“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes - including you.”
- Ann Lamott
The fall semester is well underway. If you haven't already, consider putting a music teacher self-care strategy in place for the rest of the year.
Why?
How you approach the rest of the year will impact whether you stay energized and focused throughout, or feel burned out (and perhaps a teensy bit cranky) mid-year.
I'm going to offer you the advice I wish someone had offered me earlier in my 25+ year teaching career: Be sure to take time to understand and attend to your own needs as diligently as you strive to help and serve others. Following an effective music teacher self-care plan will help you be happier and more effective both day-to-day and over the long-term.
There are ways to energize yourself both in and out of the Studio. Here are some ideas.
In lessons
Avoid boredom: Boredom drains energy and enthusiasm. To avoid this music teacher burnout, keep things interesting for both you and the students. For example, consider:
using new music to teach fundamentals rather than the same old method books
playing more duets with your students to introduce new repertoire and a different skill
do more lesson activities away from the keyboard (check out my music activities here.)
do guided listening exercises in class (get my listening guide here.)
Give 80%: Conscientious teachers strive to give 100% all the time, though doing so is exhausting, unnecessary, and even suffocating for students. Instead, consider dialing your efforts back to 80%: plenty of energy and focus to provide excellent instruction while giving yourself more breathing space throughout the lesson.
Use different method books. There came a point in my teaching career when I could predict what mistakes every student would make in each method book song. My internal dialogue would go something like this: "Here comes that F# everyone misses. They're going to miss it. Yup, they missed it." I realized the predictability (not the students' playing) was boring me to tears - and was a sign that I needed to shake things up with different music and method books.
Learn (and teach) a different music style. Last year, I decided to better acquaint myself with Latin music and introduce it into my lessons and it turned out to be a great idea! It provided me with something new and interesting to focus on, and the students loved learning the fun and challenging Latin rhythms. Consider introducing a new music style into your lessons. Perhaps it's time to try some blues, Latin, contemporary, or Baroque music into your personal and professional repertoire. Here are some great pieces I purchased from SheetMusicPlus.com
Cuban Nights for late elementary piano
Four Cuban Dances for late intermediate flute
Outside of Lessons
Take time off at regular intervals: Do some financial pre-planning if necessary so you can afford to schedule time off at regular intervals throughout the year. I found that a week off every six to ten weeks throughout the school year worked well and was enough time to provide a mental break and rejuvenate. If this isn't financially or logistically possible (it wasn't for me earlier in my career), schedule shorter breaks (3-5 days) no more than 10 weeks apart if possible. You'll find yourself feeling lighter just looking forward to these scheduled breaks.
Join social support groups. Networking with others going through the same things you are will help keep you sane. Connecting with a community of like-minded individuals will help you feel less lonely in a solitary profession, and find support, tips, and ideas. One of my biggest regrets is joining these groups late in my career, as I could have used the support and advice as I was building my business and growing my studio.
Help other teachers online. Sharing your expertise with others is a real energy booster. It reminds you that you have valuable skills and wisdom, and the teachers who receive the support and advice are often very appreciative (unlike, say, some of our students...) which is an energy booster in and of itself.
Automate billing and administrative tasks. Spending hours doing the same boring administrative tasks each week sucks up valuable energy and time you could use to relax and recharge. If you haven't already, consider looking into automating tasks like billing, payments, and make-up lesson scheduling.
Here's what I'd like for you: A teaching year that energizes, inspires, and fulfills you. I encourage you to take the time to adopt some of the music teacher self-care strategies listed above in the coming weeks. It's so important that you care for yourself as well as you care for others. The world needs caring, enthusiastic teachers just like yourself.
Don't miss a single post!
Before you go...Like this blog? Have thoughts? Leave me a comment - that's how I know where to steer the ship!
Yorumlar