How to Manage Stress and Compassion Fatigue, While Engaging Students Online

To address faculty burnout, Course Hero invited a panel of instructors & experts to discuss ways to manage stress, & engaging students online.

 In an unpredictable year, faculty are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress brought on by the pandemic and the shift to online instruction. A recent study by Course Hero showed that more than half of college faculty report signs of professional burnout. To address this matter head on, Course Hero invited a panel of faculty and experts to discuss ways to manage stress, while also effectively engaging students online.

The three panelists included Kaela Farrise from the Early Life Stress and Resilience Program at Stanford University School of Medicine; Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill, professor of psychology at The University of Texas San Antonio; and Dr. Benjamin Wiggins, manager of instruction of biology at the University of Washington. Throughout the conversation, the panelists shared approaches, best practices, and tools to address burnout, to cultivate equitable online learning experiences, and ultimately to engage students.

In a compassionate and compelling exchange, Dr. McNaughton-Cassill confirmed it’s OK if instructors don’t have all the answers. Kaela Farrise suggested that by including students in your instruction process, your class will become more accessible and inclusive. Dr. Wiggins also emphasized the importance of making the “why” clear to students, so they understand how the learning material will translate to the real world, making them more invested and engaged.

Discover more tips from the panelists in the full session recording here.