Rest for the Music Teacher

It is hard to believe only a month ago I was on the shore in Bethany Beach, devouring the books I’d brought with me, leaving my phone on the charger and soaking up the quietness. Over the span of nine days I didn’t have to be anywhere by a certain time, I wasn’t checking emails or scheduling make up lessons. I spent my time by reading books on the history of Paris, entrepreneurship, leadership and mindfulness. I took walks and bike rides in the morning and evenings, I got close to some water. I had every meal with some family. Each morning I had my cup of coffee, journal and stack of books. I was living my best life and truly relaxing for the first time in a long while. The last several times I’ve taken off of work have still been action packed: Our honeymoon. Our wedding. Our trip to England and France. All trips where we were constantly go, go, going. 

The combination of leisure activities and delving into topics I loved led to a strong desire I repeatedly shared with my husband: “This year I want to maintain this sense of awareness, mindfulness and rest.” I had high hopes because I was looking at a school year of long teaching hours through the week and few weekend commitments. This would be the year I could develop more hobbies like my indoor plants, language studies, music for my own enjoyment, keep reading and learning – All while still being the best I can be in this multi-faceted business I run. 

But then I came back, real life and studio life kicked into high gear. My three-week transition into the school year started with half my studio starting school the week I got back and my inbox was flooded with dozens of emails about the start of youth orchestra, fall gigs, prospective students and more. Each week one more location of my studio made the switch from summer mode to school year routines until finally this week I will get to experience what my schedule will be this autumn. This is an annual occurrence for me and I plan for this time, bracing myself for the changes and reminding myself to go with the flow. So while the last three weeks were a frenzy, I’m hoping to set an intentional weekly schedule this week where I can be a wonderful music teacher to my students and a wonderful person for the other areas of my life. Between the start of the new school year, all the complete and peaceful time I had while away and talking with my students about how to get their practice time in this year, I’ve really been working through this idea of balancing time.

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Part of my own process will start by sketching out my weekly schedule on this template to get a clear idea of where my time is going in this new season and then determine whether that aligns with those goals. All while allowing for some rest. 

So why are you bringing this up here?

I wanted to share the headspace I’ve been in lately because I have to believe I’m not the only private music instructor feeling this way. I’ll admit today’s post is not very deliberate since I am speaking from very real and current personal experience. However, if you do feel this sense of overwhelm like I do, here are a couple things I’ve been working on myself and have been a big help. 

  • What do you want for your life?

Think about what your goals are personally. What are they professionally? One of the voice lessons I remember most from college was the day my teacher reminded me that at the end of the day, our music is not our only source of worth. You go home, you have people to love and who love you. They might love that you’re a musician, but they also love other things like your sense of humor, how you always hold the door for them, or love the way you look after your family. It was a powerful thing to hear a musician I had and continue to have SUCH respect for in our field to say she could leave it all behind and it would be okay. I think it’s important to remind ourselves we are notour work. We should cultivate other aspects of our personalities, even if we do have a job that incorporates our passion. We should know what types of activities bring us peace and help us feel rested – Then save the time to do them! What’s more, we’re likely more effective at our jobs if we are well rounded and invested in other areas as well. 

  • Where is your time going?

This requires brutal honesty, which is why I crafted the template above. Often times you don’t realize just how much time you actually have until you sit down and iron out what your real commitments are and what time gets lost to things like mindless scrolling on our devices. Or are you spending far too long on emails each morning and getting drained by finding the perfect words? I know I am guilty of this particular time suck. This week I will be sitting down to sketch out my weekly schedule, find the holes I may have to allow for my other interests and ensure that I have time to rest throughout the week. Won’t you join me if you don’t have a clear idea of your schedule? You may be surprised by how your week actually goes. In relation to these two points, I love these words from Eleanor Roosevelt, where she clearly outlines the importance of knowing how you are budgeting your time and having it align with the goals you may have thought of above. 

“As I watch some of my friends toiling through their days, I realize how important it is to plan one’s work and even plan one’s leisure... The more you budget your time, the more you can do, and the more happiness of this kind will be yours. But if you budget your time for work, you must budget your time for play as that is essential for every one. Above all remember that your health must be intelligently safeguarded, for no human being can neglect watching his own health conditions and budgeting your time will require arranging for enough sleep, enough time to eat without too much hurry and enough time for outdoor air and exercise.”– Eleanor Roosevelt, “It’s Up to the Women”

  • Is it a season? Or does something need to change?

Finally, if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, track the duration of these emotions. Can you find a concrete reason for these sentiments? Or is it difficult to pinpoint the issues? Has it been going on for a month or longer? If you find that you’ve been struggling with this feeling for longer than a month, it may be time to assess whether you need to rearrange your schedule and let go of some classes or students. If it is difficult financially to make those decisions, seriously consider your income sources and budget. Are you charging enough? If someone else determines your rate, should you continue to teach in that environment? Are you standing up and enforcing respect for your work time with your students and their families? Have you been feeling appreciated for how things are going in the studio? The list could go one and there are several areas to consider if something needs to change. Find a trusted companion and ask what they are observing in you and your studio. Friends and family are a great source to check in with since they know you personally. If you aren’t comfortable sharing with them, feel free to reach out to other music teachers you know either in person or online. Sometimes just having a sympathetic ear can do wonders and give you some fresh perspective. 

 

My hope for all of us music instructors is that we can find ways to keep ourselves engaged and ready for all our students while also taking care of ourselves. Rest is important and investing in other areas of our lives outside of teaching will make us better teachers. If you found yourself reading through any of the above, please know you are not alone. I’d like to end today’s post with a short story I recently shared on my Instagram page @shawstrings. This past week I was finishing up my tasks for the first night of orchestra rehearsals at Shepherd University when Dr. Gonzol, Shepherd’s professor of music education, came in and told me “Your students will never know just how much you’ve done for them.” Hearing that immediately made me feel seen, appreciated and part of something larger – There is a long line of teachers who have never gotten their due. I share this now because it is important to remember we are doing the good work and I believe part of rest includes resting in the knowledge that all we do is enough – We don’t need to be working 24/7. We do plenty for our students and studio families in and outside of lesson times.

Wishing you all the best of luck and rest in this new school year. Know I am cheering you on from the sidelines and if you ever need a sounding board, I’m here for you! Keep up the good work and get your rest.