![]() ![]() Lack of opportunities for breaks throughout the day due to rehearsals and extracurricular dance activities like competitions and performances.Time spent on administration rather than detailed lesson planning.New job demands without removing other work tasks.Contributing factors in dance teacher burnout ![]() The teachers I talked to for this article agreed that these three symptoms are often present when teaching dance in schools. High levels of exhaustion, both emotional and physical.The signs of burnout in dance teachers include: The teaching profession would have to be the posterchild for this, with its high levels of accountability, increased time commitment outside working hours and ongoing professional development obligations. In the 1970’s, the term ‘burnout’ was identified in professions that were committed to high morals and dedication, where employees often sacrificed themselves for the benefit of others. High levels of stress over a prolonged time frame, without some respite, results in teacher burnout. The causes of burnout were far more complex and ‘just coping’ was a reality within the profession. In talking with the teachers from both Primary and Secondary settings, it was obvious that the children and the curriculum were not the main stressors. They are unable to say ‘no’ and feel unsupported or acknowledged by their peers or school community. The emergency action of the pandemic brought to light that dance teachers were often feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. However, as difficult as the past twelve months has been for dance education teachers, it only highlighted the burden of teaching an art form that requires high levels of emotional and physical commitment. This lack of confidence and belief went a long way towards placing undue stress on dance teachers who were, in many cases, already struggling with the demands of the job. Many dance teachers felt they were less effective teachers implementing these new technologies than they were in a face-to-face delivery experiencing ‘technostress’. The uncertainty, and lack of corroborating evidence from peers or reliable research, that a range of new technology would be appropriate for their students, created the perfect storm of stressors. In 2020, teachers were unable to resist massive changes to how they delivered lessons and in some teaching situations experienced inadequate support to do so. Whether they resist or support changes in their environment is largely reliant on these beliefs. They are often asked to adapt to changes, but how well they cope in changing stressful situations is in part determined by their belief that the change is necessary and significant. Teachers have become front line workers in many schools around the world creating even more uncertainty and anxiety. These may include the demands of online delivery of lessons, fluctuations in their teaching environment, necessity for adaption to unknown technological based pedagogies and unplanned lesson delivery. Internationally, COVID 19 has exacerbated many of the teaching stressors. The teachers interviewed asked to remain anonymous, but were extremely generous with their time, and very frank about the difficulties experienced as a part of their teaching practice. Although there are some wonderful best practice models, many dance teachers will experience burnout at some point in their professional life. What came out of these conversations was a feeling that the role of the dance teaching artist in education is becoming more stressful. These teachers came from both the private and public sector and from several different countries, working with a range of curriculum. This week I talked with a group of ten Primary and Secondary dance teachers about their experiences working in schools. In addition, dance teachers need support for teacher well being from the school community and sufficient resources to ensure teacher welfare. But, more importantly, we need to be able to identify when the stress is too much and prioritise self-care. Dealing with stress is about building resilience. It’s ok to experience stressful times, however it’s the inability to recover after the busy time is over that is of concern for many dance teachers.Īll teacher’s job demands are fluid, they ebb and flow with the school term. Sometimes this can lead to over commitment of time and energy leading to stress. Part of a dance teacher’s job is to be passionate and engaged. ![]()
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