Beating Burnout

Here are the notes and my goals from an MMTA session this summer on Beating Burnout. I was having issues with formatting, so it's not always clear which are my ideas and which are his. Sorry. If you have questions, I can dig out my notes.

Wow! The formatting is even worse here than it was in Word. I hope it makes sense. If I get a chance I'll come back and clean it up later.

My notes from Dr. Maurice Hinson’s
MMTA session on Beating Burnout
(and my plans for applying)
¨ Addressing the causes
¨ Lack of feeback
o Connect with choir directors more about how my students are doing in choir
o Masterclasses-give more
o Solo and Ensemble Contests-judge more
o Observe and be observed.
¨ Overly emotionally involved with students—detach, but remain sympathetic
¨ Overloaded schedule
o Schedule breaks
o Set hours and stick to it
o Think health first and then money
¨ His recommendations and how I will implement.
o Set goals in small steps
§ When students have goals to make a show, get a lead, make a choir, have them break it down into mini-goals
§ Ex. If the goal is to make Concert choir, have the students
· Break down the goal: improve sight-reading, work rudiment, mature sound, tonal memory, work ethic, tuning
· Then break each of those down further
o Improve sight-reading
§ Accurately read scale-based melodies in any key.
§ Be able to find the pitches of Do, Mi and Sol from anywhere else. Use them as anchors.
§ Integrate rhythms, pitches, and solfege.
o Encouraging motivation
¨ Contests, auditions, recitals
¨ Choose music earlier so they have time to really prepare and feel secure.
o Masterclass and Solo and Ensemble Contest music chosen first week after winter break.
o Recital rep chosen second week of March
o Change recital. Do 1 classical piece (maybe from Solo and Ensemble Contest) with the option to add 1 of another style.
¨ Computer—encourage use for research/practice
o Youtube
o Itunes
o Amazon
o Lied and song page
o IPA source
o Virtually vocal
o Smart music
o Theory games
¨ Regular opportunities for informal performance
o Continue studio class options
¨ Invite parents to sit in
o Get parents more involved. How?
o Teachers need motivation
§ Membership in professional organizations
· Look into renewing memberships in NFMC, ACDA, MENC
o Professional magazine and journals
o Continuing education
· More conferences and conventions
· Look at local options
§ Vary teaching methods
· Make more definite lesson plans
· Teach different age groups
o I will continue to accept adults and middle school students if they can come when I want to teach.
o Special events—parties, volunteer at events
§ Add Holiday party
o Social Support Systen
§ Friends
· Continue in writer’s group and meal exchange
· Facebook
§ Family
· More emails and calls
§ Colleagues
· How can we continue the brunch idea during the school year?
· Lunch—Try to keep this time lesson free. (Won’t work this year, but I will be free 7th hour when all of the other teachers have a prep.)
· Facebook, blog
o Correct mental approach
§ My health first—physical, mental, musical
§ Sympathetic, but not attached
§ Serve through love (of them and the music) without becoming their slave. I choose how and how much I serve.
§ My job is to inspire, not force them to learn.
· How can I inspire them to want to practice?
§ Be tough but fair.
o Correct physical tiredness and chronic fatigue
§ Food—make good choices
§ Exercise—daily
§ Rest
§ Keep working on increasing the number of items from the “daily list” that I do each day.
§ Schedule breaks
§ Set my schedule and stick to it.
§ Move more doing lessons
· Stretch with them
· Send them to the mirror and go with them.
· Stand up to explain concepts and sit to play.
· Use more movement with students to
o Relieve their tension
o Shape phrases
o Express
o Take time off for vacation
§ Book holiday vacation and leave before school gets out.
o Change the environment
§ Posters for the ensemble room
§ Clean up the ensemble room. It is a teaching space, not a storage room.
§ Figure out a solution for the piano tuning situation. If I have to pay for it, I’m paying for the black Yamaha and using it in the ensemble room.