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Tenacious Teachers: A Methodical Approach to Burnout Management

Recognizing the Source of Burnout administration- and student-related, rather than music-
related—I chose to leave the classroom but remain ac-
“Burnout is not an event, but rather a process… tive and happy within the profession. I was fortunate
[and] should not be confused with occasional that my personal circumstances allowed for this change.
feelings of discouragement and unhappiness.” While my feelings of burnout were valid, I discovered
1
that I had further musical discoveries to pursue, and a
Where do you find yourself on a sliding scale be- shift of environment would make this possible.
tween inspired and fatigued? With constant monitor- Individual situations vary, but recognizing the source
ing, we maintain an environment that is tenable and is an important first step and can enable a strategic plan
enjoyable. Regularly take time to self-diagnose and to address specific aggravations. Depending on the situ-
eliminate perceived feelings of shame or guilt. If you ation, finding resolve is not typically immediate. Not all
find yourself questioning your status at this moment, personal circumstances allow for more drastic changes
recognize the fluid nature of our emotional health. All such as moving or changing jobs. Everyone can and
is not lost. should, however, turn weekly attention to additional
According to Barbara Brock and Marilyn Grady’s management strategies. Strive to manage burnout in
book, Rekindling the Flame, symptoms of burnout can be three regular areas of focus, as seen in Table 1, below.
found in five common areas: 1) Physical: weight gain, When we recognize that we are inching toward
migraines, tense muscles, back pain; 2) Intellectual: de- burnout, we can set a goal to implement one change
cisions become difficult, often overwhelmed; 3) Social: in each of these three areas. Creating a tactical plan to
withdrawn, hobbies become nonexistent, hermetic at address targeted areas on a weekly basis makes prog-
work; 4) Emotional: anxiety issues, hermetic at home; ress more manageable.
5) Spiritual: personal values become affected. 2
After identifying symptoms of burnout, identify the
probable source(s) of aggravation, which, for music Three Burnout Management Strategies
teachers, often fall into four categories:
One. Practicing Self-Care
1. Administration-related: perceived lack of support, One tried-and-true area of burnout management
poor salary, unreasonable expectations, insufficient is regularly practicing self-care. This includes setting
preparation time, ongoing need for choral advocacy boundaries and establishing practices that increase
one’s quality of life. Here are a few ideas to add to your
2. Student-related: discipline problems within the personal plan.
broader school culture, lack of student engagement,
poor public perception of teachers Table 1. Burnout Management: Three Areas of Focus

3. Music-related: unreasonable performance expecta-
tions, lack of interest in musical study or discovery,
attrition of musical skills Burnout Management

4. Personal circumstance: shifting life goals or family
dynamics, relocation, personal or family illness; and
one that affected us all in a global way: the Covid-19
pandemic Practice Maintain a Minimize sources
self-care healthy perspective of frustration
After ten years of public-school teaching—once I
was able to realize that my sources of burnout were

10 CHORAL JOURNAL October 2024 Volume 65 Number 3