Of course, I have plenty of “unproductive” hours in my day and I staunchly defend them. But my title refers to a very particular half hour: the time right after I finish teaching.
I’ve written before about tailoring your schedule, when you have the flexibility, to your energy levels. If you know that you’re a morning person, then by all means reserve the first half hour (or more) of the day for writing, before you open your email. Keeping a list of useful but not challenging tasks that you can do when you’re feeling distracted or tired is another way to match your actions with your energy levels.
But in order to synchronize your schedule with your energy, you have to first recognize just what your energy capacity at a given time really will be. Cultural programming about early birds getting worms, social pressure to conform to what others in your household or department do, and long-standing caffeine habits can often obscure your own natural biorhythms. When we have to, we can all push past our natural inclinations and stay up late, get up early, or power through an afternoon meeting. But when we don’t have to, it’s best to avoid such force.
It’s taken me a few years to fully reconcile myself to the fact that for about 30 minutes directly following a class, I am so wired up that I am really unable to do much of anything. I can’t effectively write, grade, or even respond to email.
So what do I do? I chat with a colleague, brew a cup of tea, eat a snack, sit at my computer and scroll through the tweetstream or some blogs. But even there, I don’t click on anything too serious or intellectual, as I know I won’t really take it in. I basically just sit and decompress. As an introvert, I need to relax and recharge after interacting with a large group of people. After about 30 minutes, my brain comes back online and I can get to work. But If I don’t take this time to recharge, I’m not able to focus very well on what I’m doing and my productivity will suffer for several hours.
Fully recognizing my need for this downtime means that I make sure I have all my prep done ahead for my next class so that I won’t need to prepare in the time between them. It means that I pack some extra fruit or nuts for a snack on teaching days. And most importantly, it means that if I spend 30 minutes reading about upcoming movies instead of reading about Victorian poetry, I’m fine with that. I know it’s just part of my process.
What do you do when you finish teaching class? Let us know in the comments!
[CC licensed image from flickr user subflux]
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14 Responses to My “unproductive” half hour
kcfeminist - January 25, 2011 at 9:05 am
I am also totally wired after teaching and unable to do much of anything. Luckily, since I teach on an overload appointment (I’m full-time staff), my classes are generally in the evening, so I can just come home and relax before eating dinner. Last semester I taught at 10 a.m. and then had to come back and go into a staff meeting–that was awful–I’ll never do it again.
11194062 - January 25, 2011 at 9:28 am
I too am keyed-up after teaching, so I tend to use the post-class period for office hours. Focusing on a single student rather than the multifarious, dynamic give-and-take of a class helps bring me down.
velvis - January 26, 2011 at 8:39 am
I am not wired but really energetic with that sense of hope and optimism that can only come from teaching people who are excited about the subject and engage in the class.
I find that when I can grab that time rather than talking to people who can be energy vampires is when I can get the most done (this could be because my students are part of my research so writing while they’re still in my head makes sense.)
leingang - January 27, 2011 at 10:16 am
I totally agree. I was just thinking that I need to find something somewhat constructive to do in that decompression time. For me the trouble is to keep it (a) work-related and (b) limited to a half-hour.
drfunz - January 28, 2011 at 11:19 am
Work related and 30 minutes: set a timer and go through files or emails and delete the ones that must go. It give me GREAT satifaction!
knittedbooties - January 28, 2011 at 11:43 am
Yes, I know this experience. Most interesting is the dichotomy of being an introvert who is “wired” by the “dynamic give-and-take” of teaching. The reason I teach is because of love that dynamic, because I keep learning in that environment, yet when I’m not engaged in it, I find myself wistfully wishing I could spend my life quietly reading alone for pleasure. (sigh)
That said, my best semester was the semester where I had office hours directly after all my classes (all stacked up in a row). I took a sign-up sheet to every class and it sat on a table off to the side, and for some reason the students clammered to grap appointments. Something about codifying this rather than leaving it as “drop in” (even though it was still voluntary) made students come see me so much more than in any other semester. Alas, my teaching schedule has not lent itself to that process since, but I agree, holding office hours after class uses that energy and allows it to wind down.
jansand - January 29, 2011 at 11:26 am
Since I am not a teacher I wonder if I qualify. I will be 85 in a few days and my problem is to discipline myself to remain active and dynamic without professional pressures. I am now retired but I had been an industrial designer doing work in product and exhibition design. Basically this involves graphic design and some small structural design with an understanding of the psychology of display and information transfer. But at my age there is no call for my professional training so I have constructed a routine to feed some of the wild birds and other small animals who have a very rough time making it through the winters here in Helsinki where the temperature can get as low as 30 degrees below freezing. This puts me under pressure to see to it that my wild friends survive so I go into the local woods each day at 3 am and 5 pm with a large plastic bag of finely chopped bread and a few pounds of split peanuts and a half quart or so of cooked rice. During the day I nap a bit which is appropriate for my age and 15 minutes or so of total rest two or three times a day restores my energy fairly well and gets me working on painting or writing poetry or putting together a philosophical essay on the nature of perception or analytical thought. Coffee or cookies help. Since my diurnal rhythms are most peculiar it is difficult to spot precisely re-occurring energy peaks and valleys and I have to play it by ear, or whatever organ seems appropriate.
info8036 - January 31, 2011 at 6:15 am
I teach part-time, with four classes back-to-back (with a half hour lunch break) one day a week. I finish around 4.30, and then make my way leisurely by foot or by bus to an outdoor market, where I pick up a few things for dinner just before a yoga class that begins at 5.30. I look forward to this time of restoration which always assures a good night’s sleep and fresh energy for my own writing on the following day.
11179188 - January 31, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Alas, my class end at 9:45 pm, a few students usually have questions, and its a 15 minute drive home. Oh, and I normally go to bed at 9! I’m so wired from the exhilaration that I could use some tips on how to get to sleep as quickly as possible…
gstreete - February 1, 2011 at 11:00 am
I usually have meetings after my 2:00 classes end. No down-time, but some of that energy spills over. The real down-time is cooking dinner. That helps me creatively unwind and re-charge.
aydub1978 - February 2, 2011 at 8:28 am
When my schedule allows, I’ll walk home after teaching – it’s maybe a 40 minute walk, and by the time I’m home I’ve completely let go of the day. This semester my first class is a 20 minute walk from my office (thank you, registrar) and I’ve realized that even the shorter walk recharges and reorients me; by the time I get back to my office I’m ready to prepare for my second class without a first-class hangover.
toddstanfield - February 2, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Im with 11179188. I too teach to 9 & 10 a couple nights of the week. I am wired when I get home, but often have 8 AM meetings to get to. Any ideas on how to come down from a 3 or 4 hour class.
jmaxson - February 3, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Coming down from an evening class? In the past few years, I have found the perfect solution: I do the 45 minute commute home. Y’all should just move farther away from where you teach! This works especially well in a Minnesota winter, with drifting snow and difficult driving conditions in rural areas…
kunsthistorikerin - February 4, 2011 at 11:55 am
Just wanted to say, thanks for this article. This semester is my first time teaching MWF 9-10am, and for a month now I’ve been feeling really guilty that I spend from 10-10:30 in my office reading blogs about Kate Middleton and 10:30-11 browsing CHE articles. It’s still not great behavior, and I do need to get back to work before 11, but at least I know I’m not alone.
KH