Karen Dickinson General Music Vice-preident
it all. I am happy to say I am never bored. Change is good.
A Letter to My Younger Self Dear Younger Self,
I think I may be having a mid-career crisis. I am approaching 20 years of teaching and thinking about retirement more than I should. I have many colleagues who feel like we are too young to retire but too old to switch careers. That’s no way to live. The truth is, I love music education. I love being a teacher, and I know it’s what I was made to do. It’s not turning out to be exactly what I thought it was when I started, but I still love it.
When I started teaching, a mentor said, “Just survive the first year and be successful all the years after that.” So that is what I set out to do. I was constantly re-writing lesson plans and buying materials for my classroom. I was on a mission to fine-tune everything so that, one day, teaching would be easier. Guess what? It never got easier. In fact, it’s safe to say it got harder. Of course, there were days here and there when I felt like I knew what I was doing, but now, the demands are so much greater and the students are so much more challenging, that having tried and true lessons is not always the saving grace I hoped it would be. Lessons that always worked perfectly now fall flat. I am discovering that there is a constant need to learn something new and revise what I do in the classroom. I must become a life-long learner.
This is a good thing. There are many benefits to life- long learning (besides averting a mid-career crisis). On Nordstrom’s list (2008) of the top ten benefits, number five really resonates with me: “Life-long learning helps us adapt to change.” This is what I am facing right now. My students are changing, my administrative duties are changing, technology is changing, curriculum is changing, what is expected of me is changing, and I am determined to adapt to
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Naturally, I have started to learn about music education topics. I have taken classes in the summer, not for the credit hours or the salary schedule, but because I need the spark that learning gives me. I have taken two World Music Drumming courses, and I think I enjoy the time in class with other adult musicians as much as I value what I take back to my students. I often feel this way about the MMEA conference too. Music education has many opportunities for learning. I aspire to learn more about Kodaly and Orff, and I would love to learn to play more instruments.
To be honest, I also plan to learn about retirement. I will not fixate on it, but I will be ready. I want to remain mentally healthy as a retired person. Number four on Nordstrom’s list (2008) says “Lifelong learning helps us find meaning in our lives.” Music education is my passion. When music education stops being a part of my everyday life, I will pursue learning opportunities to fill the void.
So Younger Self, in a few years when you are feeling overwhelmed, dive in and learn something new. Being a life-long learner makes you a better teacher, and it is important for your growth and survival. And when your husband asks, “Why are you still writing lesson plans? You’ve been teaching a long time. Isn’t it easy by now?” or more importantly to him perhaps, “Why are you still spending money on your classroom?” just smile and say you are a life-long learner who loves what she does. Remember, it is your passion. You will continue to love it as the years go by, just like I do.
Sincerely, Older, but Wiser Self
Reference: Nordstrom, N. M. (2008). Top 10 Benefits of Lifelong Learning. Retrieved from
www.selfgrowth.com/ articles/
Top_10_Benefits_of_Lifelong_Learning.html
MISSOURI SCHOOL MUSIC | Volume 71, Number 3
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