Once school is out, many teachers look forward to a little rest from the hectic pace of the school year. However, sometimes the music doesn't stop in summer - camps, beginner programs, community concerts, the list goes on. It can feel like music teachers never get a break.
Here are some tips that can help avoid burnout.
1. Schedule Actual Rest
If you don't already, try to schedule two weeks minimum during the summer where you don't enter the school building. It's tempting to go in and take care of things that you don't have time for during the school year, but it's healthier to take a break.
This may require some planning - spending a few full days early in summer to knock out your task list, inventory, etc., and of course you'll have to schedule around any summer activities or camps. If you can, take care of a few beginning-of-the year tasks early so they're off your mind.
Then put an auto-reply on your email, lock the door, and walk away for two weeks. The building won't burn. Taking time away will make you more effective, and it's OK if your students, parents, and staff learn that you're not available 24/7/365.
During this time, if your mind wanders to work and you start feeling anxious to complete tasks, open your notes app or journal and write down whatever thoughts you'll need to revisit later. Then get a lemon slushie and try to enjoy yourself.
2. Spend Time on Literally Anything Else
Find something completely unrelated to school or even to music. It doesn't have to be something formal, or even something you're very good at - just anything to take your brain off work.
Looking for options? There are a million! If you like to move, try pickleball or explore local trails. Like being outside? Plant a small garden or find a lawn chair and a good novel. If you're artsy, experiment with a new medium - photography or acrylics. Take a cooking class, volunteer at your local animal shelter, start knitting a scarf you'll never finish. The possibilities are endless!
3. Connect
Think about the people you don't get to see enough of during the school year and send them a text - especially if they are not also teachers (it's easy to slip into 'shop talk.') Become your friend's errand buddy, take your nieces and nephews to the pool, or have a cup of coffee with your elderly neighbor. New to town? Join a book club or sports league where you can meet fun people away from work.
Sometimes we're very insulated in our tiny music world and it's important to remember that "outside" people and places matter. Relationships with those other than our staff and students deserve to be nurtured too!
4. Reflect on Your Health Goals
Through the course of the school year, sometimes we put our mental and physical health on the back burner. Take a minute to remember that we do our best work when we feel well, and we shouldn't sacrifice our health for the sake of a music program.
Summer is a perfect time to reflect on what you let slide over the course of the school year, and set a goal to improve. If your sleeping or eating habits are the first thing to crumble during busy times, what routines can you put in place now to help? If you're considering counseling services to help deal with stress, see your doctor now before classes begin.
Make your health goal something you can stick to during the school year and remember, you don't need to change your life overnight. Commit to increasing your water intake by ten percent or journaling once a week. Small, manageable adjustments are the key.
5. Set Boundaries
Think about your last school year - were there any times you felt overextended or uncomfortable with your work? That's a great place for a boundary!
For example, if you found yourself spending too many non-performance evenings at work, look for places to streamline your daily tasks and commit to only staying late or going early once a week. You may be surprised how much you can accomplish when you put yourself on a deadline.
As another example, if your students' parents are hard to reach by school phone or email but you don't feel comfortable giving out your personal number, use a Google Voice number to text. You can respond to messages during work hours and not worry about receiving stressful messages at 10pm.
On the subject of phones, turn off school email notifications on your cell - or at least set them to turn off at an early hour. There's no reason to stay up late worrying over an email you received while you were trying to relax on the sofa. Just because parents are handling their correspondence during your off hours doesn't mean you need to reply right away!
Start making a list now of boundaries to set, and remember that it's easier to enforce strict expectations early and ease up later than the other way around.
6. Ask for Help
Finally, if you feel like there's an immense weight on your chest, ask for help. This could mean calling up a music director from another school when you need expertise with an area you're not strong in. It could also mean utilizing your building's staff like curriculum coordinators, media staff, and custodians when there's something non-musical you could use a hand with.
Many of us have a hard time giving up control long enough to allow people to help, and we make it a habit to do things on our own. If this is something you struggle with, give yourself reminders - sticky notes on your computer and conductor stand, or a weekly alarm or calendar alert that says "what have you asked for help with lately?"
One last note on help: give a hand to someone else when you see a need! On every staff I've ever been a part of, people are more willing to give help when they know it'll be returned. Be the person who always offers, and I guarantee you'll always have people willing to bend over backwards for you when you ask. Bonus: kids love to see adults functionally working together to accomplish things. It's great modeling and it builds community.
Jill Dobel is a 17-year veteran of the music classroom, having taught instrumental music at varying levels in grades 5-12 during her tenure. She is a former Chair of the Iowa Bandmasters Association Middle School Affairs Committee and a founding member of the Iowa Women's Jazz Orchestra.
She's currently the Music Education Marketing Specialist with Sheet Music Plus and is an active performer, clinician, and private studio teacher in Iowa.
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