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Students win when you prioritize yourself: Reflection after the mini Global Respectful Disruption Summit
Erin Butler | [email protected] Sr. Admin Assistant in Dept of Global Engagement College of Lake County | LinkedIn Preschool beginning at age two, a K-12 education, and four years earning an undergraduate degree at university equaled 20 years of my life with the role of: student. My career as a student–one where my responsibilities were told to me, where I was assigned deadlines and homework, where I was to complete tasks on an individual basis, was greatly fulfilling for me. I thrived–I loved knowing exactly where I stood, with constant feedback from authorities and peers (grades, awards, praise); I loved knowing exactly how to complete an assignment, with a rubric to guide me; I loved knowing the exact schedule of each day, exactly how the semester would progress, with a syllabus to guide me; I loved the control I had over my own work and the non-control I had when it came to how the work was completed, and when it was completed. I knew how to be a good student–scratch that–an excellent student. I’m not saying this to brag or make myself feel good, it’s just the truth. I never got a B grade in college. In fact, as the courses at Butler got more advanced, the more I succeeded: in my senior seminar courses, I got 100% grades on final exams, I got As on term papers worth 40% of my grade. I knew how to succeed; I knew what I was doing. In May 2024, I graduated: my role as student became irrelevant. Now, days after my commencement, I was unemployed: my role was job-seeker. Then, after several months of searching, networking, volunteering, etc., it all came together for me, at once: I began my internship with IEI in October, I started volunteering with Lessons from Abroad Chicago in early November, and I was hired as a full-time Senior Administrative Assistant at the College of Lake County in mid-November. Transitioning from student–a role I so deeply loved, understood, and lived in for 20 years–to employee, is a large one. I was never given a syllabus; I wasn’t given a set schedule of my day-to-day. I was given my responsibilities, hired, and after two days of orientation, expected to get things done, as an employee. I was overwhelmed, to put it lightly: I was completely lost on when and how to “get things done.” It was the first time in my 23 years of living existing in a role other than student. I didn’t even know how to start. My way of managing my overwhelm and my new responsibilities was to prioritize everything other than myself. I told myself I needed to work at 110% every day, the entire day, with my utmost focus on the students’ needs, my teams’ needs, and the college’s needs. I realized fairly quickly I was getting in my own way. The way I used to be as a student–a perfectionist, an individualist, and a hustler–only weighed me down in my job. As an employee, I would forget to take lunch breaks. Major projects would slip my mind. I would get so wrapped up in others’ questions/concerns/bids for help that I wouldn’t even remember that it was hour nine of my work day. I was frantic and frenzied constantly–I was completely drained. Yet, I didn’t take a day off. I kept coming to work everyday because what is and will always be at the forefront of my mind is not myself, but the student. I know I’m not alone in this philosophy. My team at CLC runs with the student as the priority; many of my K-12 teacher friends have the same perspective, etc. And, with that belief, so much gets accomplished: increased student retention, student success, student well-being and belongingness, and more. But, with this article, I hope to challenge this philosophy as a driving priority, at least a little bit. I’m not saying there’s no value in this perspective, that the student comes first, but, I’d argue that if we are putting someone before ourselves, the employees (the instructors, the assistants, the directors, etc) who is taking care of/paying attention to us? My attendance at the mini Global Respectful Disruption Summit asked me this question. Speakers at the summit, with their various themes of topics, were all centering on the same points: how do we feel appreciated in our (traditionally) thankless work? What are the ways we can feel cared for in our (traditionally) caregiving jobs? The answer: caring for yourself, first–the forefront of your mind being yourself, not the student. My way of thinking was disrupted: I’d truly never thought to consider myself, as an employee, first. My way of interacting within the field; my way of prioritizing others over myself in my service role, was actually harming me in some ways. I mean, as one of the speakers at the summit asked, how could I offer anything if I did not have it within myself to begin with? If you’re like me, your brain immediately goes to “Well I don’t know how to do that,” and the thought of prioritizing yourself ends there. In some ways, it’s easy to always center someone else in your life, especially in service work; it is easy to ignore and run away from the discomfort that bubbles to the surface every time the only focus is yourself. Yet, the consequences of not focusing on yourself and your own wellbeing are serious: health issues, burnout, stress, resentment, and more all come when you aren’t feeling taken care of. So, below is an actionable list of things you can do to take care of yourself, in big and small ways. Steps to combat burnout Small steps:
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