Notes for Success: Finding Balance

In May, August, and September 2015, the Choral Journal featured a three-part article series titled “Notes for Success: Advice for the First-Year Choral Teacher.” As part of the series, 11 choral conductors with teaching experience ranging from 4 to 34 years answered 10 questions related to setting expectations for your first year, classroom management, balancing a successful work and home life, finding repertoire, and more.

This column will address Question #3: Balance 
How do I balance my personal life and the stress of a new job? How do I balance the roles of educator and musician?

A portion of the suggestions listed regarding this question are below. Read the rest of the article in the May 2015 issue of Choral Journal by going to acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose May 2015 from the drop-down options.
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“Effectively balancing the dual role of educator and musician depends largely on recognizing each as dependent upon and inseparable from the other. I tell my college students they are essentially earning a “double-major” in both music and education. Functioning at a high-quality level of musicianship is expected from new choral teachers, along with competence in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are critical to the teaching process. This includes application of learning theories, growth, and developmental characteristics of children and teenagers, teaching methodologies, strategies, and daily lesson plans, along with the ever-increasing demand to implement valid assessment techniques.” – Darla Eshelman

“You are a better teacher for your students when you are happy and healthy. Find one way to continue making music where you are not in charge that fulfills your need to be creative. You are worthy of care! Because you are worthy of care, learn to employ the “noble no” when a request won’t fi t into your school and life schedule. People will learn to respect your forethought and follow-through when you only take on what you can manage.” – Elizabeth McFarland

“While still in college, a recent graduate and teacher returned to speak to our university’s student chapter of ACDA to talk about her first year of teaching. Paraphrasing, she said, “If you wanted to work twenty-four hours a day during your first year, you could.” This resonated with me, as I can often be one who wants to work until everything is finished. I learned to become comfortable with walking away from a project at the end of the day even if it was not completed. Music teachers have to think about so much all the time: lesson plans for the next day, repertoire selections for next week, field trip logistics for next month, course selections for next year. There will never be a time when everything is completed. The sooner you can be comfortable with this, the easier it will be to take some much needed personal time for yourself.” – Jacob Truby

Find more articles in this series on ChoralNet here.