In order to be an effective online instructor, one must possess many different traits – but one of the most important is the ability to multitask.
Often, online instructors adjunct for numerous colleges and teach a wide variety of courses. For example, I’ve taught for up to four schools at the same time and juggled 10 courses simultaneously. Each college has different policies, practices, schedules, etc. Some schools start their course week on Tuesdays. Some course week’s start on Monday. The variety of different information and requirements can be mind-boggling.
In order to effectively manage teaching for several colleges, the ability to multitask is a must. When student from College A emails about an English assignment while I’m in the middle of grading finals from University B for a Political Science course, I have to be able to quickly change directions.
I’ve created binders that separate each school that I teach for that include their specific policies. I also have sections within these binders for each course that I teach for that school. This helps me to have a quick reference when I’m unsure about a due date or a policy for a particular school or course. Part of being an effective multi-tasker is being organized…
Being hyper-organized pays off not only in multi-tasking but also helps me to balance the requirements for each school. At the beginning of each week (usually on Sunday afternoon) I make a copious list of what needs to be done for each school and each class every day of the week. I’ll be the first to admit that looking at this list is overwhelming. One of my tricks is to always build in buffer time. If a school requires that final papers be graded by Midnight on Saturday, I give myself a personal deadline of Midnight on Thursday. This allows a bit of wiggle room if I find myself overwhelmed, one of my children is sick, or something else unexpected comes up.
Another trick that I use to help with multitasking when teaching for multiple colleges is to have a master calendar for each course that I modify when each course begins. It outlines what needs to be done on each day for the entire course and can be used as a quick reference. I can also check off tasks as I go for each class on the master calendar.
Many will talk about focusing on one task at a time and how this saves time in the long run. In some ways, I can see this – if I have a group of papers to grade, if given a few hours of uninterrupted time to focus on them, I could probably finish them fairly efficiently and quickly. However, this just isn’t always realistic as a work-at-home-mom (WAHM) with three little ones and four jobs. Sometimes, College A needs something immediately and that means that grading for University B needs to be put on the back burner. Sometimes, Child A is sick which means all of the schools take a back burner. It’s a delicate balance.
One aspect that is difficult for me is that I always feel like no matter what I am doing, I should be doing something else. There are numerous irons in the fire and the to-do list never ends. That said, those who aren’t strong multi-taskers, or highly organized, probably shouldn’t attempt to work for multiple colleges – while I feel crazy most days, I’ve figured out ways to make it work.
About the Author
Jamie Weitl is a WAHM teaching for several online universities and raising three precocious little ones. In her spare time she enjoys writing, baking, and running. For more info, see my Google Plus Profile.
