Online Educators wake up every morning and put their pants on one leg at a time – just like everyone else. The big difference is that as an online educator I’m free to work in my pajamas, or my personal favorite, yoga pants.
I chose to become an adjunct online educator because of the flexibility it allows. Online adjuncting provides the freedom to work at 4 am or 4 pm, depending on mood, children’s schedules, or even something as subjective as the weather. As a young mother with a 1 year old and newborn twins, I needed a profession that would allow me this type of flexibility – and now, as a mom to a 5 year old and 4 year old twins, I still find the flexibility of my online profession invaluable.
Since I currently have a full-time online position plus two adjunct positions for different schools – and three young children, a typical day for me as an online educator may not look the same as someone who retires and then teaches online or as someone who is not juggling small children with the career.
A typical day for me means waking to the alarm at 5 am and working out or going for a run. After a quick shower, I usually login to my course until my children are up for the day. Once they’ve awakened, I’m busy fixing breakfast, brushing teeth, and preparing my three for school. After school drop-off, I return home and log six consecutive hours at the computer. Often, I’ll take short breaks to pick up the front room, throw in a load of laundry, or clean the bathroom.
While the kids are at school is when I accomplish the majority of my work as an online educator. I spend numerous hours responding to student questions, participating in discussion forums, and providing feedback on student assignments.
After I pick the kids up in the afternoon, I empty their backpacks and settle them with a snack before logging into the computer for another hour or so before starting homework with the kids and making dinner. Some evenings the kids have activities, which makes our day that much more hectic.
After dinner, it’s time for baths and a bit more time with the kids before bedtime. Many evenings, after the kids are in bed, I log back into the computer for a few more hours to finish up needed tasks in my courses. I’m typically asleep by 10 or 11 most evenings.
There are definite drawbacks to teaching online in my day-to-day life. I miss having colleagues to go out to lunch with and to run ideas by verbally at the drop of a hat. Most importantly, I miss the ability to leave work at work as I am constantly “on-call” even on nights and weekends. I never know when a student might call with a question and for some schools papers are due on Saturdays – making the weekend when traditional educators can step away from their work my prime grading time.
I also miss having a reason to shower and get dressed every day. While the pajamas and yoga pants are comfy, sometimes there is something nice about having a place to go besides my home office.
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.
