Tips, tutorials, and commentary on pedagogy, productivity, and technology in higher education.

Tag Archives: Life

Where’s the fun in funambulism?

November 12, 2009 in Life by Natalie Houston

Despite all the motivational posters you may have seen, balance isn't a state you can achieve. Balance isn't a thing you can grasp or a noun of any sort to be attained. Instead, balance is a continuously changing process.

Why Not to Set Up a Formal New Faculty Mentoring Program

October 14, 2009 in Life by Jeff McClurken

ProfHacker's series on mentoring continues with a look at some of the challenges of creating formal programs for the mentoring of new faculty within a department.

What’s Working?

October 1, 2009 in Life, Productivity by Natalie Houston

Today marks the beginning of a new month -- a good time for taking a few minutes to assess how things are going. It's easy at this point in the semester (whether you're 4 or 7 weeks in) to feel caught up in just doing stuff: teaching, meetings, grant proposals, recommendation writing, and oh yeah, your own writing and research. So, a simple question. What's working?

What’s for Lunch? (the versatility of pulled pork)

September 23, 2009 in Food, Life by Billie Hara

Last week, in the What’s for Lunch column, we discussed taking a lunch to work instead of stealing your coworkers’ food or eating food from a vending machine. Bringing lunch from home is a smart move, as it can save time and money. This week, we will assume that you will remember your lunch (because you have placed it next to something you won’t forget, like your car keys or your shoes). Below the jump: a recipe for pulled pork and how it can make two very different lunches.

Are You Spending Time on What Matters to You?

September 21, 2009 in Life, Productivity by Natalie Houston

Last week, I recommended tracking how you spent your time for a few days (or ideally for the whole week) as a first step in evaluating and possibly refocusing your decisions about what you do and when. In today's post, I explain how to think a bit about what your current goals and priorities are, not just in your work, but more holistically.

Got a minute? Relax.

September 3, 2009 in Productivity by Natalie Houston
Got a minute? ProfHacker introduces a series just for you: one-minute body/mind hacks. Feeling frazzled? stuck? sluggish? confused? Here’s a one-minute tune-up for your nervous system: Set your timer for one minute. Sit up straight in your chair, with both feet flat on the ground. Let your hands rest loosely in your [...]

Learning from the past

August 31, 2009 in Pedagogy, Productivity by George H. Williams
They say that the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing but expecting to get different results. Although I have never claimed to be sane, I am doing a few things differently this semester than I did last year: Agreeing to fewer service commitments. Finally admitting that my teaching and research interests are as much [...]