I know I can’t be the only one that thinks being a music teacher and planning for five to six different classes is HARD! Between planning the lessons, and getting the materials ready, to realizing you need to adjust and adapt to the new pandemic guidelines… It can feel like an impossible task that takes hours of work for a small amount of teaching.
In this week’s video, we’re covering something I’m sure we’re all dealing with: BURNOUT.
Constantly having to reinvent the wheel because of nonstop changing circumstances can feel so defeating and draining. This week, I’m sharing with you five tips that really help me overcome burnout while lesson planning!
1. Band Grade Levels Together
Does planning for so many classes seem nearly impossible? Then try banding or grouping grade levels together! This means cutting your lesson planning time in HALF by having some grade levels do similar activities. If you group together Kindergarten and 1st grade, 2nd and 3rd grade, and 4th and 5th (or also 6th) to do the same lessons, you save time and energy by cutting down the amount you have to plan for!
If this makes you feel guilty (which it shouldn’t!) or you don’t like the idea of grades doing the same activities, then try doing parts of their lessons the same! For example, in Kindergarten and 1st Grade you could have them doing the same warmup, movement activity, and book, but maybe Kindergarten is learning “high and low” while 1st Grade is learning “Ta” and “Ti-Ti”.
2. Plan to talk less!
Teachers talk SO much and make so many decisions throughout their day that by the end you feel like you have no voice left! Try to find periods of time in your lessons where you can give your voice a break.
Can students do more modeling and be more involved with the learning process? Is there an independent or small group activity that students can do? Maybe there’s a project you’re dying to try! Give yourself the gift of some vocal rest during your day. Your voice will thank you later!
3. Consider your rotation of lessons
If some grades are very instrument heavy and involved, maybe have the other grades be more hands-off and allow them to do small group learning! The older students could even do a project that is more independent. You can be more the “facilitator” and give yourself time to catch your breath. Being “on” all the time will leave you exhausted at the end of the day, and when you have several of those days in a row….. well, you get the idea. BURNOUT.
Thinking ahead about how much energy will be required of you for each lesson will help you plan how you can pace your day. If you know your morning classes will be very high-energy and hands on, allow yourself to find some more relaxing and chill activities for your afternoon.
4. Plan LESS with MORE intention!
What does this even mean? Well, simply put, it means don’t feel the need to constantly over-plan. Plan ONLY for the amount of time that you have and not a minute more! Take the time to work on more depth of the material rather than thinking about how many different activities you can plan in one class. This allows you to build in more “passing time” at the beginning and end of your classes if you don’t have that time built into your schedule. This also allows you some flexibility with transitions between activities.
5. Consider the “Ebb and Flow”
As teachers we are experts at knowing which activities get our students hyped up and which ones settle them down. Use this powerful knowledge to your advantage! Think of the ebb and flow of energy in your classes and find a good balance of high and low energy activities.
Finding that perfect balance will really help your energy level (and your students’) make it to the end of the school day. If you’re spending a lot of time at a high energy level, find an activity that will bring it back down so you’re ending your class calm, cool, and collected!
Are you experiencing more burnout this year than you have before? What tips and strategies do you use to work through it and lesson plan? Comment below if you have any favorite strategies or let me know if you try the tips I offered. You can also come find me on Instagram!
