Where is the overwhelm coming from for you? We talk about that in this podcast episode 108. Maybe it’s coming from not knowing what your teaching situation is going to look like. Or, you might have an idea of how you’ll be teaching, but you’re overwhelmed trying to learn a lot of new information. Then, there’s the thinking about your health and staying safe while teaching. All of this can definitely cause stress and overwhelm and you may be feeling it big time right now.
First of all, I want to tell you to enjoy your summer break. No matter how many days you have left of your summer, don’t feel guilty for one second about taking a mental break. Then, tackle the school year head on. In this blog post, I want to give you ways you can beat the overwhelm heading into this school year. You’re always going to have a bit of stress and nerves as you head back to school. But, you can move forward successfully and WILL have a fantastic school year, no matter what that looks like for you.
You’re teaching music in new ways
When you became a music teacher, you probably always thought you would have your own classroom you would get to decorate and teach in. Once COVID-19 hit, you quickly realized you had to adapt and adjust super quick.
You probably became a virtual teacher. This is probably a huge change for most of you. You got a teaching degree and then got hired at a school. Up until this point, you’ve taught music in a classroom setting, one way or another. But, although this has been a shift, think about all of the new ways of teaching you’ve learned that will help you in the future.
What you’re teaching is different. As a virtual teacher, you may have had just one student show up to a call. Or, the way you taught music changed since you were talking straight to camera. Maybe heading into the fall, you’ll be teaching on a cart for the first time. Although this is a change (for some of you), it is a way for you to engage with students in their own classrooms.
If you’re in the classroom, maybe you’re not allowed to sing anymore. But, guess what? You’re a music teacher, which means you’re quick to think on your toes and are resilient. You can and have already done the hard things and this year is no exception. You became a music teacher not to teach through a certain means, but to help your students become lifelong learners of music.
Make a plan and keep moving forward
Now that we’ve talked about some of the things that may be causing overwhelm, let’s talk about how to make a plan and move forward. You might feel stuck and are feeling lots of emotions about everything right now. I want to acknowledge those feelings and to tell you that you are allowed to feel emotions. You’re not a robot, but are a human being. Let yourself have a cry. Heck, scream into a pillow if you need to. But then, keep making forward progress.
If you don’t know what your teaching situation will look like heading into the new school year, make a tentative plan. What I mean is, write down on a piece of paper “on a cart”, “virtual teaching”, “teaching in person”, “paper packets.” Or choose your own categories. Then, underneath each section, write down how you’ll adapt your lesson plans, ways you can teach effectively, and what classroom system you can use, yes even if you’re teaching virtually.
Change is hard, but is always a learning experience
I’ll be the first to admit that I hate change. I love predictability and schedules and when I don’t have those things, life feels a bit chaotic. Change is so hard, but it’s not always a bad thing. Let’s talk about what change you may have experienced when COVID-19 hit.
Of course, your teaching situation may have changed. This is hard, but I fully believe that you’re learning so much and being stretched more than you could have ever imagined as you learn new ways of doing things. Now that you have a better idea of what to expect and it’s not such a sudden change like it was in the Spring, keep moving forward and don’t give up.
As music teachers, you’re used to predictability. You have a set schedule and know when you’re seeing each class. You’re also used to having all of your “stuff” and want to use your instruments and all of your classroom resources like you always do. But, think about what’s in your control or what’s out of your control. Then, only focus on the things you can control and let go of the rest.
Yes, things are way more than overwhelming right now, but you can do this. Hang in there and don’t give up! Remember your why in becoming a music teacher and come back to that on the hard days.
P.S. Are you feeling frustrated or stuck as an elementary music teacher? Check out these free resources to help you teach elementary music with confidence!
Also…I wrote a book called “Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music” to help music teachers move forward in your teaching career. You can get your copy here.
