Feeling the Burn? How to Ignite Your Passion as an Educator

ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly online publication, designed for those who work with singers of all levels but specifically K-12 and community choirs. A full annotated ChorTeach index is available online at acda.org/publications/chorteach. Over 160 articles are organized into seventeen categories. For more information, email  or visit acda.org/chorteach. Following is an excerpt from an article in the Winter 2023 issue titled “Feeling the Burn? How to Ignite Your Passion as an Educator” by Joyce J. Click.
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When I recently retired from teaching choir and general music after forty-four years, I was surprised by the number of colleagues who questioned my decision because I was still passionate and enthusiastic. I loved working with students but explained that at age sixty-six, it seemed a fitting time.

Other effective co-workers had made the same decision once they approached a similar milestone. So what are the factors that contribute to occupational satisfaction? Nationwide, we are hearing reports of teacher burn-out that contributes to teacher shortages. Universities have seen a 35 percent decline in the number of students majoring in education over the past ten years.

Outstanding educators are being hired away by private industry and businesses. Burnout, a condition in which an educator has exhausted personal and professional resources, is being reported by growing number of professionals in schools. A Mayo Clinic report sited six possible causes of burnout:
1. Lack of control
2. Unclear expectations
3. Dysfunctional workplace
4. Extremes of activity or chaos
5. Lack of social support
6. Work-life balance

As I reflect on my own career in education, I unknowingly combated these issues in several ways. *The article includes comments on Lack of Control, Unclear Expectations, Workplace Dynamics, Activity, Social Support, and Balance.

Master Teachers Respond
Ten career educators in my professional learning community shared what ignites their passion for teaching, and I recorded their responses here.
• Love the big payoff moments such as a great performance or seeing an individual student grow. (Mr. G)
• Enjoy high school students for their well-developed cognitive abilities and childlike curiosity. (Mr. P)
• By far, the students are the best part—getting to know them as human beings and seeing them grow as people. (Ms. K)
• Being paid for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and learning while helping students develop confidence and find their voice. (Ms. B)
• Seeing the “lightbulb” moments and observing students learning something new. (Ms. S)
• The saying is true, “You can’t teach them until you reach them.” Everyone has a story and they just need an adult to listen to them. (Ms. E)

*Visit acda.org/chorteach for more responses in the full article. Choose the Winter 2023 issue.

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