April 9, 2025 • 18 mins
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Burnout is a challenge many educators face, but how do you recognize it and navigate through it? In our latest episode of The Teaching Table podcast, we talk with Dr. Aisha O'Mally, a professor at the School of Management, about her experience with burnout. She shares how the demands of teaching and workload took a toll on her well-being and how she found ways to regain balance and reconnect with her passion for education. Tune in to hear her insights and reflections on maintaining well-being in academia.
Join us as we explore the powerful role of self-reflection, empathy, and open communication in overcoming burnout. Dr. O'Mally reveals the game-changing strategies that helped her reconnect with her students and foster an engaging classroom atmosphere. From fostering meaningful dialogues on crucial topics like diversity and integrity to gradually building a supportive learning environment, we uncover actionable insights that are not just about surviving but thriving in the teaching profession. Tune in for a wealth of inspiration and practical advice that aims to help educators manage their workload effectively while preparing students for the broader challenges of life.
This is part two of a two-part series.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Maggie Grady (00:03):
Welcome to the CATT Teaching Table podcast,
where we dive into the art andscience of teaching, learning
and technology.
Hosted by the University ofBuffalo's Office of Curriculum,
Assessment, and TeachingTransformation, otherwise known
as CATT, and supported by theGentile's Excellence in Teaching
Fund.
This podcast is dedicated tohighlighting the journeys toward
educational excellence.
(00:24):
In this episode of the TeachingTable podcast, we are
continuing a conversation onavoiding faculty burnout with Dr
Aisha O'Malley, a professorfrom the School of Management,
who not only experienced burnoutherself at the six-year mark of
her teaching journey, but alsosuccessfully reinvented her
teaching strategy by diving intothe world of artificial
(00:45):
intelligence.
So you said to incorporate alittle bit more activities you
said more experiential learning.
What other things did you do inyour course that you switched
it around a little bit to makeit more engaging?
Aisha O'Malley (01:00):
Let me see You know what I kind of do, too,
is I put more on them, right?
So some people may find thisuncomfortable, but it worked for
me.
I like to joke with my students, and so I tell them.
I told them, I said I have aPhD, I all this stuff I'm
(01:24):
teaching, I know this and I knowit very well.
I said but you're working on abachelor's degree, so you have
to do more work.
And so I give them more work,but not overwork.
And I tell them that I'm nottrying to make this more
difficult for you.
I'm not trying to trick you,I'm not trying to micromanage
(01:50):
you.
I'm just trying to show you howthe world works and how you
should think about movingthrough the world, right?
So, I tell them I'm not alwaysgoing to hold your hand.
I will have touch points and Isay I am open and I have my
office hours, but this is reallyon you.
(02:11):
And because I'm like, I tellthem this If I could open your
brain and, through osmosis justthe words run in and then it
just plants I would love that.
That's not what it is.
So I tell them and I show themthat this is a partnership and I
explain to them if you don't doyour part, my part isn't as an
influential and it's not asmeaningful and you don't learn
(02:33):
as much if you don't do yourpart.
And I think we have to haveconversations around that.
We have to continually remindthem that you're here for a
reason and help them.
If they don't know what that is, have conversations about it,
right?
In office hours or whatever, oreven in classrooms.
Why are you here?
I know this is a required class.
My class is a required class.
Why do you think it's required,right?
(02:54):
Because it's a soft skill,while it might not be accounting
and finance.
If you are the smartest personand have the most innovative
ideas, you can't sell that, ifyou can't communicate your ideas
effectively, you're not goingto make it, right?
And so it really is abouthaving some open dialogue with
them and teaching them aboutwork ethic, right?
(03:19):
And what that looks like andwhat you get from it, right?
Like, if you do your duediligence and you come to class
prepared, you read that studyplan, then the assignments that
I have, the lecture that I'mtalking about, the activities
that we do, you're able to bepart of the conversation.
That's engaging, that's morefun.
(03:42):
Don't you want that experience?
Or do you want me to talk atyou?
And you bored.
And then, when and then I toldhim this too I said let me tell
you how this works, cause Idon't know if you understand
that.
I said, you are students, I amthe instructor, I teach you, you
learn.
That's your job, right?
(04:03):
If you are not doing your part,you get bored in class.
When you get bored in class,you're more likely to pick up
your phone.
Or if you're on your laptop,you're more likely to go on and
watch the football game that youmissed last night, right?
It's easy to do that, right?
And I'm talking to them likethis, right?
And I said what ends uphappening is then you're not
engaged, you're bored becauseyou didn't do your part, right?
(04:25):
Now, what ends up happening istowards the end of semester t
hen you come to me and you saywhy am I not doing better?
Why am I not?
And I said but I can't, whatcan I?
And so I'll tell you week 14,week 13, There's not much I can
do because all the work has beendone and assigned.
Then what ends up happening isthen you get an opportunity to
(04:46):
tell the university about howyou feel, how this class went,
because you were not engaged,because you didn't do your part
and you felt you were bored.
You will then put that blame onme.
When it's hard for me to beengaging with a phone or a
(05:07):
laptop, or with you who arechoosing to not learn and focus
and not being committed to youreducation.
You're choosing to do somethingelse, right?
And so then you leave me anegative evaluation and let me
tell you how that impacts me asan instructor.
That impacts how my supervisorviews me, and evaluations are
(05:28):
how I get better as a professor,right?
So, yeah, it does help me andif I want to grow as far as like
professionally, but also, whenthey I said when you leave
evaluations you don't thinkabout how that is being
(05:49):
perceived by the instructor.
Yeah, I don't know who you are,but are you saying are you
saying these things to make mebetter, or are you saying them
because you're disgruntled andyou're angry, but are you angry
at me or are you really angry atyourself?
Because you had an opportunityto do well and you didn't choose
that.
You chose the easier route,which was to not focus, right?
(06:13):
So I I had that long.
I had that conversation withthem because I need them to
understand what your part is inyour education.
This is not high school, thisis college.
Independent learning is whatcollege is about, and so I
talked to them about getting aplanner.
If you don't have a planner,you are planning to fail.
(06:35):
Right, whether it's a digitalor whether it's a handheld, you
know, handheld with handwritten.
Find what works for you.
Figure out what your studyhabits are.
This takes time.
You have to be committed tofiguring out.
Okay, do I work better withflashcards or do I work better
in a group setting, right?
Like these are all things Ican't do for you, right?
(06:57):
So I try to talk to them abouthow to do college better, but I
also talk about what their roleis, right?
Because we take it on asinstructors good instructors,
right?
Instructors that care,professors that care, we take it
on, and they're not coming toclass.
How am I going to get them tocome to class, and they got to
want to.
(07:18):
If your class is engaging andyou've done what you've done and
you've prepared enough, thenthat's all you can do.
Maggie Grady (07:24):
I love the fact that, because you're getting
them out from behind that phonewhere they can have that
voiceless review, if you will,or that critique of you that
isn't holding impact, and forthem, and they think that
they're exactly what you said,they're either are they helping
or aren't they helping.
Like did they just, like rateyou that way, so I'd like that
(07:47):
you humanize that yeah and givethat.
You know your voice actuallymatters and I need you to
Aisha O'Malley (07:54):
absolutely it does, and then I also do
checkpoints every five weeks.
Okay, this is what the class hasbeen.
Are quizzes working for you?
Are deadlines working for you?
Are deadlines working for you?
Are assignments in the way thatthey're built?
Do you like the way the classis running?
Would you want more activities?
And I tell them.
I said I am the final decisionmaker, of course, but if you
(08:17):
don't tell me, this ain'tworking.
How are we going to change it.
So I don't wait until courseevaluation.
I am checking in with themthroughout the semester because
I can't change your negativeview unless I get that feedback
Right.
And while it may not beanonymous, I do ask them.
(08:38):
I'm like this is your time.
If you want something to change, tell me now, because I can
make those changes now.
So I give them feedback, thatspace to say, yeah, well, I
don't like I've changed duedates, like Saturday is a hard
due date.
Or I remember one class youknow they're like well, you know
Sunday is a bad day becauseit's, you know, sunday night
(09:00):
football, right.
And I'm like, ok, I get it Allright, so we'll do it Monday,
right, so I'm willing to workwith them Right, so this doesn't
have to be a miserableexperience for both of us.
Maggie Grady (09:12):
Right, you should all enjoy it, right?
Aisha O'Malley (09:14):
Yeah, we can all enjoy it,
Maggie Grady (09:15):
you can enjoy it.
So I love all of thosestrategies.
I love that you took theinitiative to better yourself so
that you could better thestudents.
Aisha O'Malley (09:26):
Yeah, it starts within.
Maggie Grady (09:27):
It does
Aisha O'Malley (09:28):
it really does?
I think we kind of forget thatsometimes.
Maggie Grady (09:30):
Yeah, it does.
Aisha O'Malley (09:31):
You got to look at yourself.
It's hard, right, it's hard tolook in the mirror, but when I
did, oh my god, it transformedme.
Maggie Grady (09:39):
Yeah
I went through a transformationthe last six months and I've
been telling everybody, becauseI feel so good about it, like
that's why you knew I was like,let me tell you.
I want to talk about how I'mdoing this class and I want you
to help me.
But let me tell you how I'vegotten to this point and it
really has changed the way thatI talk to them, the way that I
even, the way that I connectwith them, the way that I
(10:00):
connect with my colleagues, theway that I listen and the way
that I'm more open-minded, themore I am diverse with my
perspective and I use inclusivepedagogy and I've researched
inclusive pedagogy.
I'm researching diversepedagogy, right, because I know
this will make me a betterprofessor and my students want a
(10:22):
better experience.
Yeah, yeah, so I do.
I think like the underlyingoverall type of you know comment
that we want to make is not tofeel that it's a negative
reflection on yourselfAnd I love that you were able to
overcome that, becausesometimes exactly what you said,
it's your own mind that istaking you down.
(10:45):
So you know you're a goodeducator.
You just have to get out ofwhatever it is.
Aisha O'Malley (10:51):
Absolutely, as long as you give your space to
be prepared for the semester,you give yourself some space to
think about not just the content.
The objectives, right?
My bigger objectives.
I want them to be moreeffective communicators,
verbally and written, right?
That's the bigger picture.
(11:12):
So you got to connect whatyou're doing in the classroom to
the bigger, and you can'tforget it.
You got to remind yourselfabout that, because then you get
lost in the minutia of it andthe timing and it becomes
daunting and you get stressful.
Make it easy for yourself,right?
But as long as you're preparedand you've done your due
diligence.
No, you are a great educator.
(11:34):
Absolutely, give yourself, patyourself on the back.
But if you don't take that timeto reflect and you don't take
that time to listen to yourstudents' voice and listen to
your own self, you won't getbetter, right?
And it'll just get harder andyou'll get and you won't stop to
(11:55):
address that burnout.
And so I'll tell you a fewstrategies for burnout as well.
Is I give my space, I give mytime myself, space away from
teaching, right?
On the weekends, even if it'sjust for like three or four
hours I go for a walk, or I'llgo out for lunch with a
girlfriend, or I Netflix andbinge.
(12:16):
I make sure I take some time todecompress from the week and
then it's not until I've donethat that I really try to dig in
.
Now, don't get me wrong, thisis not easy and it's gonna take
practice.
But you can't come from a spaceof judgement and how you're
(12:36):
moving through this.
You got to give yourself graceand you got to offer the way
that you offer others empathy.
You got to offer it to yourself.
So don't beat yourself up.
Just give yourself that spaceto grow, right?
It's really important.
And give your mind other ways,like read Outside of reading for
(12:56):
class, right?
Like pick up a book and justread for pleasure, right?
Those things are really.
And get a massage Listen, oncea month I get a massage, right?
Because I carry my stress uphere and if I'm walking around
like this, I'm like, oh yeah,it's time.
Maggie Grady (13:12):
Yeah
Aisha O'Malley (13:12):
right?
Maggie Grady (13:13):
I love all of that .
I love that the strategy, andgive yourself a little bit of
leeway.
It's, it's
Aisha O'Malley (13:20):
give yourself some grace, because nobody else
will
Maggie Grady (13:22):
no do you have any final thoughts
that you want to share with ourlisteners?
Aisha O'Malley (13:26):
Figure out what support you need, right?
And what support can yourdepartment provide, right?
Professional development waskey, but also, I think what also
was key was I had a verysupportive team and I have a
very supportive supervisor.
She allowed us to incorporate anew platform.
(13:50):
She introduced us to Lumen One,because we have books textbooks
, and we know the struggle withtextbooks Costs a lot of money.
Students don't have a lot ofmoney and so this was a free,
open access, right?
And I was like oh, and then Ilooked at it and it was so
comprehensive and it was diverse, like the pictures that they
(14:12):
use, the names that they use.
It was very inclusive.
It included daily lectureaffirmations and I was like, oh
yeah, this is all me and I tookit on and I incorporated it and
I'm using it currently and Ilove it and it's helping me
again to be that professor thatI want to be, right?
I love the affirmations becauseI think, also, being teaching
(14:35):
for so long, I realized thatstudents they lack that
self-confidence.
Of course they do.
They've only been on this earthfor two decades at the most,
right?
So they need that, they needthat guidance.
You have value.
Even though it's been twodecades, that's still a long
time.
You have value.
You have value Even though it'sbeen two decades.
That's still a long time.
You have value.
You have experiences,especially our students today,
(14:56):
who are going through a lot morethan I would say maybe I did
when I was growing up.
And so these differences andthese things that you bring to
the table add value to theclassroom and any space that
you're in.
So the affirmations like today Ican work hard, right?
I am getting smarter, right,these things, and you take it
(15:20):
for granted, but I make them saythem with me.
I say them first and then I sayI tell them, say it out loud,
and if they come to me and theysound, I am smart, I'm like
uh-uh, this is not the 7.30, Ijust woke up.
Voice, this is the gusto, Ibelieve it.
That's why it's affirmations.
I believe it, I know it and Iwant to hear each and every
(15:42):
voice and they go and they sayit with me and I see them
smiling and I see themconnecting with me.
And so when you are able to giveyourself that time to figure
out the support that you need,then you can go to your
department chair, right,supervisor, and say I need some
more support, right?
And you won't know what they'llbe able to provide unless you
(16:04):
tell them.
So don't be fearful of saying Ineed a little bit more.
I need, I need a little bit ofspace.
And you know I was able to geta couple course releases because
I took on a couple differentprojects, so that allowed me
that space to not teach.
You know four and five classes.
I was able to find some spacefor one semester.
(16:25):
I'm not teaching so much, right, and you know our teaching
faculty.
We have a heavy load that weteach and so I'm talking to them
figure out what support youneed, because there's so many
different opportunities andresources that are out there.
But you don't know if you don't, if you don't seek out help and
you don't say what it is youneed.
(16:45):
And that was super importantfor my journey.
Maggie Grady (16:52):
For me it would be .
I don't want to be embarrassed.
It would be an embarrassment andI think that you got to get
over that and once you do that,
Aisha O'Malley (16:57):
that is holding you back from having a
stress-free, more enjoyableexperience in teaching, right?
It's not embarrassment, like weall.
I think we all have to comefrom this human perspective.
One of the things that I likeis I'm perfectly imperfect.
Maggie Grady (17:12):
Yeah, I love that.
Aisha O'Malley (17:14):
Right Like I have a T-shirt.
I live by it.
Right, like we all are.
Maggie Grady (17:18):
Sure
Aisha O'Malley (17:19):
we all are, so give yourself that space.
Maggie Grady (17:22):
Yeah, yeah, thank you again for joining us.
Thanks for sharing your journey, your insights, your story is
incredible.
I love that.
It is a powerful reminder andwith the right approach, burnout
can be managed.
It can be, overcome, and theopportunity for growth is the
(17:43):
key there
Aisha O'Malley (17:44):
yeah
Maggie Grady (17:44):
so, that kind of wraps up this episode.
So thank you to our listenersand thank you to Dr O'Malley for
joining us on this episode ofthe Teaching Table podcast.
If you enjoyed today'sdiscussion, be sure to subscribe
and leave us a review.
We'll be back soon with moreconversation on teaching,
learning technology, all of thegood pedagogical stuff and until
(18:05):
then, keep exploring new waysto reach and inspire your
students.
I love this story and, asalways, be sure to connect with
us online at buffalo.
edu/ catt that's C-A-T-T, oremail us at ubcatt@ buffalo.
edu Thank you again.
Aisha O'Malley (18:23):
Thank you.
Welcome to the CATT Teaching Table podcast,
where we dive into the art andscience of teaching, learning
and technology.
Hosted by the University ofBuffalo's Office of Curriculum,
Assessment, and TeachingTransformation, otherwise known
as CATT, and supported by theGentile's Excellence in Teaching
Fund.
This podcast is dedicated tohighlighting the journeys toward
educational excellence.
(00:24):
In this episode of the TeachingTable podcast, we are
continuing a conversation onavoiding faculty burnout with Dr
Aisha O'Malley, a professorfrom the School of Management,
who not only experienced burnoutherself at the six-year mark of
her teaching journey, but alsosuccessfully reinvented her
teaching strategy by diving intothe world of artificial
(00:45):
intelligence.
So you said to incorporate alittle bit more activities you
said more experiential learning.
What other things did you do inyour course that you switched
it around a little bit to makeit more engaging?
Aisha O'Malley (01:00):
Let me see You know what I kind of do, too,
is I put more on them, right?
So some people may find thisuncomfortable, but it worked for
me.
I like to joke with my students, and so I tell them.
I told them, I said I have aPhD, I all this stuff I'm
(01:24):
teaching, I know this and I knowit very well.
I said but you're working on abachelor's degree, so you have
to do more work.
And so I give them more work,but not overwork.
And I tell them that I'm nottrying to make this more
difficult for you.
I'm not trying to trick you,I'm not trying to micromanage
(01:50):
you.
I'm just trying to show you howthe world works and how you
should think about movingthrough the world, right?
So, I tell them I'm not alwaysgoing to hold your hand.
I will have touch points and Isay I am open and I have my
office hours, but this is reallyon you.
(02:11):
And because I'm like, I tellthem this If I could open your
brain and, through osmosis justthe words run in and then it
just plants I would love that.
That's not what it is.
So I tell them and I show themthat this is a partnership and I
explain to them if you don't doyour part, my part isn't as an
influential and it's not asmeaningful and you don't learn
(02:33):
as much if you don't do yourpart.
And I think we have to haveconversations around that.
We have to continually remindthem that you're here for a
reason and help them.
If they don't know what that is, have conversations about it,
right?
In office hours or whatever, oreven in classrooms.
Why are you here?
I know this is a required class.
My class is a required class.
Why do you think it's required,right?
(02:54):
Because it's a soft skill,while it might not be accounting
and finance.
If you are the smartest personand have the most innovative
ideas, you can't sell that, ifyou can't communicate your ideas
effectively, you're not goingto make it, right?
And so it really is abouthaving some open dialogue with
them and teaching them aboutwork ethic, right?
(03:19):
And what that looks like andwhat you get from it, right?
Like, if you do your duediligence and you come to class
prepared, you read that studyplan, then the assignments that
I have, the lecture that I'mtalking about, the activities
that we do, you're able to bepart of the conversation.
That's engaging, that's morefun.
(03:42):
Don't you want that experience?
Or do you want me to talk atyou?
And you bored.
And then, when and then I toldhim this too I said let me tell
you how this works, cause Idon't know if you understand
that.
I said, you are students, I amthe instructor, I teach you, you
learn.
That's your job, right?
(04:03):
If you are not doing your part,you get bored in class.
When you get bored in class,you're more likely to pick up
your phone.
Or if you're on your laptop,you're more likely to go on and
watch the football game that youmissed last night, right?
It's easy to do that, right?
And I'm talking to them likethis, right?
And I said what ends uphappening is then you're not
engaged, you're bored becauseyou didn't do your part, right?
(04:25):
Now, what ends up happening istowards the end of semester t
hen you come to me and you saywhy am I not doing better?
Why am I not?
And I said but I can't, whatcan I?
And so I'll tell you week 14,week 13, There's not much I can
do because all the work has beendone and assigned.
Then what ends up happening isthen you get an opportunity to
(04:46):
tell the university about howyou feel, how this class went,
because you were not engaged,because you didn't do your part
and you felt you were bored.
You will then put that blame onme.
When it's hard for me to beengaging with a phone or a
(05:07):
laptop, or with you who arechoosing to not learn and focus
and not being committed to youreducation.
You're choosing to do somethingelse, right?
And so then you leave me anegative evaluation and let me
tell you how that impacts me asan instructor.
That impacts how my supervisorviews me, and evaluations are
(05:28):
how I get better as a professor,right?
So, yeah, it does help me andif I want to grow as far as like
professionally, but also, whenthey I said when you leave
evaluations you don't thinkabout how that is being
(05:49):
perceived by the instructor.
Yeah, I don't know who you are,but are you saying are you
saying these things to make mebetter, or are you saying them
because you're disgruntled andyou're angry, but are you angry
at me or are you really angry atyourself?
Because you had an opportunityto do well and you didn't choose
that.
You chose the easier route,which was to not focus, right?
(06:13):
So I I had that long.
I had that conversation withthem because I need them to
understand what your part is inyour education.
This is not high school, thisis college.
Independent learning is whatcollege is about, and so I
talked to them about getting aplanner.
If you don't have a planner,you are planning to fail.
(06:35):
Right, whether it's a digitalor whether it's a handheld, you
know, handheld with handwritten.
Find what works for you.
Figure out what your studyhabits are.
This takes time.
You have to be committed tofiguring out.
Okay, do I work better withflashcards or do I work better
in a group setting, right?
Like these are all things Ican't do for you, right?
(06:57):
So I try to talk to them abouthow to do college better, but I
also talk about what their roleis, right?
Because we take it on asinstructors good instructors,
right?
Instructors that care,professors that care, we take it
on, and they're not coming toclass.
How am I going to get them tocome to class, and they got to
want to.
(07:18):
If your class is engaging andyou've done what you've done and
you've prepared enough, thenthat's all you can do.
Maggie Grady (07:24):
I love the fact that, because you're getting
them out from behind that phonewhere they can have that
voiceless review, if you will,or that critique of you that
isn't holding impact, and forthem, and they think that
they're exactly what you said,they're either are they helping
or aren't they helping.
Like did they just, like rateyou that way, so I'd like that
(07:47):
you humanize that yeah and givethat.
You know your voice actuallymatters and I need you to
Aisha O'Malley (07:54):
absolutely it does, and then I also do
checkpoints every five weeks.
Okay, this is what the class hasbeen.
Are quizzes working for you?
Are deadlines working for you?
Are deadlines working for you?
Are assignments in the way thatthey're built?
Do you like the way the classis running?
Would you want more activities?
And I tell them.
I said I am the final decisionmaker, of course, but if you
(08:17):
don't tell me, this ain'tworking.
How are we going to change it.
So I don't wait until courseevaluation.
I am checking in with themthroughout the semester because
I can't change your negativeview unless I get that feedback
Right.
And while it may not beanonymous, I do ask them.
(08:38):
I'm like this is your time.
If you want something to change, tell me now, because I can
make those changes now.
So I give them feedback, thatspace to say, yeah, well, I
don't like I've changed duedates, like Saturday is a hard
due date.
Or I remember one class youknow they're like well, you know
Sunday is a bad day becauseit's, you know, sunday night
(09:00):
football, right.
And I'm like, ok, I get it Allright, so we'll do it Monday,
right, so I'm willing to workwith them Right, so this doesn't
have to be a miserableexperience for both of us.
Maggie Grady (09:12):
Right, you should all enjoy it, right?
Aisha O'Malley (09:14):
Yeah, we can all enjoy it,
Maggie Grady (09:15):
you can enjoy it.
So I love all of thosestrategies.
I love that you took theinitiative to better yourself so
that you could better thestudents.
Aisha O'Malley (09:26):
Yeah, it starts within.
Maggie Grady (09:27):
It does
Aisha O'Malley (09:28):
it really does?
I think we kind of forget thatsometimes.
Maggie Grady (09:30):
Yeah, it does.
Aisha O'Malley (09:31):
You got to look at yourself.
It's hard, right, it's hard tolook in the mirror, but when I
did, oh my god, it transformedme.
Maggie Grady (09:39):
Yeah
I went through a transformationthe last six months and I've
been telling everybody, becauseI feel so good about it, like
that's why you knew I was like,let me tell you.
I want to talk about how I'mdoing this class and I want you
to help me.
But let me tell you how I'vegotten to this point and it
really has changed the way thatI talk to them, the way that I
even, the way that I connectwith them, the way that I
(10:00):
connect with my colleagues, theway that I listen and the way
that I'm more open-minded, themore I am diverse with my
perspective and I use inclusivepedagogy and I've researched
inclusive pedagogy.
I'm researching diversepedagogy, right, because I know
this will make me a betterprofessor and my students want a
(10:22):
better experience.
Yeah, yeah, so I do.
I think like the underlyingoverall type of you know comment
that we want to make is not tofeel that it's a negative
reflection on yourselfAnd I love that you were able to
overcome that, becausesometimes exactly what you said,
it's your own mind that istaking you down.
(10:45):
So you know you're a goodeducator.
You just have to get out ofwhatever it is.
Aisha O'Malley (10:51):
Absolutely, as long as you give your space to
be prepared for the semester,you give yourself some space to
think about not just the content.
The objectives, right?
My bigger objectives.
I want them to be moreeffective communicators,
verbally and written, right?
That's the bigger picture.
(11:12):
So you got to connect whatyou're doing in the classroom to
the bigger, and you can'tforget it.
You got to remind yourselfabout that, because then you get
lost in the minutia of it andthe timing and it becomes
daunting and you get stressful.
Make it easy for yourself,right?
But as long as you're preparedand you've done your due
diligence.
No, you are a great educator.
(11:34):
Absolutely, give yourself, patyourself on the back.
But if you don't take that timeto reflect and you don't take
that time to listen to yourstudents' voice and listen to
your own self, you won't getbetter, right?
And it'll just get harder andyou'll get and you won't stop to
(11:55):
address that burnout.
And so I'll tell you a fewstrategies for burnout as well.
Is I give my space, I give mytime myself, space away from
teaching, right?
On the weekends, even if it'sjust for like three or four
hours I go for a walk, or I'llgo out for lunch with a
girlfriend, or I Netflix andbinge.
(12:16):
I make sure I take some time todecompress from the week and
then it's not until I've donethat that I really try to dig in
.
Now, don't get me wrong, thisis not easy and it's gonna take
practice.
But you can't come from a spaceof judgement and how you're
(12:36):
moving through this.
You got to give yourself graceand you got to offer the way
that you offer others empathy.
You got to offer it to yourself.
So don't beat yourself up.
Just give yourself that spaceto grow, right?
It's really important.
And give your mind other ways,like read Outside of reading for
(12:56):
class, right?
Like pick up a book and justread for pleasure, right?
Those things are really.
And get a massage Listen, oncea month I get a massage, right?
Because I carry my stress uphere and if I'm walking around
like this, I'm like, oh yeah,it's time.
Maggie Grady (13:12):
Yeah
Aisha O'Malley (13:12):
right?
Maggie Grady (13:13):
I love all of that .
I love that the strategy, andgive yourself a little bit of
leeway.
It's, it's
Aisha O'Malley (13:20):
give yourself some grace, because nobody else
will
Maggie Grady (13:22):
no do you have any final thoughts
that you want to share with ourlisteners?
Aisha O'Malley (13:26):
Figure out what support you need, right?
And what support can yourdepartment provide, right?
Professional development waskey, but also, I think what also
was key was I had a verysupportive team and I have a
very supportive supervisor.
She allowed us to incorporate anew platform.
(13:50):
She introduced us to Lumen One,because we have books textbooks
, and we know the struggle withtextbooks Costs a lot of money.
Students don't have a lot ofmoney and so this was a free,
open access, right?
And I was like oh, and then Ilooked at it and it was so
comprehensive and it was diverse, like the pictures that they
(14:12):
use, the names that they use.
It was very inclusive.
It included daily lectureaffirmations and I was like, oh
yeah, this is all me and I tookit on and I incorporated it and
I'm using it currently and Ilove it and it's helping me
again to be that professor thatI want to be, right?
I love the affirmations becauseI think, also, being teaching
(14:35):
for so long, I realized thatstudents they lack that
self-confidence.
Of course they do.
They've only been on this earthfor two decades at the most,
right?
So they need that, they needthat guidance.
You have value.
Even though it's been twodecades, that's still a long
time.
You have value.
You have value Even though it'sbeen two decades.
That's still a long time.
You have value.
You have experiences,especially our students today,
(14:56):
who are going through a lot morethan I would say maybe I did
when I was growing up.
And so these differences andthese things that you bring to
the table add value to theclassroom and any space that
you're in.
So the affirmations like today Ican work hard, right?
I am getting smarter, right,these things, and you take it
(15:20):
for granted, but I make them saythem with me.
I say them first and then I sayI tell them, say it out loud,
and if they come to me and theysound, I am smart, I'm like
uh-uh, this is not the 7.30, Ijust woke up.
Voice, this is the gusto, Ibelieve it.
That's why it's affirmations.
I believe it, I know it and Iwant to hear each and every
(15:42):
voice and they go and they sayit with me and I see them
smiling and I see themconnecting with me.
And so when you are able to giveyourself that time to figure
out the support that you need,then you can go to your
department chair, right,supervisor, and say I need some
more support, right?
And you won't know what they'llbe able to provide unless you
(16:04):
tell them.
So don't be fearful of saying Ineed a little bit more.
I need, I need a little bit ofspace.
And you know I was able to geta couple course releases because
I took on a couple differentprojects, so that allowed me
that space to not teach.
You know four and five classes.
I was able to find some spacefor one semester.
(16:25):
I'm not teaching so much, right, and you know our teaching
faculty.
We have a heavy load that weteach and so I'm talking to them
figure out what support youneed, because there's so many
different opportunities andresources that are out there.
But you don't know if you don't, if you don't seek out help and
you don't say what it is youneed.
(16:45):
And that was super importantfor my journey.
Maggie Grady (16:52):
For me it would be .
I don't want to be embarrassed.
It would be an embarrassment andI think that you got to get
over that and once you do that,
Aisha O'Malley (16:57):
that is holding you back from having a
stress-free, more enjoyableexperience in teaching, right?
It's not embarrassment, like weall.
I think we all have to comefrom this human perspective.
One of the things that I likeis I'm perfectly imperfect.
Maggie Grady (17:12):
Yeah, I love that.
Aisha O'Malley (17:14):
Right Like I have a T-shirt.
I live by it.
Right, like we all are.
Maggie Grady (17:18):
Sure
Aisha O'Malley (17:19):
we all are, so give yourself that space.
Maggie Grady (17:22):
Yeah, yeah, thank you again for joining us.
Thanks for sharing your journey, your insights, your story is
incredible.
I love that.
It is a powerful reminder andwith the right approach, burnout
can be managed.
It can be, overcome, and theopportunity for growth is the
(17:43):
key there
Aisha O'Malley (17:44):
yeah
Maggie Grady (17:44):
so, that kind of wraps up this episode.
So thank you to our listenersand thank you to Dr O'Malley for
joining us on this episode ofthe Teaching Table podcast.
If you enjoyed today'sdiscussion, be sure to subscribe
and leave us a review.
We'll be back soon with moreconversation on teaching,
learning technology, all of thegood pedagogical stuff and until
(18:05):
then, keep exploring new waysto reach and inspire your
students.
I love this story and, asalways, be sure to connect with
us online at buffalo.
edu/ catt that's C-A-T-T, oremail us at ubcatt@ buffalo.
edu Thank you again.
Aisha O'Malley (18:23):
Thank you.
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