/a>\u00a0all said\u00a0Qi Gong<\/a>\u00a0,@ELTExperiences<\/a>\u00a0offered several ideas including mountain biking and going to restaurants,\u00a0@PatrickAndrews<\/a>\u00a0said he was a football coach,\u00a0@AnnaMusielak<\/a>\u00a0chipped in with 30 minutes of comedy, or TV in general –\u00a0@MarjorieRosenbe<\/a>\u00a0– who also suggested therapeutic walks.\u00a0 Many suggested listening to music, or playing the fiddle, as I know\u00a0@elawassell<\/a>does – although she didn’t mention it.\u00a0@Teflerinha<\/a>\u00a0offered meditation and for a brief moment slipped into the recent topic of mindfulness, which has recently written about.\u00a0\u00a0 Many felt that outdoor activities and getting away from all things electronic were a good antidote for obtaining a healthy balance, which created feelings of guilt for those that didn’t do enough. Life needs to be offscreen, when your work usually requires time spent looking at a screen, said@TPMcDonald85<\/a>.\u00a0 Further suggestions included starting an online ELT choir and trying to dance ‘Gangnam Style’ – although I’m not convinced this being proposed as an actual activity.<\/p>\n

Some Quotes:<\/p>\n

‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.’ –\u00a0@Confucius<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

‘Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential except when you are busy.\u00a0 Then a full hour is needed.’ –\u00a0@SaintFrancisdeS<\/a>ales<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

‘To infinitives and beyond’ –\u00a0@esolcourses<\/a><\/p>\n

Contributors (with Twitter links):<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

@Marisa_C<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@TheTeacherJames<\/a>\u00a0(moderators);<\/p>\n

@Teflgeek<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@teflerinha<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@MrChrisJWilson<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@esolcourses<\/a>;<\/p>\n

\n

@ELTexperiences<\/a>;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

@dragonfly_edu<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@FrancesEales<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@David_Boughton<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@7Mrsjames<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@yitzha_sarwono<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@phil3wade<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@AnnaMusielak<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@elawassell<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@PatrickAndrews<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@Miss_Trika<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@MarjorieRosenbe<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@BobK99<\/a>;\u00a0@teacherphili<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@prese1<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@InglesnaRede<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@KerrCarolyn<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@petervdbroeck<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@jo_cummins<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@Ratnavathy<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@TPMcDonald85<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@marcusmurilo<\/a>;<\/p>\n

@rosemerebard<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Links referred to in chat:TED talk by Nigel Marsh\u00a0–\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n