Featuring Dr. Peter Steenblik

When you read the word “burnout” what comes to mind? Is it a feeling? A time of year? Is someone you know experiencing it, maybe even you? We’ve been hearing from folks that the season and the schedule are ramping up to pre-pandemic standards (and beyond) and the burn is starting to be felt. So, we’ve curated some content just to help avoid, overcome, or better understand burnout. 

In this month’s Advocacy and Collaboration curated blog (and paired podcast episode), we talk to Dr. Peter Steenblik about his research and experience of helping musicians in our world avoid or work through burnout.  

The conversation is best viewed on YouTube where you can see Dr. Steenblik’s awesome slides, but we kick off the conversation with definitions, strategies, and actions. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do a lot, and Dr. Steenblik offers tangible and manageable steps along the way. 

To help spread the word and knowledge about overcoming burnout, we’ve invited Dr. Steenblik to join us in writing this month’s blog post. Take it away: 

40%-50% of teachers choose to leave the profession before their 5th year.  This means that, for many, the longevity of one’s career is actually shorter than the time spent in school preparing for the profession.  What are some steps we, as individuals and a broader collective, can take to manage burnout?   

Teacher survival strategies are an important part of every educator’s toolbox.  The first tool is understanding that burnout is a process, not an event.  We must also remember that this is an important and shame-less conversation that applies to every passionate soul.  

My hope is that by providing specific areas of focus, we can periodically evaluate our own levels of burnout.  Teaching is the best profession in the world!  My hope is that we can all engage fully as professionals and artists in a sustainable way.

Learn more about the ACDA Advocacy and Collaboration Committee and their resources at ACDA.org/advocacy or follow A&C on Facebook and Instagram. You can also listen to this episode on the Music (ed) Matters Podcast, Episode 172, anywhere you get your podcasts or watch the full interview on YouTube.