Do You Have Music Teacher Burnout?

It was about this time two years ago when everything changed for music teachers. It came fast, without much warning. In a blink of an eye this profession that has been around for centuries changed dramatically. No longer could we gently shaping a little student’s hand to show them what we mean about a correct hand position or where to put their thumb. There was no more glancing into their eyes for that brief, fleeting moment when they “got it,” that made teaching so worthwhile. There is no way we can pretend that online lessons are the same as being with a student in person. It can be done and good things can happen especially with older students who have all the basics. But what about beginners or the ones who need a lot  of help? What are they missing? And what are teachers missing?

It’s been two long years of online lessons with video recordings instead of live performances. Festivals, theory tests, auditions, group lessons, competitions, camps, conventions, all  canceled or moved to some sort of online presence. For most music teachers the option was either go online or cancel lessons. Suddenly teachers who only used their computer for email and ordering on Amazon had to learn all new technical challenges they had never even heard of. Even those of us who had done online lessons before for illness or snow days never dreamed we would be teaching that way for over a year.

The stress, the isolation, the technical problems, even the weather, it all can become too much and even the most optimistic teachers can find themselves facing a big case of 😵‍💫 music teacher burnout.

Teacher burnout is not new, but I think that it is so much worse right now. But there are some things we can do to help refocus on what we love. First we have to identify the problems and then try to tackle them or at least come to grips with them.

 Too many students is a problem for many teachers.

In the best of times it is hard to juggle 20 or more students, their parents, their schedules, our schedule, and all the preparation that entails. Only a music teacher knows how much time we spend preparing for each student besides the time we spend with them.  

If this is your problem, evaluate every student you have. Consider lightening your teaching load. Remember that no student takes lessons forever. Do you have some students who might do just as well with another teacher? Or maybe a student who is coming just because they love you and they like the idea of lessons, but they sure don’t seem to do anything relating to piano at home. We love our students and most of the time we want to keep them all. But sometimes too many students are not good for our mental health. Suggest another teacher for them who might really need a few extra students and has the time to work with a student who likes the idea of playing the piano, but maybe not the actual work involved.

Too much business and paper work

This includes everything from selecting music to billing, keeping track of material, purchasing music, taxes, calling parents, and even learning the music we plan to teach. If you are tired of the business aspect of teaching, consider changes. Are you still sending a monthly invoice complete with all the incidental charges, such as books, every month? Instead, starting next semester, bill by the semester. Include all materials in your fee. It can be done. I successfully taught for years by billing twice a year and I charged a flat fee for books. I used a model from music schools where everything is included. It makes piano teaching so much more rewarding and liberating because you can concentrate on what you love to do most: teach. Plus parents were so happy that I was not  “nickel and diming them to death” as one parent told me. All the extra surprise expenses can alienate your parents. There is a warning however. Be sure and let parents know of all changes in advance and before they sign up for a new semester.

Your students aren’t practicing or making any progress 

This will always happen with music lessons, and it has since the beginning. But I think it is worse if students don’t have performance opportunities or any other compelling reason to practice, as we have had during this epidemic. There has been a lot written about the subject, and one of the first things mentioned is students need to like the music. Find some pieces that are “easy, sounds hard” that your students can learn by rote or semi-rote. If there are no live performance options such as a mini recital for around 5 students in a parent’s home or in your home, then try for a Zoom recital or anything different to motivate your students. Find out if your student’s school is having a talent show and encourage your students to play something that has a real “wow” factor for their age group.

You’re sick of video recordings, masks, online lessons and all of the Covid arrangements  

Keep telling yourself that it’s not going to last forever. We will get back to doing things in person and we will learn to live with this horrible disease. Every day we hear of things going back to normal. Connect with people and share your experiences. Call or text someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Connect with other teachers, and ask them what their favorite pupil saver piece is. Do something you’ve never done before. Take an online course. Help someone who might be lonely.

It is so easy to get depressed about everything we missed. One of the most disappointing things for me is that I was so excited two years ago that my Can Can Trio was chosen to be played at our state convention’s large group ensemble. Then Covid came, the convention was canceled, and the joy of hearing it, plus my GRANDSON was going to play in it, was so heart breaking, words just can’t express it. Some students had been working on it for months. And yet, keeping it a total secret from me, my dear friend and her daughter plus our association ensemble chair, and a lot of other other teachers had all the students record it at home. It was a huge project. Even my grandson kept it a secret! Then my friend’s very special son-in-law, who had never done anything like that before, made a wonderful video recording of the ensemble children playing. It was certainly one of the best highlights of my teaching career! The kindness of others is overwhelming sometimes. Whenever I start to feel bad about missed opportunities, canceled travel plans including a special cruise, a two year quarantine, and all the other bad stuff about Covid, I watch the video below and remember how thankful I am for the generosity of others!

Can Can Trio arranged by Susan Paradis