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Bolstering Instructor Resilience and Vitality

By Veronica Womack, Associate Director of Inclusive Learning Communities and Jennifer Keys, Senior Director  

Reflecting on the personal toll of higher education’s escalating demands and the professoriate’s relentless pursuit of productivity and achievement, Rebecca Pope-Ruark had to come to grips with the reality that “trying to live up to all of these ideals is exhausting, unrealistic, and potentially dangerous” (p. 5). Her book Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal (2022) reconsiders what constitutes true vitality. Burnout is the often-internalized struggle to manage an ultimately destructive combination of unrelenting stress, unmanageable workload, lack of control, and gripping cynicism, exacerbated by job insecurity, caregiving roles, and gender and racial inequality. Pope-Ruark describes the four pillars of burnout resilience: 1) finding a deep sense of purpose; 2) practicing compassion for self and others; 3) deepening connection with peers; 4) and pursuing work-life satisfaction.    

Disconnect 

 An instructor can tap into these pillars by taking every moment they can to disconnect from grind culture, intentionally rest, and recuperate. In Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge, Sarah Rose Cavanagh (2023) urges educators to prioritize their own rest and joy because our students “Need Us to Be Well.” Cavanagh recommends finding and pursuing an activity that brings you peace and balance.  

Set Boundaries 

Another way instructors can maximize their resilience against burnout is through utilizing boundary-setting strategies. This means protecting time by creating structured, dedicated space for activities that matter to the instructor, such as supporting their students, tapping into an affirming support system of trusted peers, writing, brainstorming, meditating, and planning family trips and excursions. Intentionally blocking out time on one’s calendar is indeed a self-care strategy for faculty and administrators in academia.  

Connect Teaching to What Matters 

To promote burnout resilience in a classroom context, take a few moments and ponder the following questions (adaptation of Pope-Ruark’s reflection opportunity, p. 23).    

  • What course content ignites my passion?    
  • How will I spark students’ curiosity about these topics?    
  • What values and goals are most important?    
  • Could I eliminate any aspect, from this course, that I am dreading?    
  • Are there any ground rules or course objectives that I can mention to re-focus the classroom discussion and restore the learning space?  
  • What will I turn to for renewal when you are feeling depleted?    
  • Who, internal or external to the university, can I reach out to for ideas and support?   
  • What would give me the greatest feeling of accomplishment at the end of the quarter?

Published Spring 2024