I hope you all enjoyed your lessons and the social gatherings of last week where you got to show off your creations and the stills from your outdoor activities! The spinning and weaving lessons, and especially their products, fit in very nicely with the castle backgrounds. Dame Eleanor's gluten-free brownies were excellent (and got her out of the sulks, I'm glad to say), making a delightful finish to the Thai meal prepared by Daisy. We managed to sneak a few great minutes of footage of the sing-along, as well!
This week, we're back to interviewing you all. Please tell us about an important mentor or mentoring moment from college, grad school, or your early career.
And, of course, let us know how you did with last week's goals, and what your new goals are. You are such a marvelously creative and productive bunch of people! It's inspiring to work with you all!
CUT! What is that blasted inflatable unicorn doing in the corner of the set? Get it out of here, and we'll take this from the top.
Contingent Cassandra
Professional:
--Finish & submit study leave app
Household:
--Continue sowing fall/winter greens
Personal:
--Take a full day off, or as close to fully off as I can manage (it’s time, and
Saturday is looking possible)
--2x some sort of intentional movement: stretching, weight-lifting, or walking
----Friends & family: touch base w/ NY nephew; make plans w/ local niece
Daisy
Try again: Read and comment on paper
draft from post-doc
Do two local paper sections
Complete PITA grant application and send to readers
Write professional magazine thing someone inexplicably wants to pay me for…
Exercise (seriously) at least 3 times
Dame Eleanor Hull
- swim twice, cross-trainer &
weights twice, walk at least once, yoga
- prep a couple of assignments for mini-class
- research 1 hour x 5, mainly Alms chapter, also some time on Latin, conference
paper project
- do some House Task (or garden, or Life Stuff)
heu mihi
1. Stay on top of course prep; this
should not be a challenge, but it feels hard at the moment.
2. Finish up this round of ch. 1 revisions and clear the deck to start in on
ch. 2 next week.
3. Write two more recommendation letters
4. Follow up about spring talk
5. Deal with some action items coming out of recent meetings
JaneB
a) pace myself, allow time and space
for counselling and reacting to counselling,
b) reinstate some key habits - move intentionally for at least 10 minutes a
day, 5 fruit & veg., picking up spaces that get messy, filling in my daily
log, taking vitamins.
c) basic environment stuff - catch up with bin emptying, laundry, dish washing,
filing financial papers
Work stuff, not divided into three categories for now:
d) do email triage on no more than two week days for no more than 2 hours total
e) go through paperwork for Individual Risk Assessment for overwork and stress,
and draft out my responses
Fun:
I consider this medicinal in the current circumstances, based on my research
into burnout...
at least a couple of blocks of time reading, crochet, and playing or preparing
D&D. Do the next seven Inktober sketches, never mind which day.
Julie
1. Sort out notes and photos.
2. Write research plan and send to mentor
3. Write some of grant application since elf refusing to show up.
4. Write report for committee meeting.
5. Start grading abstracts for conference I'm on the committee for.
6. House jobs - start packing kitchen up ahead of having it all redone in 10
days, find someone to fix back door.
7. Book flu jab.
8. Have fun on weekend away
Susan
1. Read 3 more essays from big collaboration
2. Read 2 chapters of review book
3. Keep up with classes
4. Planning for next semester
5. Follow up on student issues
6. Book room for end of semester party
7. Try to deal with one small decluttering thing each day
8. Do one nice/fun thing
9. Healthy eating/exercise/sleep
(DEH . . . signed in on Firefox, able to post the main post, but couldn't comment; now trying Edge, signed in, but still unable to comment by name).
ReplyDeleteI've been having the same issue (well, haven't tried posting a main post, but it looks like I could, since I was co-host once a long time back and still have those permissions). In Firefox, if I go to the shield icon to the left of the address bar (just to the left of the lock icon) and disable enhanced tracking protection, that solves the problem.
Delete(Still DEH) OK, but at least I can comment anonymously via Edge. WTF. Right. Here's my mentor story. When I was an undergrad, very late in the game I changed my major from a STEM field to a modern language. My professor for a medieval version of that language was the father of a friend from 4th grade, so I held him in slightly less awe than I did my other professors, though he was probably actually better known than they were. I have two "moments" of conversation with him that did a lot to change my perception of myself as hopelessly behind the 8-ball. The first was when a first-year grad student and I met him for extra work on the medieval language; from talking to her in the hallway before he turned up, I knew she was reading at sight, whereas I (being behind the 8-ball) had previously gone over the section of text we were working on. After she left, he said I'd done well, and I said, "But I'd prepared in advance," to which he replied "AND you'd prepared in advance." It had not occurred to me that such swotting was a good thing and would be approved! It might have been the same day that we talked about my applying to graduate school, which was a dream of mine, but I was not at all sure I was good enough for it. He assured me that the department he taught for would be delighted to have me, which gave me the courage to apply much farther from home (for family and personal reasons, I was desperate to get far far away).
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
- swim twice, cross-trainer & weights twice, walk at least once, yoga: ONCE (pool was closed for 3 days), YES, YES, MOSTLY.
- prep a couple of assignments for mini-class: SORT OF, but students suggest breaking them down differently.
- research 1 hour x 5, mainly Alms chapter, also some time on Latin, conference paper project. NO, YES, SOME READING.
- do some House Task (or garden, or Life Stuff). YES (Booked cat sitter for trip around the new year)
It's been a difficult week for fitting in work. I was in a meeting Wednesday that was exceedingly exasperating, and shot my concentration for the rest of the day (this makes me feel very feeble); Thursday should have been better but I kept distracting myself. I talked to a friend who has many cousins in Israel. I did manage one real breakthough on a very nasty and confusing bit of medieval Latin, which a friend has just approved, so that's a help. Friday at the gym I met with a trainer who put me through a surprisingly gruelling workout (I thought I was getting back to my old self but I have a ways to go, it seems), and then Saturday I got a Covid shot that has hit me hard, requiring a nap yesterday and a couch day today (napping and re-reading fluffy novels: I can't even face a novel that is new to me, and every time I attempt reading something for work, even essays that I know fairly well [for class prep], it's clear that my brain is mush). So the new goals are going to look very like the old goals, again.
New goals:
- swim twice, cross-trainer & weights twice, walk at least once, yoga
- revise assignments for mini-class
- research 1 hour x 5, mainly Alms chapter, also some time on Latin, conference paper project
- do some House Task (or garden, or Life Stuff)
Some weeks just get derailed. Those meetings that sap emotional energy are just so frustrating. Hope the fluffy novels have a medicinal effect. I really like your mentoring story.
Delete(For what it's worth, I can comment as myself in Chrome but not Firefox.) Sorry about the week and the exasperating meeting. It's all a lot, and the world doesn't help.
DeleteMeetings (and/or email exchanges) that sap emotional energy are a very real thing. Distracting myself resonates, too.
DeleteAnother great prompt. I've been very lucky in that I have had, and continue to have, brilliant mentoring from inspiring female colleagues. My current mentor in particular is very sensitive to the challenges of grief and, despite being childless herself, to the challenges of parenting. What strikes me though, thinking about this, is how much informal mentoring I've had and continue to have, from women who aren't officially required to meet with me, but who nevertheless have offered time and encouragement or gone out of their way to e.g. get me to present at a workshop or conference.
ReplyDeleteNot all women are kind (JaneB's Teaching Tsar springs to mind) but I do still think women give more of themselves to younger colleagues than men do and inevitably, such giving still isn't recognised as it should be.
For me, the moments that stand out as really giving my confidence a boost, though, are the almost casual words of praise from people who weren't mentoring me or necessarily had much to do with me on a day-to-day basis. I suppose they have stuck because the people concerned didn't have any obligation to look out for me, so I couldn't dismiss their comments as 'Oh, but it's their job to be nice to me'. A big name professor, whose work I really admire, interviewed me for a job when he was head of the department. I got the job, but the real boost came maybe a year later when I bumped into him and he asked how my book was going, saying that the chapter I had sent in with my job application had made him want to read more. It was as much the enthusiasm in his tone as the words that had me walking on air for days.
How I did:
1. Sort out notes and photos. - Still not quite finished, but progress.
2. Write research plan and send to mentor - YES
3. Write some of grant application since elf refusing to show up. - Looked at it, but head wasn't in the right place.
4. Write report for committee meeting. - MOSTLY. Discovered that the information I needed isn't readily available, which is itself worthy of comment in the report, but made the whole thing much harder to write.
5. Start grading abstracts for conference I'm on the committee for. - YES
6. House jobs - start packing kitchen up ahead of having it all redone in 10 days, find someone to fix back door. - YES (with a lot of help from my mother), NO
7. Book flu jab. - Still no.
8. Have fun on weekend away - YES
Like Dame Eleanor, I got a bit derailed - too many emails, requests for meetings, things that had dropped off the radar. Also had a frustrating meeting mid-week. A big issue I'm struggling with is that a weekend away, or a weekend that is exceptionally busy, throws everything out, as so much planning/catching up happens then. The weekend before was busy with my dad's birthday. This weekend I was away, and while the weekend itself was amazing (a long walk in the hills and a swim in a lake at sunrise, with beautiful autumn colours), it was also tiring and emotionally quite charged, as it was with a group of people I hadn't met before, in a place I had last been with my husband. And it needed logistical planning in advance, which knocked out some of Friday.
This week:
ReplyDeleteThis week has already been derailed in that I woke with a sore throat, and tested positive for Covid. It was meant to be an intense teaching week, but all of that will have to be rescheduled to next week, which will become intense instead. Ironically, it's actually a bit of a relief, given the busy weekend. I don't feel too ill, so provided I don't get worse, I can do some work and will have a normal weekend to get back on track. It says a lot about my life that going on strike or getting a virus is how I get a break. Increasingly thinking that I should try dropping to four days a week. Anyway...
1. Teaching prep for next week and after - now less urgent, but would be good to keep on top of.
2. Finish report for committee.
3. Finish grading conference abstracts (can do this in short bursts)
4. Finish sorting notes and photos.
5. Work on grant application.
6. Finish packing up kitchen (work starts Wednesday)
7. Exercise if feeling well enough.
Oh dear---I'm very sorry to hear that you're ill, and hope your symptoms stay mild! (DEH)
DeleteSo sorry to hear about the COVID - pace yourself, the LAST thing you need is for it to linger and rushing back to work seems to be a good way to make that happen! Very much agree about the virus or strike = break - and suspect my own current problems are partly because there were NO VIRAL BREAKS for me since March 2020 since I've been so careful to avoid COVID because I am very good at getting viruses and needing time off...
DeleteSo REST!!
And in my experience 5 days a week (nominally 37.5 hours) was a 6-7 day a week reality (50-60 hours needed to be good enough, in term time, and my research has never been more than "barely adequate" by STEM standards) whereas 4 days a week (nominally 30 hours) is a 5 days a week (40-45 hours a week) reality most of the time. Or at least it was before COVID...
I love hearing about your mentors, but also totally agree about the people who do not have to say anything who do.
DeleteOtherwise, I hope your case of COVID is mild, and a life when illness or strikes give you a break is not healthy. I hope you can figure out ways to limit the stress.
This is a nice prompt, but honestly I'm very tired and now have an evening meeting/event with undergrads to attend, so I'm not going to answer it just now.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Stay on top of course prep - YES; quite simple, as expected.
2. Finish up this round of ch. 1 revisions and clear the deck to start in on ch. 2 next week. - YES; NO
3. Write two more recommendation letters - YES
4. Follow up about spring talk - YES (a matter of sending 1 email, so very low bar)
5. Deal with some action items coming out of recent meetings - NO, NOT REALLY
Nothing is taking too much mental or physical energy, but there are SO MANY things at the moment. Included in the so-many is now helping to design and build the sixth-grade haunted house. I always assumed that this project was completed BY THE KIDS as a CLASS PROJECT, but instead, apparently, it's run by the parents on evenings and weekends. There are a handful of other parents who have agreed to be involved, including my husband (who is almost employed!! - but still has a lot of free time for the next few weeks until the new job starts), but I am going to worry and fret about this until it's over on the 28th. Sigh.
This week:
1. Read through 1/2 of chapter 2
2. File sabbatical report
3. Write, circulate, and get feedback on hiring requests
4. Italian presentation
5. Process article revision for journal
I would add "clear out mountain of email," but, since the email keeps replenishing, I won't know at the end of the week whether it's done.
I'm also getting my Covid and flu boosters on Wednesday, so I'm prepared to spend Thursday lying around feeling terrible.
OK, off to the meeting. There will be pizza, at least!
aargh re the student project! SO much of life assumes one home-making parent with energy, a little spare money and time, and skills they want to donate to the child!
DeleteSo much sympathy on the "so many things". The sixth grade haunted house sounds like a nightmare, and not the kind that they are trying to create. Solidarity.
DeleteOoooh kid projects that are really parent projects are so annoying! I do not miss that at all from little kid days!
DeleteHope the week turned out ok!
I, too, have covid and flu boosters scheduled next week. Reading the updates above leaves me with mixed feelings about that, especially given the mountain of grading I'm facing, but putting them off until after the semester does not seem like a good idea at all, so I guess I just need to plan a bit of recovery time into next week.
DeleteWell I had no symptoms from my Covid shot, which was nice, but it meant that I had no excuse not to go for a run and do the laundry on Thursday. On the other hand, I did the laundry and went for a run on Thursday.
DeleteI don't think there are specific moments, and I think I'm not very good at being mentored (I like to mentor, but I don't think I'm terribly good at that either. Enjoying stuff is not the same as being good, and of course I'm not the sort of superstar who has the ability to connect and recommend as well as some can so the more flashy side of mentoring isn't in my wheelhouse). But things that come to mind:
ReplyDelete** my PhD supervisor was brilliant, and I learnt a great deal from him academically. He was only interested in the progress made over a month or so, and left the finer details like when and where we worked up to us, which gave me space to experiment and find my own rhythm which was ESSENTIAL to delivering a 3 year PhD. But he also assumed you knew what was going well and used his limited time to point out what needed more work and how to be better, which really reinforced my self-doubts. And he had favourites (I think not intentionally, but he did) and I was NOT one of them. We didn't mesh - I talk and get emotive under pressure and he gets quieter and quieter and blanker and blanker the more I talk which makes me nervous - but we found ways to work together, I learnt SO much, and he was actually a better mentor by email once I left. And he was never destructive - he wanted the best for us all. I know now he could have been SO MUCH WORSE.
**my post-doc supervisor was completely different. Enthusiastically extrovert, loudly and publicly himself in every circumstance, delighted to have a post-doc - I learnt pretty quickly that he said everything was amazing, fascinating, wonderful, and would only deliver actual critque if pushed. I learnt a lot from him too - he was also excellent at the science - but the praise and the open enthusiasm for whatever I did was amazing to receive and carried me through a pretty disasterous project and some bad mental health (which led to 6+ publications so produced some good science, just not how we planned). And he was also just uncomplicatedly kind - two of us in the group had no cars, and he would sometimes call us up on a Friday afternoon and say he was taking his truck to the excellent rural farmers market on Saturday, did we want to come along? or he was planning to visit this cool park or place and would like some company... And he always bought extravagently and then shared - SATURDAY - "wow these local apples are amazing, and the price per bushel so so much cheaper than the price per pound so I need a bushel" TUESDAY - "hey guys I realised I'll never eat an entire bushel of apples, here's a bag for each of you, I don't want to waste them". Also I learnt some very eccentric but delicious food-making ideas from him...
But oh how much I want a local-institution mentor now, but it's just not... well, we're all so busy, and we prioritise young people and early career people and insecure people. You guys are my peer mentors, and I find that SO VALUABLE. Thank you.
I kind of stopped, and very little is happening. I just... drift along in the grey with my battery on 10% most of the time. But it's not getting worse and it felt like it WAS getting worse before I paused, and I am doing small things, so. The problem is the self-assessment of am I ill, lazy, swinging the lead, actually tired or depressed or just fat and unfit and in my fifties and being a wimp... sigh.
DeleteGOALS FROM LAST WEEK:
a) pace myself, allow time and space for counselling and reacting to counselling, well I started counselling, I journalled some, I'm letting myself rest when I want to and do things in small pieces when I feel able, I had a meeting with an employment advisor. Is this pacing or self-indulgence? Who knows... I did also join an online community for neurodiverse people and seem to have finally lucked into a space with a group of late-diagnosed nerdy adult NDs where I can explore some of my experiences and learn more about what to expect, so I'm not doing nothing to try & get better
b) reinstate some key habits - move intentionally for at least 10 minutes a day, 5 fruit & veg., picking up spaces that get messy, filling in my daily log, taking vitamins. a couple of days, most days, twice, every day, every day
c) basic environment stuff - catch up with bin emptying, laundry, dish washing, filing financial papers no, but I have made a little progress in each of those areas, so maybe 2/10 not 0/10!
Work stuff, not divided into three categories for now:
d) do email triage on no more than two week days for no more than 2 hours total yes. And then felt guilt and a sort of grief and frustration for hours afterwards! But I think it's helpful in terms of both demonstrating "I'm doing what I can" and in terms of bringing out where issues with work are about me (old habits/brain squirrels) and where they are really external.
e) go through paperwork for Individual Risk Assessment for overwork and stress, and draft out my responses no.
I got a lot less done than I expected because I kept doing one small necessary thing then spending three hours getting over that until I had the willpower to do another small thing...
Fun:
I consider this medicinal in the current circumstances, based on my research into burnout...
at least a couple of blocks of time reading, crochet, and playing or preparing D&D. Do the next seven Inktober sketches, never mind which day. yes - I read several books this week all frivolous but continuous narrative at least, no, played twice and hung out with my nibling once since someone else didn't turn up and we were both feeling a bit distracted and ended up just chatting. For over three hours... COVID has been terrible in many ways but it's given me a different level of friendship with my nibling which I think we both value.
This week - my sick note officially expires Wednesday but I will be asking for an extension of it - I'm not even caught up in my own space and don't feel entirely caught up on sleep, my battery is still at 10% it's just not being repeatedly crashed to zero. And previous experiences with going back on phased return have been BAD, so I don't want to start that until I'm feeling stronger (the main problems are thoughtlessness and my inability to properly set boundaries and advocate for myself, and "but it's just normal for everyone to work excessively all the time/all the work needs doing regardless of how many staff hours are available" thinking. I have several appointments about this burnout stuff...
GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
Deletea) pace myself, allow time and space for counselling/GP stuff and reacting to counselling,
b) reinstate some key habits - move intentionally for at least 10 minutes a day, 5 fruit & veg., picking up spaces that get messy, filling in my daily log, taking vitamins.
c) basic environment stuff - catch up with bin emptying, laundry, dish washing, filing financial papers
Work stuff, not divided into three categories for now:
d) do email triage on no more than two week days for no more than 2 hours total
e) go through paperwork for Individual Risk Assessment for overwork and stress, and draft out my responses
Fun: (I consider this medicinal in the current circumstances)
f) at least a couple of blocks of time reading, crochet, and playing or preparing D&D. Do the next seven Inktober sketches, never mind which day.
The contrast between your Ph.D. supervisor and post-doc supervisor is amazing, and the latter sounds outstanding.
DeleteI hope your sick note is extended. It sounds as if you need time.
Hope your week is going well and that you are getting some much-needed recovery time!
DeleteSounds like you're making incremental progress. Hope the time for you doing so is extended, since as in a lot of other things, yo-yoing is not a healthy way to go.
DeleteI'm sorry about the unicorn. It keeps coming into my office and cluttering up my time, so I thought the corner was the best place for it!
ReplyDeleteMentors: as an undergraduate, I was in the fourth class of women admitted to a very important but formerly all male university. They had hired a bunch of young women faculty, several of whom took me under their wing. It was so helpful. I knew early that it was possible to be a feminist woman and a scholar, as I discovered that I could be a scholar. I'm still in touch with one of them...
I ended up marrying my Ph.D. advisor (yes, I know, but it was a LONG time ago and there were no rules.) So it's hard to say, except that he constantly opened doors for me, and supported me. And when he was terminally ill, he was willing to move across the country so I could have the job I have now. My grief when he died was compounded because he had been my first reader for over 30 years. I still miss talking with him not just about life, but about work.
Now I am informally mentoring several faculty colleagues who turn to me when they have questions. I like doing it, and I think I'm generally a good mix of practical and supportive.
How I did last week:
1. Read 3 more essays from big collaboration YES
2. Read 2 chapters of review book NO
3. Keep up with classes YES
4. Planning for next semester YES
5. Follow up on student issues YES, sort of
6. Book room for end of semester party NO
7. Try to deal with one small decluttering thing each day NO,
8. Do one nice/fun thing YES
9. Healthy eating/exercise/sleep YES NO YES
I mean, it was about C on accomplishments. Like heu mihi, I just feel there are so many things to deal with that I can't keep up. And there keep being minor crises that I have to deal with. My email is insanely behind. Part of it too is that this has been like the pre-pandemic world, with me on campus 4 days a week, which really breaks up my work because I don't do interruptions well.
I did do a bit of de-cluttering, but all in a fell swoop, when I went through my shirts and realized I could get rid of many!
The nice thing is that I had a grant from our humanities center to turn an article into a comic. It was published this week and I've had an outstanding response (published on Wednesday, by Friday it had already been used in teaching.) So that was fun. If people want, I'm happy to share it here.
The week ahead:
1. Read and return 4 more articles from big collaboration
2. Maybe start reading the book that I clearly don't want to read except I do?
3. Spend two hours going through email and trying to get it under control
4. Keep up with classes
5. Organize room for end of term party, deal with budget stuff, schedule a gazillion meetings, and other administrivia
6. Do something fun at the weekend or before
7. Healthy eating/ exercise / sleep
(Really excited because I'm working at home Thursday AND Friday!)
And do tell me if anyone is interested in my comic (which I didn't draw, so ...)
Congratulations on the grant and the comic! So cool to get immediate good feedback! I definitely want to see it!
DeleteGood luck with the week, hope the working at home gets you the space you need to feel caught up.
Mentors are interesting. I learned a lot from my PhD advisor but they don't feel like a mentor. I don’t think I really had mentors as a student (I was older, so didn't feel like I wanted to be told much about what to do), but I’ve found some really great ones since starting my first job. One got me involved in big projects, I think he was more of a champion, the kind who puts you forward for opportunities and tells people good things about you when you are not in the room… The other one (now my favourite colleague) basically is the reason I have any sort of research career at all because they made space for me in their work and I was useful enough to build up my own program over the years. I love the way they work, and I love everything about how they teach and do research so I'm trying to learn as much as possible from them... Also they are really good company!
ReplyDeleteLast week’s goals:
Try again: Read and comment on paper draft from post-doc DONE
Do two local paper sections NOPE
Complete PITA grant application and send to readers NOPE
Write professional magazine thing someone inexplicably wants to pay me for… YES, SO FUN!
Exercise (seriously) at least 3 times ONCE…
Oh boy… I feel like I failed basically everything this week. By Thursday I was pretty done, and I felt like I was getting sick… I took Friday night and Saturday off, and took a bunch of naps. I think (crossing fingers!) that whatever I felt coming on is now gone, and so far I am not sick which is great. I hope it stays that way, I’m going to bed early every night to help! Everything is chaos and the grant deadline is coming and I have nothing so that is the focus this week.
This week’s goals:
Edit paper draft from post-doc based on comments from colleague
Complete PITA grant application and send to readers
Finish/edit professional magazine piece
Go to bed early every single night
Trip at end of week
I like the way you think! I hope you're able to stick to the go-to-bed-early goal.
DeleteAnother late (and quick) check-in:
ReplyDeleteProfessional:
--Finish & submit study leave app (done)
Household:
--Continue sowing fall/winter greens (continued; nearly done)
Personal:
--Take a full day off, or as close to fully off as I can manage (it’s time, and Saturday is looking possible)(not really; Saturday got mostly consumed by church-committee email)
--2x some sort of intentional movement: stretching, weight-lifting, or walking (just a bit of stretching)
----Friends & family: touch base w/ NY nephew; make plans w/ local niece (no)
Goals for what's left of this week:
ReplyDelete--Prepare for big church-committee planning meeting tomorrow (Sat)
I think I'll leave it at that and pick up with more complete goals for next week. We're definitely at mid-semester, with all that entails.