Directors, I need your perspective. I can't figure out something I've been feeling this past year.
I have been teaching music/band for 18 years. Over these past two years or so, I have felt myself just be done with teaching music education. I feel very discouraged with how much stress our activity has evolved into and don't find happiness in this anymore. I understand things that are out of my control have contributed to these feelings such as our lack of support from our district and our overall band cluster not doing their part to help us all reach success.
I don't know what I would transition to, but I do know that I am not happy. The workload has gotten out of control and would like to spend more time with my family. Until then, I just have to try my best to complete the year.
Has anyone else been feeling this way? If so, how do you cope and what advice would you have to possibly get over this? Help is appreciated by any one. Thanks in advance.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by Zeus on 2/3/2024, 9:38 pm, in reply to "TIRED AND DONE"
Don't know if this is a part of it, but take out the need for validation from UIL, BOA, etc.....pick your abbreviation. Secretly, a huge number of directors that chase those extremely high success levels are miserable in their personal lives or had to make too many personal sacrifices in the name of trophies or recognition. Redefine what gives you true joy in life, whether it be Faith, family, loved ones, children, etc., and then make that your cause for living! Best of Luck to you!
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by who on 1/30/2024, 6:14 am, in reply to "TIRED AND DONE"
Change what success looks like! As soon as I stopped competing in state competitions so hardcore and just focused on teaching kids, the program numbers have grown. The overall fun and joy has returned and the stress melts away.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by Percguy on 1/25/2024, 12:12 pm, in reply to "TIRED AND DONE"
I was in your exact shoes this past spring. I was finishing year 19, 18 of those being in Texas. I had noticed over the last three years a growing discontent with the stress, the hours, the never ending push to make the program bigger and better, etc. The political nonsense that was happening with education in the state pushed me over the top. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I couldn't do another year in Texas music education.
My wife and I had very casually discussed the idea of moving to Alaska and going on an adventure, but it was never really serious. On a whim, I took a look at the Anchorage School District, noticed they had a job opening, and applied. I had a job offer within 3 days and had to start doing some research. This is the happiest year of teaching I've ever had.
I work from 8:15-2:45 and this year will work 30 fewer contract days and literally half the hours I did last year (I did the math). I make the same salary, have a bigger stipend, and my only responsibilities outside of school hours are four concerts a year. My insurance premiums for my whole family are $10,000 less than I paid last year in Texas. My wife had slim job opportunities in our location of Texas and had her choice of four job offers within 2 weeks of our move. We have one contest to prepare for in the spring, and the result has no impact on my job security. Are the bands as good as Texas? Frankly, no, but without all of the competition pressure it has been amazing to teach an entire school year where every day my responsibility is simply to make sure that the kids love playing music and hopefully get a little better on their instruments. It's what I thought I was getting into music education for two decades ago.
Now, I can go biking in the warm weather and skiing in the cold every day after school if I want. There are amazing parks and trails everywhere. There is a very active local music scene that I now have time to be a part of. I don't work any nights or weekends and will get 12 weeks off for summer. This has been the best career move I've ever made, and my family couldn't be happier.
Will I stay in education? I don't know yet. I told myself I'd give it three years up here and either decide to stick with it or transition to another career field with all of the extra time I now have in my schedule to help me make that move. Being inside the bubble of Texas music education made it really difficult for me to consider doing anything else, but once I started to let myself put any option on the table, I realized there are a lot of other ways to do this thing. I would encourage you to not be afraid to make a big change. The worst that could happen is that you decide to go back to teaching. With the teacher shortage in the US that will only grow worse, you won't have a hard time finding a job. Best of luck to you.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by ovwrkdnundrpd on 1/25/2024, 7:58 am, in reply to "TIRED AND DONE"
I have been in this place several times over the last 10 years. Invested too far to turn back. I am two years away from retiring. Although I look forward to retirement, I also am sad I no longer yearn for teaching the way I started out. I worked with an older gentleman for 4 years. During that time, he talked nonstop. I would just nod and go about my business, "knowing I knew more than he did". He was at the place where he knew most of the pressure was coming from himself. No matter what the scores, and he tried for high ones at all times, they were not what was driving him. He was his own stresser. Once he figured it out, do what you can and let that be it. No amount of worrying in the world can make things better. It works. My work ethic and drive is the same but I am ok if I don't always score the highest. I just try harder and enjoy my homelife more. I would bet that most of your dissatisfaction is within yourself. If you ask how others view your success, its probably way different than you view it. Hang in there. Remember at the end of the day, its an occupation not a habitation.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by Been There on 1/24/2024, 5:05 pm, in reply to "TIRED AND DONE"
Retired now, but my first 16 years was in two different CCC middle schools teaching in a large suburban district). After year 16 of that I moved to a C middle school where I spent the rest of my career and loved it. That got me out of my rut.
In the small rural school setting you're not usually part of a cluster that's so dependent on other directors (for better or worse) and you pretty much ARE the band program and you can have so much more control of your program and for me I really felt like I made a much bigger difference in that setting. You get either all the credit or all the blame. It's really largely up to you and most of the pressures usually tend to be what you put on yourself.
Yes, there was a pay cut, but it was so worth it and I'd do it again. I also did get to work with the high school some and I really enjoyed it and was able to see the fruits of my labors over the years directly by doing that. I made it all the way to retirement and was much happier during that last half of my career than I was in the pressure cooker of the first half.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by 1C MS Director on 1/25/2024, 8:38 am, in reply to "Re: TIRED AND DONE"
I have to second this as well. This perfectly explains my situation as well. I took a 15k paycut and would do it again. Went from teaching 6A/3C schools to 3A/1C.
I have respectful students, supportive administration and I have teachers whom I don't know come up to me and tell me what a great job the band is doing.
I also had many teachers come and introduce themselves to me when I was first hired. Word travels fast in small schools and people knew of me before I even knew who my assistant's name was LOL.
People seriously need to give small schools a try. I don't see myself leaving here.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by Been There on 1/25/2024, 2:50 pm, in reply to "Re: TIRED AND DONE"
I definitely second your second! Thank you for mentioning your experience as I too had respectful students, supportive administration as well as I also had a great rapport with the other teachers.
As a side note, a few years after I retired from my 1C school I happened to run into an uncle of one of my former students at a store. While visiting with him for a few minutes he said that folks there still sometimes mention my name as I was there for 12 years. He asked me, "Do you know what they say the most about you?" I told him I didn't have a clue. He said, "It's how well you treated and taught their kids". I'll take that any day!
It wasn't about the award plaques that were still hanging on the wall in the band hall. In the long run, those no longer seem as important as I once thought they were while I was teaching there.
Eight days ago out of the blue I received a note on LinkedIn from a former student I taught there about 12 years ago. Here's an excerpt from his note he sent to me:
"I’ve always appreciated you for sticking me on saxophone. I don’t think I ever told you, but I started saxophone because my grandfather dreamt of playing when he was little but didn’t have the financial means to. Some of my fondest memories have been inside of a band hall and on the football field. I credit a lot of that to you!"
I'll also take that any day! Now that I'm retired, it means even more to me knowing that I truly made a difference.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by As they say… on 1/25/2024, 10:40 am, in reply to "Re: TIRED AND DONE"
I second that. Find a school with less pressure. State marching band, honor band, etc is not why we got into the business and that's usually not the reason kids get into band.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by Respectfully on 1/25/2024, 7:27 am, in reply to "Re: TIRED AND DONE"
SMC, honor band, and "winning" seems to be a large part of why many young directors get into the business - and what's contributing to the amount of burnout among our younger teachers.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by I've said this many times... on 1/25/2024, 9:20 am, in reply to "Re: TIRED AND DONE"
We have painted ourselves into a corner, and haven't figured out where to go from here.
Re: TIRED AND DONE
Posted by Bill on 1/24/2024, 4:34 pm, in reply to "TIRED AND DONE"
I am retired and have been for thirteen years after teaching for 38 yrs. In the span of my career I found myself feeling just as you do now several times. The most influential people in my life outside of my immediate family were teachers. Because of their influence on my life I knew in Jr.High I wanted to be a band director and teach kids the joy and love of music. I can say in all honesty the dissatisfaction I experienced had nothing to do with teaching the kids. The constant changing from what I was told would be was beyond frustrating,and the work load became exhausting.Try to remember what led you to choose a career in teaching and give it a thorough evaluation. This may or may not lead you to a decision for your future, but it is a place to start. I wish you well in this process and hope for you that in the end it's the right thing for you and those you love.