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Karen Gonzalez Rice Coaching

Coaching & gentle support for
spacious, connected, meaningful
lives on campus and beyond

Let's re-imagine
life in higher ed!

For faculty, senior administrators, & staff
in higher education

Let's ask the big questions together.

Let's build strong, caring communities.

Art History Professor & Higher Ed Coach

Welcome! I'm Karen.

We are already good enough, just as we are.
We can create lives in higher education that
nourish us.
Self-compassion is a gift to ourselves and
everyone around us.
We are whole people, with lives and
communities beyond campus.
We are not alone. Meaningful connection
and support are available to us.
We can choose a slower pace of life.
We can re-imagine success, on our own terms.

I believe that

I'm so glad you're here.
One small, intentional choice at a time,
we can create more supportive lives, more sustainable careers, and a more humane academia.

I'll say it: We in higher ed are not all right.

In "The Good Enough Professor Podcast" & my e-mail newsletter, we talk about what we can do & who we can be in these tough times. Join me there for thoughtful conversations, useful perspectives, practical strategies, and a lot of laughter.

Welcome! I’m a professor, art historian, and higher ed coach, and I help faculty, staff, and senior administrators interrupt cycles of overwork & impossible standards to make space for what matters.

As a professor and campus leader at a liberal arts college, I have navigated the tenure track, taught my heart out, published a book, worn many leadership hats, and become a mom.

As your coach, I’m a down-to-earth, thoughtful guide for connecting with your own wisdom, strength, and resources.

I offer coaching, workshops, and self-paced courses that support you, one small, intentional choice at a time, to create a more spacious, connected, meaningful experiences for yourself on campus and beyond.

I’m not on Instagram much anymore! For updates, reflections on academic life, and gentle support for navigating the challenges of higher ed, follow me on LinkedIn, join my newsletter, and subscribe to my podcast, “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.” Links in bio.

Welcome! I’m a professor, art historian, and higher ed coach, and I help faculty, staff, and senior administrators interrupt cycles of overwork & impossible standards to make space for what matters.

As a professor and campus leader at a liberal arts college, I have navigated the tenure track, taught my heart out, published a book, worn many leadership hats, and become a mom.

As your coach, I’m a down-to-earth, thoughtful guide for connecting with your own wisdom, strength, and resources.

I offer coaching, workshops, and self-paced courses that support you, one small, intentional choice at a time, to create a more spacious, connected, meaningful experiences for yourself on campus and beyond.

I’m not on Instagram much anymore! For updates, reflections on academic life, and gentle support for navigating the challenges of higher ed, follow me on LinkedIn, join my newsletter, and subscribe to my podcast, “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.” Links in bio.

As a professor, art historian, and higher ed coach, I believe that:

🔹We are already good enough, just as we are.

🔹We can create lives in higher education that nourish us.

🔹Self-compassion is a gift to ourselves and everyone around us.

🔹We are whole people, with lives and communities beyond campus.

🔹We are not alone. Meaningful connection and support are available to us.

🔹We can choose a slower pace of life.

🔹We can re-imagine success, on our own terms.

One small, intentional choice at a time, we can create more supportive lives, more sustainable careers, and a more humane academia.

As a professor, art historian, and higher ed coach, I believe that:

🔹We are already good enough, just as we are.

🔹We can create lives in higher education that nourish us.

🔹Self-compassion is a gift to ourselves and everyone around us.

🔹We are whole people, with lives and communities beyond campus.

🔹We are not alone. Meaningful connection and support are available to us.

🔹We can choose a slower pace of life.

🔹We can re-imagine success, on our own terms.

One small, intentional choice at a time, we can create more supportive lives, more sustainable careers, and a more humane academia.

A new semester always brings mixed emotions, from enthusiasm about the possibilities of new ideas, new projects, and new perspectives to deep dread about returning to the unsustainable pace and endless to-do list of this time of year.

Lately, I’ve noticed that new semesters feel particularly heavy. In my colleagues and my clients, and in myself, I’m noticing a soupy mix of anger, disillusionment, and fear, co-existing with a deep belief that what we do in higher ed matters, and, at the same time, worry that we’re not doing enough, or that we’re not doing the right things. If you are starting the semester upset, confused, disheartened, and maybe also hopeful, you are not alone.

One way I’m finding some optimism is matching what I’m committed to doing with the capacity I actually have. You can experiment with this idea in my workbook, “A Gentle Start to the Semester: Match Your Commitments with Your Capacity.” Download it via the link in my bio.

A new semester always brings mixed emotions, from enthusiasm about the possibilities of new ideas, new projects, and new perspectives to deep dread about returning to the unsustainable pace and endless to-do list of this time of year.

Lately, I’ve noticed that new semesters feel particularly heavy. In my colleagues and my clients, and in myself, I’m noticing a soupy mix of anger, disillusionment, and fear, co-existing with a deep belief that what we do in higher ed matters, and, at the same time, worry that we’re not doing enough, or that we’re not doing the right things. If you are starting the semester upset, confused, disheartened, and maybe also hopeful, you are not alone.

One way I’m finding some optimism is matching what I’m committed to doing with the capacity I actually have. You can experiment with this idea in my workbook, “A Gentle Start to the Semester: Match Your Commitments with Your Capacity.” Download it via the link in my bio.

In my coaching, I hold space for faculty, senior administrators, and staff to re-imagine their lives in higher education.

Coaching is a conversation:

🔹A conversation that can shift your concept of what’s possible for you

🔹A conversation that can get to the heart of who you are and what you want

🔹 A conversation that can unapologetically imagine new futures and new ways of being in your world.

Coaching conversations have the potential to create us and re-make us. As your coach, it’s my privilege to support you in the beautiful, messy, liberating process of self-reflection and self-discovery of our awesome conversations.

Higher ed folks often have questions for me about the logistics of how coaching works. Take a look at the coaching page on my website to learn exactly what it looks like to work with me. Link in bio.

In my coaching, I hold space for faculty, senior administrators, and staff to re-imagine their lives in higher education.

Coaching is a conversation:

🔹A conversation that can shift your concept of what’s possible for you

🔹A conversation that can get to the heart of who you are and what you want

🔹 A conversation that can unapologetically imagine new futures and new ways of being in your world.

Coaching conversations have the potential to create us and re-make us. As your coach, it’s my privilege to support you in the beautiful, messy, liberating process of self-reflection and self-discovery of our awesome conversations.

Higher ed folks often have questions for me about the logistics of how coaching works. Take a look at the coaching page on my website to learn exactly what it looks like to work with me. Link in bio.

The Good Enough Professor Podcast: re-imagining academic life for overwhelmed professors.

Reflections, provocations, and interviews on releasing academic grind culture and embracing good enough in higher education.

Listen through your favorite podcast app, or read the transcripts linked in the episode notes. Link in bio.

The Good Enough Professor Podcast: re-imagining academic life for overwhelmed professors.

Reflections, provocations, and interviews on releasing academic grind culture and embracing good enough in higher education.

Listen through your favorite podcast app, or read the transcripts linked in the episode notes. Link in bio.

My virtual and in-person workshops for faculty & staff bring a breath of fresh air to your campus.

I work with campus leaders who care deeply about their communities and want to address the epidemic of burnout, exhaustion, and uncertainty in higher education with workshops tailored to your campus cultures.

Let’s work together to:

🔹Support faculty & staff wellbeing with programming that revitalizes, strengthens, and reconnects your community

🔹Embrace how our full humanity is inseparable from the work we do as teachers, scholars, researchers, leaders, and support staff on campus.

🔹Create opportunities for faculty & staff to reflect on their goals, practice self-compassion, and build intimacy, trust, and connection among colleagues.

🔹Make space for real talk about grappling with the challenges—and the joys—of higher ed in these tough times.

Curious how my workshops can address your campus culture, current realities, and the particular quirks of your faculty & staff? Wondering about the pedagogy behind my workshops? Have an idea for a topic? Let’s meet for a workshop chat! Link in bio.

My virtual and in-person workshops for faculty & staff bring a breath of fresh air to your campus.

I work with campus leaders who care deeply about their communities and want to address the epidemic of burnout, exhaustion, and uncertainty in higher education with workshops tailored to your campus cultures.

Let’s work together to:

🔹Support faculty & staff wellbeing with programming that revitalizes, strengthens, and reconnects your community

🔹Embrace how our full humanity is inseparable from the work we do as teachers, scholars, researchers, leaders, and support staff on campus.

🔹Create opportunities for faculty & staff to reflect on their goals, practice self-compassion, and build intimacy, trust, and connection among colleagues.

🔹Make space for real talk about grappling with the challenges—and the joys—of higher ed in these tough times.

Curious how my workshops can address your campus culture, current realities, and the particular quirks of your faculty & staff? Wondering about the pedagogy behind my workshops? Have an idea for a topic? Let’s meet for a workshop chat! Link in bio.

What happens when four higher ed coaches start talking about the transformative possibilities of coaching for faculty and staff? A book, of course!

Our co-edited volume, Transformative Coaching for Faculty and Staff in Higher Education: Powerful Tools to Address Institutional Challenges, edited by Karen Gonzalez Rice, Susan Hrach, Kathryn E. Linder, and Katherine S. Maynard, and including the unique perspectives and wisdom of over 25 contributing authors, is now available from Routledge.

This wide-ranging collection explores how to integrate coaching into higher education in ways that tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing institutions today. By embracing coaching as a powerful tool for growth and change, faculty and staff can navigate complexities, foster innovation, and cultivate thriving academic communities.

Drawing on the expertise of seasoned academic coaches, the authors provide a rich, multifaceted exploration of coaching’s potential to drive individual transformation and institutional success. With insights grounded in diverse roles and perspectives, the chapters showcase how coaching can empower faculty and staff at every career stage. From creating authentic connections and building resilience to promoting inclusivity and inspiring structural change, this lively book is packed with the practical tools, real-life examples, and thought-provoking reflection questions necessary to develop a core, functional understanding of coaching in higher education.

Check out the link in my bio for more details.

What happens when four higher ed coaches start talking about the transformative possibilities of coaching for faculty and staff? A book, of course!

Our co-edited volume, Transformative Coaching for Faculty and Staff in Higher Education: Powerful Tools to Address Institutional Challenges, edited by Karen Gonzalez Rice, Susan Hrach, Kathryn E. Linder, and Katherine S. Maynard, and including the unique perspectives and wisdom of over 25 contributing authors, is now available from Routledge.

This wide-ranging collection explores how to integrate coaching into higher education in ways that tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing institutions today. By embracing coaching as a powerful tool for growth and change, faculty and staff can navigate complexities, foster innovation, and cultivate thriving academic communities.

Drawing on the expertise of seasoned academic coaches, the authors provide a rich, multifaceted exploration of coaching’s potential to drive individual transformation and institutional success. With insights grounded in diverse roles and perspectives, the chapters showcase how coaching can empower faculty and staff at every career stage. From creating authentic connections and building resilience to promoting inclusivity and inspiring structural change, this lively book is packed with the practical tools, real-life examples, and thought-provoking reflection questions necessary to develop a core, functional understanding of coaching in higher education.

Check out the link in my bio for more details.

Self-paced courses are coming soon!

I’m working behind the scenes to bring my most-requested topics to you as online courses. “The Good Enough Professor” and “Freedom at Mid-Career” are in the works.

Sign up for my newsletter to be notified when they’re ready for you!

Self-paced courses are coming soon!

I’m working behind the scenes to bring my most-requested topics to you as online courses. “The Good Enough Professor” and “Freedom at Mid-Career” are in the works.

Sign up for my newsletter to be notified when they’re ready for you!

I’ll say it: We in higher ed are not all right.

In my podcast, “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” and in my e-mail newsletter, I talk about what we can do and who we can be in these tough times.

Join me there for thoughtful conversations, useful perspectives, practical strategies, and a lot of laughter. Links in bio.

I’ll say it: We in higher ed are not all right.

In my podcast, “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” and in my e-mail newsletter, I talk about what we can do and who we can be in these tough times.

Join me there for thoughtful conversations, useful perspectives, practical strategies, and a lot of laughter. Links in bio.

How can we make 1:1 coaching easier to access in higher ed? Coaching can support everyone in our communities: faculty, staff, and senior leaders. But the culture of academia discourages us from asking for help, the daily grind leaves us without energy for researching coaching options, and of course higher ed budgets can make it hard to pay for.

So let's start with the last one. As this dumpster fire of year is coming to a close, I'm opening my schedule for Pay-What-You-Can Coaching. Can you pay $5? Great, grab a spot. Can you pay $100? Awesome. Let's work together.

How can we make 1:1 coaching easier to access in higher ed? Coaching can support everyone in our communities: faculty, staff, and senior leaders. But the culture of academia discourages us from asking for help, the daily grind leaves us without energy for researching coaching options, and of course higher ed budgets can make it hard to pay for.

So let's start with the last one. As this dumpster fire of year is coming to a close, I'm opening my schedule for Pay-What-You-Can Coaching. Can you pay $5? Great, grab a spot. Can you pay $100? Awesome. Let's work together.

New episode on the “Good Enough Professor” podcast! Join me and my co-editors Susan Hrach, @katie_linder Katie Linder, and Kitty Maynard for a behind-the-scenes discussion of our new book, Transformative Coaching for Faculty and Staff in Higher Education: Powerful Tools To Address Institutional Challenges. We talk about the collaborative experience of writing the book, our shared belief that coaching can transform higher ed, and why coaching matters now. And we reveal our “secret audience” for the book and how coaching makes us better humans. @katie_linder @susanhrach

New episode on the “Good Enough Professor” podcast! Join me and my co-editors Susan Hrach, @katie_linder Katie Linder, and Kitty Maynard for a behind-the-scenes discussion of our new book, Transformative Coaching for Faculty and Staff in Higher Education: Powerful Tools To Address Institutional Challenges. We talk about the collaborative experience of writing the book, our shared belief that coaching can transform higher ed, and why coaching matters now. And we reveal our “secret audience” for the book and how coaching makes us better humans. @katie_linder @susanhrach

New podcast episode out today: “Half-Assed Self Care for Weary Academics”!

Social media makes self care look easy, beautiful, and unattainable. What if we could release the aesthetic of perfection and half-ass our self care instead? In this episode, I explore practical, low-stakes approaches to several evidence-based self care practices: journaling, gratitude, meditation, and creativity. This episode is for you if you’re skeptical of self care, and/or you despair of finding time or energy for self care activities!

New podcast episode out today: “Half-Assed Self Care for Weary Academics”!

Social media makes self care look easy, beautiful, and unattainable. What if we could release the aesthetic of perfection and half-ass our self care instead? In this episode, I explore practical, low-stakes approaches to several evidence-based self care practices: journaling, gratitude, meditation, and creativity. This episode is for you if you’re skeptical of self care, and/or you despair of finding time or energy for self care activities!

This Tuesday! Gentle guidance for planning ahead for how you want to feel and what you really need this semester.

“Plan for Your Wellbeing This Semester” via Zoom on Tuesday, January 28 at 7PM Eastern time.

Free and open to all higher ed folks! Link in bio for more info and RSVP to let me know you’ll be there.

This Tuesday! Gentle guidance for planning ahead for how you want to feel and what you really need this semester.

“Plan for Your Wellbeing This Semester” via Zoom on Tuesday, January 28 at 7PM Eastern time.

Free and open to all higher ed folks! Link in bio for more info and RSVP to let me know you’ll be there.

New episode! What tiny shifts could create more spaciousness and satisfaction in your academic life? The breathing space between semesters is a great time to get a bird’s-eye view of your everyday life, on and off campus. In this episode, I guide you through my “Wheel of Academic Life” tool for figuringout your own tiny change, and I share some examples of gentle and meaningful kaleidoscope shifts.

Transcripts are always available in the show notes.

New episode! What tiny shifts could create more spaciousness and satisfaction in your academic life? The breathing space between semesters is a great time to get a bird’s-eye view of your everyday life, on and off campus. In this episode, I guide you through my “Wheel of Academic Life” tool for figuringout your own tiny change, and I share some examples of gentle and meaningful kaleidoscope shifts.

Transcripts are always available in the show notes.

New episode! A conversation with @liznorell about her new book, The Present Professor: Authenticity and Transformational Teaching.

We talk about why presence matters in our teaching, how trauma disrupts learning (for our students and for us), and what might unfold when we soften in our academic lives.

Liz shares her playful approach to building communities, and her commitment to practicing yoga as a tool for presence.

Listen or read find the transcript in the show notes!

New episode! A conversation with @liznorell about her new book, The Present Professor: Authenticity and Transformational Teaching.

We talk about why presence matters in our teaching, how trauma disrupts learning (for our students and for us), and what might unfold when we soften in our academic lives.

Liz shares her playful approach to building communities, and her commitment to practicing yoga as a tool for presence.

Listen or read find the transcript in the show notes!

A discussion with grief researcher and grief coach @drchinasaelue about the many ways that grief shows up in #AcademicLife.

We talk about assuming that grief is present on campus and embracing the awkwardness of tending to grief, and we explore what grief leadership could look like on campus (and why academic leaders should cry if they feel like it).

And Chinasa shares the small actions we can take to create more grief-conscious academic spaces. Throughout it all, we laugh a lot!

**We recorded this episode well before the election, but so much of our discussion is relevant for post-election grief as well.

A discussion with grief researcher and grief coach @drchinasaelue about the many ways that grief shows up in #AcademicLife.

We talk about assuming that grief is present on campus and embracing the awkwardness of tending to grief, and we explore what grief leadership could look like on campus (and why academic leaders should cry if they feel like it).

And Chinasa shares the small actions we can take to create more grief-conscious academic spaces. Throughout it all, we laugh a lot!

**We recorded this episode well before the election, but so much of our discussion is relevant for post-election grief as well.

Existential advice from 1907! Take a moment to take it easy today. Thanks to @papermoonman who found this and thought of my coaching work!

Existential advice from 1907! Take a moment to take it easy today. Thanks to @papermoonman who found this and thought of my coaching work!

New on the podcast! What might be possible if we let go of productivity as a goal?

New on the podcast! What might be possible if we let go of productivity as a goal?

A conversation about expansion, exploration, and honesty at mid-career with fashion professor Arti Sandhu. Arti’s Instagram @sideways_toupee is a playful personal project and a serious scholarly discourse on embodiment, image-making, globalism, and place in contemporary fashion.

We talk about how the work of @sideways_toupee has raised uncomfortable tensions around mid-career, the urge to create beyond traditional boundaries while navigating fears around legitimacy, and the radical possibilities of honesty in academia.

Plus, as a @sideways_toupee fan, I get to ask my burning question: what does Arti’s closet look like?

A conversation about expansion, exploration, and honesty at mid-career with fashion professor Arti Sandhu. Arti’s Instagram @sideways_toupee is a playful personal project and a serious scholarly discourse on embodiment, image-making, globalism, and place in contemporary fashion.

We talk about how the work of @sideways_toupee has raised uncomfortable tensions around mid-career, the urge to create beyond traditional boundaries while navigating fears around legitimacy, and the radical possibilities of honesty in academia.

Plus, as a @sideways_toupee fan, I get to ask my burning question: what does Arti’s closet look like?

This is a semester for the snail in me. Poco a poco, little by little.

Little by little for me these days means you may not see me here much.

Little by little means I’m focusing on what lights me up - connecting with my 1:1 coaching clients, creating new workshops for faculty, walking my dog.

What does little by little mean for you right now?

Seek more of the snail in your #academiclife - my 1:1 coaching schedule has space for you! Let’s create a bespoke workshop for your faculty. Or listen to my podcast! You know where to look.

This is a semester for the snail in me. Poco a poco, little by little.

Little by little for me these days means you may not see me here much.

Little by little means I’m focusing on what lights me up - connecting with my 1:1 coaching clients, creating new workshops for faculty, walking my dog.

What does little by little mean for you right now?

Seek more of the snail in your #academiclife - my 1:1 coaching schedule has space for you! Let’s create a bespoke workshop for your faculty. Or listen to my podcast! You know where to look.

First department meeting of the year calls for macarons! @sift_bake_shop

First department meeting of the year calls for macarons! @sift_bake_shop

New on the podcast: “Visibility & Vulnerability in the New Semester.” Thoughts on gentle strategies for re-entry into the dynamics of campus life after a break.

As always, transcript is in the show notes for those who prefer reading to listening.

New on the podcast: “Visibility & Vulnerability in the New Semester.” Thoughts on gentle strategies for re-entry into the dynamics of campus life after a break.

As always, transcript is in the show notes for those who prefer reading to listening.

“What would it be like to put empathy and embodiment and empowerment at the forefront of our experience of the academic year, just as we do teaching, research, and service?”

An alternative approach to reflecting on the academic year: “Your Shadow Annual Report” on “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.

“What would it be like to put empathy and embodiment and empowerment at the forefront of our experience of the academic year, just as we do teaching, research, and service?”

An alternative approach to reflecting on the academic year: “Your Shadow Annual Report” on “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.

In the newest episode of “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” I talk about countering the outcome-focused annual reports you create for your institutions with a process-based, whole-person “Shadow Annual Report, just for you.

Here are 3 questions to get you started:
—What emotions did you feel most often this year?
—How attentive were you to your body’s cues during each semester?
—What different ways did you practice saying NO this year?

Check out the podcast for more, and sign up for my newsletter by Friday to get a workbook guide to your Shadow Annual Report process.

In the newest episode of “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” I talk about countering the outcome-focused annual reports you create for your institutions with a process-based, whole-person “Shadow Annual Report, just for you.

Here are 3 questions to get you started:
—What emotions did you feel most often this year?
—How attentive were you to your body’s cues during each semester?
—What different ways did you practice saying NO this year?

Check out the podcast for more, and sign up for my newsletter by Friday to get a workbook guide to your Shadow Annual Report process.

New Episode! In this season of institutional annual reports, let’s focus instead on our lived experiences of academic life this year.

In the newest episode of “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” we’ll use the framework of empathy, embodiment, and empowerment to dig into the realities of how you showed self-compassion, what it was like to live in your body, and how you expressed your needs and wants this academic year.

Listen where you get your podcasts - or find the transcript in the show notes if you prefer to read!

New Episode! In this season of institutional annual reports, let’s focus instead on our lived experiences of academic life this year.

In the newest episode of “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” we’ll use the framework of empathy, embodiment, and empowerment to dig into the realities of how you showed self-compassion, what it was like to live in your body, and how you expressed your needs and wants this academic year.

Listen where you get your podcasts - or find the transcript in the show notes if you prefer to read!

I’m delighted to share that I’ve earned the @icfheadquarters International Coaching Federation’s accreditation as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC)! 200+ hours of coaching training with @coactiveleaders Training Institute, 100+ hours of one-on-one coaching, and so much meaningful dialogue with my coach mentors and peers and with my wonderful clients. Many thanks to all who supported me on this journey!

I’m delighted to share that I’ve earned the @icfheadquarters International Coaching Federation’s accreditation as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC)! 200+ hours of coaching training with @coactiveleaders Training Institute, 100+ hours of one-on-one coaching, and so much meaningful dialogue with my coach mentors and peers and with my wonderful clients. Many thanks to all who supported me on this journey!

I talk a lot in this space about community in academic life and how liberatory it is to create networks of support. And the truth is that community is hard. It’s hard to find, it’s hard to build, and it’s hard to BE IN community.

We don’t always agree with (or even like) everyone in our most beloved and supportive communities. Conflicts and awkwardness and disappointments happen. We make mistakes, we hurt or embarrass each other, we let each other down because we are humans and we are working at the inhumane pace of contemporary life. But what matters is how we show up in those moments of disconnection.

I was recently called out by someone in my community for flaking on a commitment. And I did absolutely deserve to be called out - instead of letting go and communicating as soon as I knew that I was over my head, I held onto the hope that I could participate.

When this person raised the issue (at a kids’ birthday party!), two things helped me respond with gratitude, apologize without defensiveness, and reconnect without shame.

First, living with a chronic illness gives me a lot of practice in accepting limitations and communicating clearly. But it’s a practice; I’m always learning how to do it better. They were right that I could have been more clear with them and let go sooner.

And, perhaps most important, I had already reckoned with letting this person down. When it happened, I thought through my experience, and I deliberately considered their perspective. I knew that my actions caused them inconvenience and stress. And for that I was truly sorry.

Yes, discussing it was awkward, and I was embarrassed. But I didn’t feel the need to explain, or defend, or get into details. Instead, I felt grateful that they brought it up so that I could apologize and we could discuss it.

For me, these challenging incidents are evidence that my community is working. I used to think that conflict was a sign of a problem, but now I see the value in getting comfortable with the inevitable, uncomfortable work of repair that is part of all long-term community relationships.

How are you navigating the ups and downs of community these days?

I talk a lot in this space about community in academic life and how liberatory it is to create networks of support. And the truth is that community is hard. It’s hard to find, it’s hard to build, and it’s hard to BE IN community.

We don’t always agree with (or even like) everyone in our most beloved and supportive communities. Conflicts and awkwardness and disappointments happen. We make mistakes, we hurt or embarrass each other, we let each other down because we are humans and we are working at the inhumane pace of contemporary life. But what matters is how we show up in those moments of disconnection.

I was recently called out by someone in my community for flaking on a commitment. And I did absolutely deserve to be called out - instead of letting go and communicating as soon as I knew that I was over my head, I held onto the hope that I could participate.

When this person raised the issue (at a kids’ birthday party!), two things helped me respond with gratitude, apologize without defensiveness, and reconnect without shame.

First, living with a chronic illness gives me a lot of practice in accepting limitations and communicating clearly. But it’s a practice; I’m always learning how to do it better. They were right that I could have been more clear with them and let go sooner.

And, perhaps most important, I had already reckoned with letting this person down. When it happened, I thought through my experience, and I deliberately considered their perspective. I knew that my actions caused them inconvenience and stress. And for that I was truly sorry.

Yes, discussing it was awkward, and I was embarrassed. But I didn’t feel the need to explain, or defend, or get into details. Instead, I felt grateful that they brought it up so that I could apologize and we could discuss it.

For me, these challenging incidents are evidence that my community is working. I used to think that conflict was a sign of a problem, but now I see the value in getting comfortable with the inevitable, uncomfortable work of repair that is part of all long-term community relationships.

How are you navigating the ups and downs of community these days?

“My brilliance waits for me…” One of my favorite moments with @brookehofsess on “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.”

Check out this episode for a hopeful take on academic life and higher ed futures.

“My brilliance waits for me…” One of my favorite moments with @brookehofsess on “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.”

Check out this episode for a hopeful take on academic life and higher ed futures.

“If we say we want a more inclusive, welcoming academy, how are we making that? How are we tinkering in that direction, while also holding the consequences of the structures that do exist?”

The glorious @brookehofsess on “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.”

On this episode, we talk about expansive leadership, tinkering as a creative strategy for change, and the gentle power of dreaming.

As always, episode transcripts are in the show notes!

“If we say we want a more inclusive, welcoming academy, how are we making that? How are we tinkering in that direction, while also holding the consequences of the structures that do exist?”

The glorious @brookehofsess on “The Good Enough Professor Podcast.”

On this episode, we talk about expansive leadership, tinkering as a creative strategy for change, and the gentle power of dreaming.

As always, episode transcripts are in the show notes!

New episode on the Good Enough Professor podcast! I’m so excited to share this with you: an honest and hopeful conversation with @brookehofsess - artist, scholar, and leadership coach. We talk, laugh, and dream about re-making academia, the deep power of choice, the fun of chairing (really!), and finding our brilliance amid the scarcity and burnout of higher education. Enjoy!

New episode on the Good Enough Professor podcast! I’m so excited to share this with you: an honest and hopeful conversation with @brookehofsess - artist, scholar, and leadership coach. We talk, laugh, and dream about re-making academia, the deep power of choice, the fun of chairing (really!), and finding our brilliance amid the scarcity and burnout of higher education. Enjoy!

I’ve chatted with several folks lately about how the end of the semester is bringing up questions about who we are being on campus, and who we want to be when we are off campus. As our relationship to campus shifts for the summer, we might be feeling relieved to be out of the public eye for a while.

If you’re going to be away from campus for the summer, what neglected parts of yourself want to be free? What are you most looking forward to in off-campus mode?

Or maybe you have summer lab students, or a leadership position where you’ll be on campus in the summer. How do you want to show up on campus this season, when things might be more relaxed?

So many of us feel the tug of bringing more of ourselves—whether that’s more of our cultural heritage, more of our non-academic interests, more of our quirky ways of being—to our everyday academic lives. And we are always evolving, both internally as humans and in our roles on campus. I wonder if we are always practicing being ourselves, bringing those evolving parts of ourselves into our work and our academic worlds, and practicing reconciling our multiple, layered, on- & off-campus ways of being.

How are you feeling about that tension now, as you look ahead to your summer?

I’ve chatted with several folks lately about how the end of the semester is bringing up questions about who we are being on campus, and who we want to be when we are off campus. As our relationship to campus shifts for the summer, we might be feeling relieved to be out of the public eye for a while.

If you’re going to be away from campus for the summer, what neglected parts of yourself want to be free? What are you most looking forward to in off-campus mode?

Or maybe you have summer lab students, or a leadership position where you’ll be on campus in the summer. How do you want to show up on campus this season, when things might be more relaxed?

So many of us feel the tug of bringing more of ourselves—whether that’s more of our cultural heritage, more of our non-academic interests, more of our quirky ways of being—to our everyday academic lives. And we are always evolving, both internally as humans and in our roles on campus. I wonder if we are always practicing being ourselves, bringing those evolving parts of ourselves into our work and our academic worlds, and practicing reconciling our multiple, layered, on- & off-campus ways of being.

How are you feeling about that tension now, as you look ahead to your summer?

What does your semester recovery look like?

For me, it’s going to bed early 💤 M&Ms #foodjoy 🍫 and getting outside 🖼️.

Drop an emoji for your semester recovery vibe!

What does your semester recovery look like?

For me, it’s going to bed early 💤 M&Ms #foodjoy 🍫 and getting outside 🖼️.

Drop an emoji for your semester recovery vibe!

I’ve been spending a lot of time on thrift sites looking for Christmas sweaters. I’m not really a “Christmas person” so this is a little odd.

When I noticed some judgmental thoughts about wasting time and what I should be doing instead, I decided to pay attention to how I feel when I’m scrolling Christmas sweaters.

And what I noticed is that I’m imagining our Christmas tradition of visiting with my husband’s siblings. There’s kids running around, warmth, fun, and time for rest.

And there is a genuine sharing of the daily domestic grind. All of the adults share taking care of children, planning, making and serving meals, cleaning up when someone’s dog barfs or a kid traipses through the house with muddy boots. In being shared, these tasks feel less like burdens and more like just family life.

What I feel when I am scrolling Christmas sweaters is a sense of care and support, of mutual aid and shared labor among a community of loved ones.

And that’s something that feels distant from me in the present.

When I linked my scrolling with this feeling of connection and support, I actually started to enjoy it more. Not just because I wasn’t judging myself, but because I was deliberately calling up memories and laughing to myself about what my sisters-in-law would think if I showed up in this silly sweater, or which one my son would enjoy the most.

I could intentionally enjoy this activity which had seemed at first something to “fix.” And I was able to see that, here, at the end of the semester, I need to lessen my load right now, in the present.

You’re probably not scrolling for Christmas sweaters, but maybe you’re Googling capybara memes or pouring over your dog-eared seed catalog. What might your activities tell you about what you really want and need right now? How might you listen to the part of yourself that already knows what you are seeking?

I’ve been spending a lot of time on thrift sites looking for Christmas sweaters. I’m not really a “Christmas person” so this is a little odd.

When I noticed some judgmental thoughts about wasting time and what I should be doing instead, I decided to pay attention to how I feel when I’m scrolling Christmas sweaters.

And what I noticed is that I’m imagining our Christmas tradition of visiting with my husband’s siblings. There’s kids running around, warmth, fun, and time for rest.

And there is a genuine sharing of the daily domestic grind. All of the adults share taking care of children, planning, making and serving meals, cleaning up when someone’s dog barfs or a kid traipses through the house with muddy boots. In being shared, these tasks feel less like burdens and more like just family life.

What I feel when I am scrolling Christmas sweaters is a sense of care and support, of mutual aid and shared labor among a community of loved ones.

And that’s something that feels distant from me in the present.

When I linked my scrolling with this feeling of connection and support, I actually started to enjoy it more. Not just because I wasn’t judging myself, but because I was deliberately calling up memories and laughing to myself about what my sisters-in-law would think if I showed up in this silly sweater, or which one my son would enjoy the most.

I could intentionally enjoy this activity which had seemed at first something to “fix.” And I was able to see that, here, at the end of the semester, I need to lessen my load right now, in the present.

You’re probably not scrolling for Christmas sweaters, but maybe you’re Googling capybara memes or pouring over your dog-eared seed catalog. What might your activities tell you about what you really want and need right now? How might you listen to the part of yourself that already knows what you are seeking?

Friends, I’m tired. Are you tired, too?

I’m physically fatigued and my brain is fried, but it’s more than that. I feel emotionally wrung out, deeply soul-weary.

I’m tired of seeing colleagues becoming ill with overwork.

I’m tired of petty details, paperwork, and senseless processes.

I’m tired of cringy debates on the faculty listserv.

I’m tired of the apologies that preface all my emails: “I’m sorry for the delay in getting back to you..”

I’m tired of being confused & disheartened by decision-making at our institutions.

I’m tired of reminding myself that my publications are enough.

I’m tired of scrambling to compensate for our nation’s lack of a social safety net, including accessible medical care and affordable childcare for working families.

I’m tired of bad news, awful news, worse news every day.

I want better for myself, my family, my colleagues, our institutions, and the whole world.

Maybe you, too, are tired, here at the end of the semester. Let’s sit with our tiredness for a while.

We don’t have to problem-solve our exhaustion.

What is here for us in this place of tiredness?

What can we notice about ourselves, now, that’s not usually apparent?

DM me to share what comes up for you. We are tired, but we’re not alone.

Friends, I’m tired. Are you tired, too?

I’m physically fatigued and my brain is fried, but it’s more than that. I feel emotionally wrung out, deeply soul-weary.

I’m tired of seeing colleagues becoming ill with overwork.

I’m tired of petty details, paperwork, and senseless processes.

I’m tired of cringy debates on the faculty listserv.

I’m tired of the apologies that preface all my emails: “I’m sorry for the delay in getting back to you..”

I’m tired of being confused & disheartened by decision-making at our institutions.

I’m tired of reminding myself that my publications are enough.

I’m tired of scrambling to compensate for our nation’s lack of a social safety net, including accessible medical care and affordable childcare for working families.

I’m tired of bad news, awful news, worse news every day.

I want better for myself, my family, my colleagues, our institutions, and the whole world.

Maybe you, too, are tired, here at the end of the semester. Let’s sit with our tiredness for a while.

We don’t have to problem-solve our exhaustion.

What is here for us in this place of tiredness?

What can we notice about ourselves, now, that’s not usually apparent?

DM me to share what comes up for you. We are tired, but we’re not alone.

Very excited to get started with this new book from Margaret Price @margaret4085 - Crip Space: Access, Accountability, and Failure in Academic Life!

Very excited to get started with this new book from Margaret Price @margaret4085 - Crip Space: Access, Accountability, and Failure in Academic Life!

This week on The Good Enough Professor Podcast: “What to Do When You’re Overwhelmed.”

“Embrace the idea and the feeling that working beyond your capacity is not helping your students. It’s not helping your peers or your colleagues, and it’s certainly not helping you.

I want to acknowledge that you may be getting very different messages from some of these folks, maybe your chair, someone on a committee is telling you very differently.

You are the expert in your own life. What is your body telling you? What does your inner life tell you?”

This week on The Good Enough Professor Podcast: “What to Do When You’re Overwhelmed.”

“Embrace the idea and the feeling that working beyond your capacity is not helping your students. It’s not helping your peers or your colleagues, and it’s certainly not helping you.

I want to acknowledge that you may be getting very different messages from some of these folks, maybe your chair, someone on a committee is telling you very differently.

You are the expert in your own life. What is your body telling you? What does your inner life tell you?”

You are not behind!

But you might be overwhelmed.

Compassion and strategies for spring semester overwhelm on the podcast this week.

Follow “The Good Enough Professor Podcast” on your favorite podcast app.

#Overwhelmed #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

You are not behind!

But you might be overwhelmed.

Compassion and strategies for spring semester overwhelm on the podcast this week.

Follow “The Good Enough Professor Podcast” on your favorite podcast app.

#Overwhelmed #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

New episode out today!

It’s that time of the semester when everything is happening! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, check it out.

P.S. Transcripts are always available in the show notes!

#Overwhelm #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

New episode out today!

It’s that time of the semester when everything is happening! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, check it out.

P.S. Transcripts are always available in the show notes!

#Overwhelm #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

3 visual practices keeping me playful & curious while working on a research deadline:

—A project vision board
—A mind-map outline
—A daily draw from Tricia Hersey’s Rest Deck (this one says: “I do nothing alone. My whole life is collaboration.”)

What visual practices do you use to have more fun and feel more expansive in your academic life?

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

3 visual practices keeping me playful & curious while working on a research deadline:

—A project vision board
—A mind-map outline
—A daily draw from Tricia Hersey’s Rest Deck (this one says: “I do nothing alone. My whole life is collaboration.”)

What visual practices do you use to have more fun and feel more expansive in your academic life?

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Sick days are morally neutral.

Needing rest & recovery is not a moral failure.

Our productivity is not more valuable than our health.

Let’s practice resisting internalized ableism and releasing academic grind culture - one sick day at a time.

#SickDay #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Sick days are morally neutral.

Needing rest & recovery is not a moral failure.

Our productivity is not more valuable than our health.

Let’s practice resisting internalized ableism and releasing academic grind culture - one sick day at a time.

#SickDay #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Reposting this bit of wisdom from 2022 while recovering from the flu this week…

———
How to slow down when you’re sick:

Don’t Panic!
Illness is part of the human experience.
It’s not your fault.
It’s OK to prioritize your recovery.

Very little is truly urgent.
Aim for an empty calendar, and cancel/delay as needed immediately to clear your mental space.
Add an email responder to let others know you’re not available.

How do others benefit?
Your absence may actually benefit your students and colleagues!
For ex: students might be able to catch up or review, or learn new material collaboratively.

Rest.
Put yourself to bed.
Or, if you’re caregiving, create a cozy space for low-key activities together.
Tell anyone who needs to know: domestic responsibilities take a backseat to your recovery.

Rest. For real.
Rest until you are recovered, not just “better.”

#SickDay #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Reposting this bit of wisdom from 2022 while recovering from the flu this week…

———
How to slow down when you’re sick:

Don’t Panic!
Illness is part of the human experience.
It’s not your fault.
It’s OK to prioritize your recovery.

Very little is truly urgent.
Aim for an empty calendar, and cancel/delay as needed immediately to clear your mental space.
Add an email responder to let others know you’re not available.

How do others benefit?
Your absence may actually benefit your students and colleagues!
For ex: students might be able to catch up or review, or learn new material collaboratively.

Rest.
Put yourself to bed.
Or, if you’re caregiving, create a cozy space for low-key activities together.
Tell anyone who needs to know: domestic responsibilities take a backseat to your recovery.

Rest. For real.
Rest until you are recovered, not just “better.”

#SickDay #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Why do we need EASE in academic life?

So we can do the hard things better.

Better support our students.

Better ally with our communities.

Better create new knowledge.

Better lead our institutions.

Better advocate for what’s right.

Better transform academia.

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Why do we need EASE in academic life?

So we can do the hard things better.

Better support our students.

Better ally with our communities.

Better create new knowledge.

Better lead our institutions.

Better advocate for what’s right.

Better transform academia.

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

7 shifts for more ease in February:

—Focus on one thing at a time.
—Take a walk before teaching.
—Schedule time for grading.
—Allow margins between meetings.
—Wait 24 hours before committing to anything new.
—Opt out of second-guessing.
—Build rest into every day.

These shifts are not necessarily easy in themselves! It may seem counterintuitive, but taking the steps to create ease can feel uncomfortable in the moment.

If you’re craving ease but unsure about making a change, you might choose just one shift to try as an experiment. Get curious about what might be possible. And then see what happens! You can always adjust, change back, or try something different.

What kind of ease do you want more of this month? How have you already created more ease for yourself this semester?

#Ease #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

7 shifts for more ease in February:

—Focus on one thing at a time.
—Take a walk before teaching.
—Schedule time for grading.
—Allow margins between meetings.
—Wait 24 hours before committing to anything new.
—Opt out of second-guessing.
—Build rest into every day.

These shifts are not necessarily easy in themselves! It may seem counterintuitive, but taking the steps to create ease can feel uncomfortable in the moment.

If you’re craving ease but unsure about making a change, you might choose just one shift to try as an experiment. Get curious about what might be possible. And then see what happens! You can always adjust, change back, or try something different.

What kind of ease do you want more of this month? How have you already created more ease for yourself this semester?

#Ease #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Sometimes we forget that we can choose ease.

Sometimes we equate ease with laziness. (Psst: Laziness does not exist.*)

Sometimes we ignore our craving for ease.

Sometimes we overlook ease-full moments.

What opportunities for a little more ease can you find in your day today?

(*See Devon Price, “Laziness Does Not Exist” for more on this!)

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Sometimes we forget that we can choose ease.

Sometimes we equate ease with laziness. (Psst: Laziness does not exist.*)

Sometimes we ignore our craving for ease.

Sometimes we overlook ease-full moments.

What opportunities for a little more ease can you find in your day today?

(*See Devon Price, “Laziness Does Not Exist” for more on this!)

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Share your intellectual journey with your students.

We often ask our students about their motivations and goals in taking our classes. But what about their curiosity about us?

Our students are eager to learn about their professors’ professional lives and why we teach what we teach. Sharing a bit of ourselves might feel risky, but it can also contribute to creating a more satisfying #academiclife for yourself.

Here are some ideas for talking with your students about topics that are academic, relevant to the course, and not particularly personal:

—Simply share your path in studying the topics of the course, perhaps by recounting some of your graduate training
—Offer a particular example about your early motivation to pursue your field of study
—Point out areas where your current research overlaps with the course to give students an idea of your professional activity beyond teaching
—Depending on your comfort level - and perhaps easier after getting to know your class a bit - you might even choose to tell students about challenges you encountered when first exploring your discipline

Sharing your own intellectual path can show your expertise, build trust with students, and generate excitement about the topics of the class. And, an unexpected benefit of talking openly about your path is that it can encourage students to seek you out when they need help in the course.

Does the idea of sharing your intellectual journey with students seem appealing to you? Or appalling? Perhaps you already do this regularly, or maybe you feel resistance to this idea. Let me know your thoughts!

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Share your intellectual journey with your students.

We often ask our students about their motivations and goals in taking our classes. But what about their curiosity about us?

Our students are eager to learn about their professors’ professional lives and why we teach what we teach. Sharing a bit of ourselves might feel risky, but it can also contribute to creating a more satisfying #academiclife for yourself.

Here are some ideas for talking with your students about topics that are academic, relevant to the course, and not particularly personal:

—Simply share your path in studying the topics of the course, perhaps by recounting some of your graduate training
—Offer a particular example about your early motivation to pursue your field of study
—Point out areas where your current research overlaps with the course to give students an idea of your professional activity beyond teaching
—Depending on your comfort level - and perhaps easier after getting to know your class a bit - you might even choose to tell students about challenges you encountered when first exploring your discipline

Sharing your own intellectual path can show your expertise, build trust with students, and generate excitement about the topics of the class. And, an unexpected benefit of talking openly about your path is that it can encourage students to seek you out when they need help in the course.

Does the idea of sharing your intellectual journey with students seem appealing to you? Or appalling? Perhaps you already do this regularly, or maybe you feel resistance to this idea. Let me know your thoughts!

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

3 alternatives to academic grind culture:
—Redefining success based on what matters to you
—Paying attention to your body’s cues to work within your capacity
—Developing and practicing skills to maintain a countercultural stance.

In the most recent episode of “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” I’m taking on academic grind culture through the lens of anti-dieting. Listen on the podcast to how I use anti-diet interventions into diet and wellness culture—like intuitive eating and joyful movement—to explore alternatives to the academic grind.

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

3 alternatives to academic grind culture:
—Redefining success based on what matters to you
—Paying attention to your body’s cues to work within your capacity
—Developing and practicing skills to maintain a countercultural stance.

In the most recent episode of “The Good Enough Professor Podcast,” I’m taking on academic grind culture through the lens of anti-dieting. Listen on the podcast to how I use anti-diet interventions into diet and wellness culture—like intuitive eating and joyful movement—to explore alternatives to the academic grind.

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

On the podcast: Let’s Un-Diet Academia!

In today’s episode, I’m taking on academic grind culture through the lens of anti-dieting.

Take a listen!

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

On the podcast: Let’s Un-Diet Academia!

In today’s episode, I’m taking on academic grind culture through the lens of anti-dieting.

Take a listen!

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

What’s the most basic unit of your research?

When the semester begins, we may have big plans for digging into our research. But the realities of the semester can start to loom...

One way to stay connected to your research brain is to regularly practice the most basic unit of your research activity.

What do I mean by that? I’m an art historian, so for me, looking closely is the fundamental activity of my discipline. For my botanist friend, it’s just thinking about plants. For my dance colleague, it’s moving her body. These research skills are things we can do at any time - we don’t have to be on campus or at our desks to be thinking in disciplinary ways.

You might feel like it’s not worth it if you’re not actually writing, performing your experiment, or making work. But it’s not all or nothing! Intentionally practicing the most essential aspects of our research skills, and framing these activities as research, can keep us thinking, get us excited about our work, and make it easier to get back into the manuscript, the lab, or the studio.

What basic unit of research will you practice today?

#ResearchMatters #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

What’s the most basic unit of your research?

When the semester begins, we may have big plans for digging into our research. But the realities of the semester can start to loom...

One way to stay connected to your research brain is to regularly practice the most basic unit of your research activity.

What do I mean by that? I’m an art historian, so for me, looking closely is the fundamental activity of my discipline. For my botanist friend, it’s just thinking about plants. For my dance colleague, it’s moving her body. These research skills are things we can do at any time - we don’t have to be on campus or at our desks to be thinking in disciplinary ways.

You might feel like it’s not worth it if you’re not actually writing, performing your experiment, or making work. But it’s not all or nothing! Intentionally practicing the most essential aspects of our research skills, and framing these activities as research, can keep us thinking, get us excited about our work, and make it easier to get back into the manuscript, the lab, or the studio.

What basic unit of research will you practice today?

#ResearchMatters #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Faculty PSA: Add some cash to your ID card.

Take a moment to pre-load your ID with enough money to cover a couple of coffees and lunches for the semester. This gives you some options when, in the coming months, you find yourself starving, deeply in need of caffeine, or craving a cookie. Your future self will thank you!

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

Faculty PSA: Add some cash to your ID card.

Take a moment to pre-load your ID with enough money to cover a couple of coffees and lunches for the semester. This gives you some options when, in the coming months, you find yourself starving, deeply in need of caffeine, or craving a cookie. Your future self will thank you!

#AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

What if we work softer?

At this time of the year, as we accelerate into the semester, I hear faculty talking about working harder: “If I worked harder, I could [insert superhuman accomplishment here].” Or we berate ourselves: “I can’t seem to get myself to work harder.” The thing is, we are already working as hard as we can. We’re working ever harder, we’re not catching up, and it’s not making us feel very good.

What if we worked softer instead? What could working softer look like for you?

Some ideas:
—Take the “easy way”
—Accept help when it’s offered
—Don’t over-prepare
—Get comfortable

This might look like scheduling meetings to start an hour later in the morning, having your partner order out for dinner, or generating just 3 questions for in-class discussion rather than 10. Or it might mean working from home on a day when you don’t have a compelling reason to be on campus.

How will you work softer today?

#WorkSofter #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

What if we work softer?

At this time of the year, as we accelerate into the semester, I hear faculty talking about working harder: “If I worked harder, I could [insert superhuman accomplishment here].” Or we berate ourselves: “I can’t seem to get myself to work harder.” The thing is, we are already working as hard as we can. We’re working ever harder, we’re not catching up, and it’s not making us feel very good.

What if we worked softer instead? What could working softer look like for you?

Some ideas:
—Take the “easy way”
—Accept help when it’s offered
—Don’t over-prepare
—Get comfortable

This might look like scheduling meetings to start an hour later in the morning, having your partner order out for dinner, or generating just 3 questions for in-class discussion rather than 10. Or it might mean working from home on a day when you don’t have a compelling reason to be on campus.

How will you work softer today?

#WorkSofter #AcademicLife #Professor #ProfessorLife #Faculty #FacultyLife #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEd #HigherEdLife

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Find me chatting about higher ed

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