Today Was My Final Evaluation, and I Ended Up In Tears.

It’s my 32nd year of teaching, so this shouldn’t have been a big deal. I’ve been through dozens of these and had no reason to believe this would be any different other than the fact that it was taking place online due to the pandemic.

Mr. Peters and I met on Zoom, and after exchanging pleasantries, he screen-shared my evaluation form.

There on page six he had a running narrative of what was going on in the classroom:

T askes Ss to raise their hands if they had a trill at the end.
T: …We don’t breathe before the deedle-eedle-eet – that would sound silly… I want you to hear the melody and realize how hard it is at this speed, because they have to take in gigantic amounts of air in…
T: Keeping a beautiful tone at all times, you’re doing a nice job keeping long phrases – keep doing that.
T stopped Ss playing just after a measure.
T: I’m going to show you what I heard and then I’m going to show you what I want.
T demonstrated the measure using the piano, tune with different fingers coming in at slightly different times vs. all simultaneously. Told Ss to “Lock in even better… nice and together.” Acknowledged when she heard the improvement she was looking for.
S took responsibility – “I know what I did.” T thanked him, moved on.
T: I loved that we didn’t all start our articulations the same and that you eventually came together!

As he scrolled through a couple more pages of that narrative, I saw in front of me what an ordinary day used to be like in the band room at our school. Oh, the things I took for granted.

I was reminded of the sense of accomplishment we’d feel when we’d woodshed a passage and finally master it. Or the wave of emotion that would sweep over all of us when we’d executed a passage with exceptional passion. Or the simple thrill of watching that third clarinet player finally get over the break without alarming the rest of the band with horrible squeaking.

All of the seemingly ordinary things we did every single day at school seem so much more significant now that we have been away from our kids for a couple of months. I long for the days when we could high-five ’em as they walked in our classrooms and then settle them in for 55 minutes of music and memory-making.

As I read the narrative of what happened in my classroom during wind ensemble on that ordinary day in November, tears poured from my eyes as it finally sunk in just how precious that time together had been. Those days in our classrooms did so much more than just teach kids how to play songs. Through the process of developing as musicians, I watched them grow up. I watched them overcome personal struggles and challenges. I grew to love them not just as music students, but as humans. We’d become a family and suddenly the pain of being ripped from my band family was really raw and all I could do was cry.

I am sad for so many things that we’ve lost as a school, community, nation, and world. I worry about the future of everything from education to survival and more. And I wonder how I can continue to be a band director and serve my students in a post-pandemic world.

I don’t have all the answers, but I know it’s up to me to do a few things:

Identify the core values and concepts I am charged with teaching my students
Figure out how to deliver that content in a safe and meaningful way
Implement strategies that will help me sustain my own mental and physical health so I can support my students for the long-haul

If you are a music teacher who is looking for strategies to support the long-term survival of your music program and sustainable ways for you to balance work and family lives while you do this important work, then I invite you to do a self-assessment that can help you identify your readiness for what lies ahead. It will help you ask yourself the questions you need to face as you plan for what’s next.

We have important work to do, and I, for one, plan to be ready to serve my students in spite of the obstacles that will arise as we get closer to September. Budget cuts, loss of performance and trip opportunities, and the fear of the unknown can be crippling – but our kids are counting on us to be brave, step up, and be there for them.

Take five minutes and check-in with yourself using this self-assessment. The peace of mind that comes when you get the clarity you need to take the next step can make the difference between stepping into the next few months in fear or with purpose. I choose purpose!

Self-Assessment for Music Teacher Readiness-for-September

🎼 Teaching Music in a Post-Pandemic World… 🎺 Are You Going to Figure It Out or Freak Out? 💪or 😧?

How will you make sure your students and program survive through all the growing pains facing us in music education?

Join veteran band director and author Lesley Moffat as she discusses how to assess your readiness to return to teaching music in the fall. Lesley will present strategies to help you define your core values as a teacher, set goals for teaching to those values, outline strategies to achieve them, and design a 4-Minute Protocol to help students focus their minds and make rehearsals the best part of their day.

Lesley Moffat has taught high school band for over thirty years in the Pacific Northwest. Following decades of chronic illness and exhaustion that were the result of the stress that comes with running a band program, she revamped her teaching strategies to support a healthier balance and lifestyle. Now on a mission to help other music teachers navigate the responsibilities of teaching music in a post-pandemic educational system, she founded the mPowered Music Educator Academy, where she runs the Band Director Boot Camp – a program that gives the music teacher tools to build a successful program without burning out.

Lesley is the author of I Love My Job but It’s Killing Me as well as the upcoming Love the Job, Lose the Stress.

How Will We Sustain Ourselves, Our Students, and Our Programs During and After This Pandemic?

Are you a “Type-A, super-organized, ultra-planner” who is used to being in control kind of teacher and now feels like a fish out of water as you undo all of your spring events, plan new activities for distance learning, and try to figure out what next year might look like for you and your program?

This is a pretty unnerving place to be, especially for those of us who like to plan in advance and be prepared. How can we possibly do that for our programs when we have no idea what next year might look like? How can we offer music classes to students and grow our ensembles when being socially distant might mean limited in-person classes and activities next year?

Now that the initial shock and disbelief that our in-person school year ended in March has worn off, many of us are beginning to wonder how we are possibly going to be able to do our jobs when school finally does resume. There are so many unknowns about what education will look like that it can be paralyzing, frightening, and extremely overwhelming to think about. And when we consider the impact all this can potentially have on our music programs, well, it can be downright discouraging.

I remember the same kind of feeling after 9/11.

I was just starting my 14th year of teaching. As a parent, I was scared about what this tragic event meant for my own kids’ future. My girls were 4, 8, and 12 at the time, and in order for my husband to remain employed, he had to transfer to a different work location, making his commute three or more hours per day. I found myself with very long days that started with zero period jazz band classes and ended with evening activities, trying to balance the extra parenting responsibilities I had while my husband was commuting. As a teacher in the changing landscape of education after that event and the stressors that came with it, I really struggled to keep it all together.

Fast-forward 19 years. Ready or not, as a result of this pandemic, we are at another major changing point in education. Having experienced teaching and parenting after a major event that impacted life as we had known it before, I am prepared to share what I learned through my personal story so other teachers can skip a lot of the growing pains and be the teachers, parents, and partners they want to be and come out stronger on the other side.

Educators are natural leaders. Being a leader at a time like this requires vision, passion, and stamina. Being a leader during distance learning while juggling your own family, limited access to resources, and sketchy internet can be incredibly challenging. But as music teachers, we are not intimidated by challenges. In fact, we often thrive in situations that seem impossible to mere mortals.

If you are a music teacher with a vision of helping your students be the best version of themselves through the magic of music education and you want to be a leader who does that in spite of the circumstances, then I want to invite you to check out my new book.

In my latest book, I share all kinds of strategies and resources that will help you do this important work efficiently, with greater ease, and with less of a drain on your energy. Having taught more than 30,000 classes in my career while raising a family of my own, I’ve walked the walk and am delighted to be able to pass on what I’ve learned.

The book will be published next month, but YOU can get a FREE advanced copy of the ebook NOW and get started on tapping into strategies for your long-term stamina as a music teacher!

If you read it and find it helpful, I’d love to know. In fact, if you send me any feedback before May 4, I can include it in the eBook that will be published next month on Amazon! I would be really grateful for any reviews because that will help me get it into more people’s hands, and that was the whole reason for writing it in the first place. 🙂

I’m really grateful to Dr. Tim for his enthusiastic support. I put a sneak peek of his foreword below so you can see for yourself if this information will be helpful for you.

In-person teaching will one day resume. It will look different than what we’ve known it to be. We can either wait and see what happens, or we can be the leaders and visionaries who use our platforms as music educators to shape the future of music education.

Our students are counting on us, so let’s do this!

FREE Advanced Copy eBook!

Foreword

by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser

Lesley Moffat’s newest book, Love the Job, Lose the Stress, redefines the term “self-help.” Her first best seller, I Love My Job, but It’s Killing Me, awakened us to a new landscape of personal and professional sanity. This latest-greatest contribution offers a tried-and-true blueprint for vocational success while embracing the critical importance of fueling one’s mental, emotional and physical health. Spot on! Bull’s eye!

What is uniquely wonderful about Lesley’s writing is based on her own teaching journey. Her wisdom reflects reality rather than hypothesis. She has “been to the well,” she “walks her talk,” and she does it with a sense of understanding unknown in common hours. Rather than simply focusing on the obvious, she delves into the why, what, and how of the given situations:

Here’s why you need to take stock of this concern or breakdown.
This is what you can do to reset your compass to achieve resolution.
… and this is how you can do it to reach your destination.

A bit of history: By all standards, Lesley Moffat was at the top of her teaching (band directing) career. She developed a program-of-excellence recognized (and envied) by her colleagues. The numbers grew, the quality soared, and the awards continued to spotlight this one-of-a-kind culture-of-artistic-excellence being driven by her ongoing desire to serve the students, the school, and the community. However, all of this manifested at the expense of Lesley’s health and well-being. To attain these high, self-appointed educational standards, she was short-changing the most important part of her program: Lesley Moffat. Let us be reminded of this cornerstone truth: “You can’t lead others until you lead yourself.” Fortunately, she recognized her plight and executed a massive course-correction. Now, we are the benefactors of her self-explored research via her trademark writing talents.

This manuscript is an endless treasure chest of immeasurable value. From the self-reflection templates to proven time-management skills, each page reveals yet another golden nugget you can integrate into your own daily agenda. This is not a book you read and then put on the shelf; rather it is a file cabinet of priceless data certain to bolster the health, happiness and good fortune of every (music) educator.

We’ve all heard the familiar teacher outcry, “I’m tired. I’m frustrated. My health is suffering. I live in stress. I don’t have a life. I don’t know what to do. I want to give-up. I’m just plain burnt out!” It truly is “a sad state of affairs” when one experiences this kind of desperation. Might I suggest that reading Love the Job, Lose the Stress offers-up a powerful prescription availing us to a personal/professional avenue arriving at one’s desired contentment and fulfillment.

Lesley, thank you! We know the master teachers are also keystone role models. That being said, you are an exemplar for all of us!

Where Do I Start to Rebuild My Students and Music Program after This Pandemic?

Helping your students and program thrive after this long school shutdown and months without in-person instruction is going to be incredibly challenging, even for the most experienced teachers among us.

And supporting your students while you are grieving the loss of this school year, missed opportunities, and proper goodbyes will be emotionally draining.

What’s your plan for maintaining your own sanity and stamina so you can serve your students without experiencing the emotional drain of secondary trauma? And how will you engage students who will experience increased anxiety, depression, distractions, and trauma of their own that will make learning even harder for them?

I’ve thought about this a LOT, and in week three of Music Ed Mondays with Moffat, I go through some concrete steps you can take to help you prepare to teach in a post-COVID world.

I can’t make your situation change, but I can share proven strategies for coping with the emotional and physical toll it takes to effectively connect with students and reach them when they are struggling with difficult issues that make it challenging for them to settle down and focus on learning.

I invite you to check out this link for all of the webinars and slide decks, which include links to tons of FREE resources I’ve created in my mission to help music teachers combine their passion for music education with a lifestyle that keeps them healthy enough to have the stamina to stay in the job for a very long time.

Previous Music Ed Monday Webinars and Resources

Please join me on my webinars every Monday in April for Music Ed Mondays and use the time you are away from school to prepare for the new kind of educational environment in which we will all be immersed. You can be a leader in the transformation or wait and see what happens then figure out what to do. I prefer to be proactive and prepared, and I hope you’ll come on this journey with me.

Webinar Registration

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it every day for the rest of my life – music educators change the world. Let’s do this together.

Peace-
Lesley

After 32 years as a high school band director, I was going to retire this year. But things have changed.

Now is not the time to leave my students. I still have work to do and I need to be in my classroom with my kiddos when they return to school next year for a different kind of experience than what any of us have known.

In addition to the many ways they’ve always counted on us, our students will need us in new and different ways. It will require intentional preparation to have the mental, emotional, and physical stamina to serve them without becoming overwhelmed in the process.

This is the exact topic of my second book, which comes out in May, but I’m going to be sharing the content NOW because it’s relevant to any music teacher who wants to use this time to be prepared for what’s to come but who doesn’t know where to start.

I’ve already thought through a lot of this and have a plan – and I’m going to share it with you so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Join me tomorrow for Music Ed Mondays with Moffat to find out why I believe our roles as music educators are critical to the healing of our students and communities during and after this pandemic and resulting upheaval to everything we’ve ever known.

I will share a plan you can access for no cost that will guide you step-by-step through the process of being fully prepared to support yourself and your students through crisis and beyond.

The webinars will be on Mondays at 9:00 am pacific time and I’ll share how you can access the full course of my signature program that goes with my second book, Love the Job, Lose the Stress, for FREE!

_______________________

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Mar 30, 2020 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Music Educator Mondays with Moffat

Webinar Registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Can’t make it? Register anyway and I’ll send you a recording!

With you on this journey.

Music Educator Mondays – Let’s Prepare for the Future of Music Education Together!

I am STOKED to have Dr. Matthew Arau of #upbeatglobal joining me on a webinar for Music Educator Monday this week at 9:00 AM pacific / noon eastern time, where we will talk about the realities of what our roles as music educators are during school closures and what we should be prepared for when we return to our classrooms, whenever that may be.

Matthew and I will be sharing our thoughts about the critical role music teachers play in helping our students and communities cope during this crisis.

We’ll also be sharing tools you can use to keep your own stress levels managed so you have the stamina to do this for the long haul.

If you can’t make it to the webinar, register anyway and I’ll send you the replay.

Together we rise!

Webinar Registration

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sX3udf6DSqW3EvW7kIlz_A

How Do I Nurture My Students Through These Uncertain Times?

We have been called to do more than teach music.

Every music teacher I know believes we have the responsibility of teaching kids the life skills they need to function in the world, like collaboration, goal setting, grit, artistry, and a million other skills. We just happen to do it through the magic of music education.

How do we nurture our students and continue this important work through the shut down of schools and everything else we all have come to depend on?

Are you prepared for the significant changes that will inevitably take place when your students return to your classroom?

When we return to our classrooms, this world will be a different place and our students will be looking to us to help them navigate it because they will be different, too. The fears, anxieties, and other emotions they experience during this epidemic will change them, and we must be ready to meet them wherever they are and help them heal.

We will need to do a lot more than just deliver content. Our students will be looking to us for leadership and as an example for how they should react to our new normal.

There are so many things to consider during this time – but it can be overwhelming to know where to begin when you start trying to figure it out.

Don’t do it alone.

Music teachers are the ultimate collaborators. Let’s use our collective power to up-level this world by leading the healing. Now more than ever, the world needs what we offer.

We must be ready!

Join me for Music Mondays with Moffat as we “band” together to help our kiddos navigate this new territory with as much grace and love as possible.

Together we rise!

Webinar Registration

HELP! What Do I Do Now?!

So many questions in light of COVID-19 and how we serve our music students during this challenging time

I teach at the first school in the US that was shut down for a confirmed case of coronavirus at the end of February, so I’ve had a little bit of time to think about this and start asking a bunch of questions.

In case you missed it, here’s a replay of the webinar from Saturday morning where I share some ideas for music teachers who find themselves with all their major concerts, festivals, trips, activities, and recruiting up-in-the-air.

If you’re wondering what you’re going to do next, join Elisa Janson Jones, Shannon Shaker and me for resources, ideas, and practical advice.

We are with you on this journey, because together we rise!

WEBINAR LINK

BANDing-Together-for-Success Supplemental Material and Links Download

Concerts, Festivals, Trips, and COVID 19 – They Didn’t Teach Us This in College! What Do I Do Now?

Just in case you weren’t busy and stressed enough at this time of year, now you have a whole new set of variables to deal with as the coronavirus spreads across the planet and everyone is figuring out this new scenario.

And you don’t get to stop and take time to figure out how to solve the problems of lost rehearsal time, missed performances, cancelled trips, and non-refundable money that the families in your community will lose if trips are cancelled because you have the undaunting task of continuing to teach the students who show up (if you’re still in school), create online content to replace what you would normally teach in person (I bet you can’t wait to try those on-line ensemble rehearsals), and keep your students safe and calm amongst all the confusion.

You have to continue offering a quality music experience for your students in spite of the circumstances, but figuring out how to do that while you’re spending six or more hours a day teaching is a bit overwhelming.

Since these circumstances are so new and unique and things are changing by the minute, it’s really hard to know what to do.

A situation like this can cause strain on individuals and on your program. It’s that time of year when our students are selecting classes for next year, and if they are feeling let down about cancelled events and we as teachers don’t handle it properly, it will impact their willingness to sign up for future trips and maybe even determine if they want to sign up for your class again next year. I’m not saying that’s the right response, but it’s one that could occur and impact your program long after the virus is gone.

Instead of lying awake at night wondering how you’re going to navigate all this, I invite you to join me on Saturday, March 14 at 9:00 am PST for a webinar where I will share ideas to help you:

* Communicate with parents and students about changes for activities and events

* Ensure you have a plan so your recruiting numbers thrive even if your recruiting activities are cancelled

* Come up with ideas for teaching music when attendance is unpredictable and you don’t even know if you’ll have a chance for kids to perform what they learn

* Make sure you have the tools you need to stay healthy in spite of being exposed to a cesspool of germs every day!

I don’t have all the answers, but I do have a lot of ideas based on what I’ve learned in over 30 years as a high school band director. I’d like to share those ideas and offer to help with some concrete suggestions that will help you do things like get your recruiting done even if your tours to middle schools are cancelled and share ideas for ways to communicate with families so you maintain their trust even if you have to deal with difficult situations that include nonrefundable trip fees.

As music teachers, we are natural leaders. We can step up and lead our students, schools, and communities through this crisis by remaining calm and being the force for sensibility and stability. Our students are looking to us for more than just musical instruction – they are counting on us to keep them safe and to tell them the truth. Let’s be the leaders they need so they don’t need to live in fear. We can be prepared to show them they can trust us to provide them with the best outcome possible.

If you can’t attend the webinar live, register anyway and I’ll send you a recording.

Together we rise!

BANDing Together for Solutions

In the wake of the coronavirus, we music teachers have unique challenges we are facing. In addition to delivering content (i.e. teaching) in new and innovative ways, we likely are facing uncertainty with our upcoming spring performances, festivals, recruiting activities, and trips.

I teach north of Seattle. My school was one of the first in the US to close for a confirmed case of the virus last Monday, so the realities of what we need to think about and plan for have been at the forefront of my mind.

The long-term ramifications on our programs both financially and with future enrollment as this hits while kids are registering for next year’s classes could be devastating – unless we are proactive in how we are handle this with them.

Whether it’s the prospect of losing tens of thousands of dollars that have been invested in upcoming festivals and trips or spending hundreds of hours preparing for concerts and other performances that may or may not happen, it’s all up in the air right now.

Right now is the time we should be approaching the peak opportunities of our year, enjoying the activities we’ve planned where we take our music on the road, play for school concerts, graduations, trips, and other events.

Instead, we are in limbo.

We don’t know if events are going to be cancelled or if our schools will even allow us to take the trips. And we won’t know until we see how things develop over the next few weeks.

But we must be prepared, both musically and financially, in the event that we’ll still be able to do these activities.

You may be wondering – How am I supposed to teach my students when they can’t or don’t come to school. Am I equipped to teach ensembles remotely or do I have another plan? What about logistics for preparing our ensembles if school’s closed for a few weeks but we end up being able to go on a trip in a month or two?

There’s a lot of money at stake.

If you’re in a situation like I am, you’ve signed contracts with vendors that are not refundable and your community has rallied behind your kids and program to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars that may never get to be used as intended.

How will you handle this and how will you navigate the legal and personal challenges this will bring?

There’s a lot of momentum and energy at stake as you’ve been building up to these culminating experiences.

And what will happen as your students select courses for next year? Some of them may feel like the rug’s being pulled out from under them and be hesitant to sign up for your class (or at least future trips) again next year.

There’s a lot of fear around all the unknowns, for kids, for teachers, for parents, for administrators, for our communities, and beyond.

What are we supposed to do when the momentum that we’ve been building suddenly comes crashing to a confusing halt? Students and their families will be looking to us for answers. We may not have them all, but we need to be prepared to ask the questions and have the difficult conversations.

If you are planning a trip for future years, what are you learning from this situation that changes how you proceed? How does this situation inform you when it comes to trip insurance, contingency plans, and other preparatory activities? Will your community have enough faith to sign up for future trips if they end up losing a lot of money due to unavoidable cancellations this year?

What are you doing to ensure your students don’t make any rash decisions about enrolling next year based on what will likely be a couple of emotional months, no matter how things pan out? And why is it important that you have a vision for how you are going to lead the conversations and handle the questions from kids and parents? Are you aware of what you can and can’t decide vs what you need to run by an administrator?

If you don’t even know where to start or what questions to ask, you’re not alone. This is new territory for all of us.

I was supposed to adjudicate a festival next SATURDAY but due to cancellations, I’ll no longer be doing that, so I am going to host a FREE WEBINAR for music teachers who want a little help navigating the complexities of the fallout on our music programs as a result of the impact from coronavirus. I don’t have all the answers, but since I’ve been teaching and traveling with group for over 30 years, I do have a very good idea of where to start asking questions.

I hope you’ll join me in two ways:

1) Fill out this short survey to let me know how the coronavirus is impacting you and your program.

BANDing Together SURVEY

2) REGISTER for the webinar and join me LIVE on Saturday, March 14 at 9:00 am PST.