burned out teacher

[kateb]

Hi,

What do you do when you're burned out? I used to love teaching, but doing it 6 days a week, and with 50 students, I am starting to hate it. I used to be so good and upbeat, and now I'm afraid my students are picking up on my burn out. I've had two quit this week. Now, I was going to ask them to find another teacher next year anyway since they never practiced, but still. It kind of bothers me. These are the first students I've lost, and I'm afraid it's going to be a trend if I don't perk up and get these kids pumped about piano!!!

Have any of you attended any of the piano teacher conferences? Has that inspired you? It's a huge investment, but I'm thinking of going to either the Francis Clark one or the MTNA conference this summer. Has anyone been to either of these?

Kate

[clarinetwife]

Hello!  I haven't attended the particular conferences you mention, but if you feel you are in a rut, some new ideas and techniques and fellowship with other teachers might help.  Also, your workload sounds huge and that could be a factor.  Do you have the option of tightening the financial belt a bit and taking a day off?  I have known several teachers who had that many students who reduced their student load.  It helped.

[kulahola]

50 students 6 days a week no wonder.......

but it s fine if some students will leave you, then you will have less students and wont be burnt out and will like it again........

i try to keep my number of students low (i want to keep only the practising ones) because i also want to practise myself, otherwise it would kill me i think..

[jo.clarinet]

I teach 5 days a week, but I keep the weekends free wherever possible for my own personal music-making activities - chamber music with friends, playing days, orchestra etc - so that I can recharge my batteries! I also make sure that I go on several music courses during the year - I go away for a week and a couple of weekends playing recorders and for a week on a clarinet course. I count them as my 'rewards' for working hard during term-time, and really look forward to them!
I know that I could fill up the whole of my Saturdays with pupils if I wanted to - I have a long waiting-list - but I need time for myself...............              

[RGPianoMusic]

I'm not sure where some of us got the idea that we have to provide motivation for a student but we somehow seem to strive to do it.  My experience is that a student is either going to practice or he/she is not.  I don't see ANYTHING that can be done if the student just doesn't want to practice.  I have tried changing pieces, making them easier, budgeting practice times to make them less stressful.  Nothing has worked in the long run.  The simple fact is, if a student is interested in learning the piano, he/she will bring his/her own motivation to the piano.  When that happens, as long as you are treating the student as an individual and keeping him/her moving along, motivation shouln'd be a problem.  I don't think you have to go to each lesson like a cheerleader or a motivational speaker.  your lessons can be fun and interesting without burning yourself out.  I was so sick of students that I had to constantly over-pamper that I just dropped them.  I instead took on students who simply WANTED to learn and wanted to be there.  Now I have 45 students weekly that are no trouble at all.  However, their PARENTS are another story lol.....

Rich