Music Lesson Planning When You're Burnt Out
Season 1 | Episode 12
Show Notes
How do you overcome planning burn out? I have literally zero interest in planning my lessons right now, and I’m pretty much just playing random games every class to pass the time. How do you suggest picking myself back up?
During the Year
Run the clock
This phase won’t last forever
Not every lesson plan is instagram-worthy.
Play “random games every class to pass the time” until you’re bored
Our brains don’t stay with one emotion very long
It’s like eating cookies every single day for every single meal - sooner or later you’re ready for salad
Teach what you care about
A particular piece of music
A particular genre of music
What would be fun to teach?
My Burn Out Lessons
Different from end-of-the-year lessons
K - 3rd - Carnival of the Animals
What the students do: Color and move, or watch
What the teacher does: Organize a shelf, organize a binder, review assessments
4th - 5th - Found sound / unpitched percussion song-writing
What the students do:
Graphic notation or standard western notation of rhythms
Assign your own version of body percussion symbols
Check with the teacher to move to unpitched percussion
What the teacher does:
Walk around and talk to students
Summer Planning and Burnout
Take a break
Celebrate the wins
Research what you care about and dream about how it could be incorporated next year
Set a reasonable deadline to start planning
