Happier Music Teacher
Real self-care for music educators, not just self-soothing! Are you an overwhelmed music teacher who thinks that self-care and work/life balance is impossible with your responsibilities at home? Are you feeling burnout at home and school, and you’re done with feeling teacher tired and stressed all the time? Do you feel that the cliché advice of candles and bubble baths, not that there’s anything wrong with that, are short term solutions for your tension? Former stressed hot mess Beth Duhon helps you be more content at home and in your career in music education through guided journaling, common sense advice and encouraging you to take consistent micro-actions. Each episode features topics like: vocal health, time management, meal prep, commuting hacks and healthy habits to help you be a “Happier Music Teacher.” New episodes every Tuesday morning.
Episodes
Do nothing for a week! Clean and organize your home before the start of the new year! Our culture gives us so many conflicting messages during this time we are fortunate to have off. Let's say no to the extremes but yes to journaling and reflection about 2025 so we can enter 2026 with kindness and clarity.
If you haven't reviewed the book or podcast, will you please take a few moments to do so as a favor to me?
Need a moment of peace in a December that has felt bonkers? Join me for a few minutes of quiet prayer as we enter break and all that entails. I love you. Thank you for being here.
We are counting down the days to break. Just me? When that break comes, let's get the type of restorative rest we deserve! Let's chooose quality over quantity and treat ourselves like someone we love.
The most wonderful time of the year but you are tired, hungry and over it as a music teacher? Sounds perfectly normal with all you have going on! There are no quick fixes but a few of these tips can help you feel better during this busy time.
Looking forward to joining you for a Musicplayonline webinar in a month!
Relaxed holiday seasons for music teachers sounds like an oxymoron and you might be right! A more relaxed season and prioritizing your joy will take some intentionality and possibly some tough decisions. Enjoyed this episode? Text it to a friend or share it on your socials!
Buy Happier Music Teacher in Paperback
Buy Happier Music Teacher on F-Flat Books
Happy Thanksgiving! You've earned a well-deserved break. If you could use a reframe about our profession and a break from some of the negativity in the online space, here is my list of some things about being an elementary music teacher that I think are great!
Burned out? Disappointed about your productivity at home and at school? I think a lot of happiness is about adjusting expectations. At first that may seem like terrible news but it is great news! I'm here to show you how I structure a typical week and set reasonable expectations for work and home.
The best thank you I can receive for the book or the podcast is a positive review. Thank you for listening and reading!
Welcome new friends from SDMEA!
Are you teacher tired on Friday nights? Catching up on laundry on Saturdays? Trying to rest and connect with family on Sunday? We should be friends!
Here is a peek behind the curtain of what a fellow music teacher prioritizes on a typical weekend.
HMT How to Fight the Sunday Scaries Episode
Does your typical weeknight look like mine? If your weeknights are a blur of carpools, phone calls and an attempt at laundry and dinner, they might! The lesson here? Our time, particularly on weeknights, is finite.
Buy Happier Music Teacher on F-Flat Books
Wondering what an actual school day in the life of a happier music teacher looks like? Here is a look behind the curtain at my schedule, habits and routines as a busy elementary music teacher for some inspiration as you plan your day.
Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review or share it with a friend!
Support Beth's Work on F-Flat Books
As music teachers, there are habits that are good and habits that are scary! I've been guilty of a lot of these lately so no judgment. Today, we'll examine the scary habits so we can replace them with more nourishing habits.
This is the final portion of my interview with Kristin Behlmann LPC MA https://www.kristinbehlmann.com/ Please go back and listen to her earlier episodes to gain even more of her wisdom for music teachers.
Today, we tackle the question of practice time as a busy educator from Facebook member Natalie and also discuss mindset shifts around excellence and time as musicians.
Welcome to the third episode with Kristin Behlmann (https://www.kristinbehlmann.com/). Today, we address mental health as an investment and reframe the discussion around self-care to self-kindness. We also dig in to some of the biggest misconceptions arounds counseling. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it on your socials or text it to a friend.
Kind disclaimer: Kristin is a licensed professional counselor but this podca...
This is the second part of my conversation with Kristin Behlmann https://www.kristinbehlmann.com/
Kristin offers therapy, coaching, & education services for musicians, music educators, and performing artists. Today we discuss her turning point in taking mental health more seriously and she gives us a wellness hack that you're going to want to implement immediately. Plus, we have some straight talk about teaching with longevi...
You are going to love my first podcast guest, Kristin Behlmann. From her website: She is a classically trained musician, former music educator, and licensed professional counselor in Texas. She helps musicians, music educators, and performing artists manage anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout so they can reconnect with the music and life that light them up.
I think she is such a perfect fit for the show and I know you're going to...
I wish that our only emotions as music teachers were positive but there are lessons in the negative ones, too. This was a literal description of me last weekend even though I planned the episode title quite some time ago. Listen in for some tough grace about what to do when you are feeling tired, resentful or taken for granted.
My latest webinar for Musicplay is linked below.
I love you. Thank you for being here!
A little later than usual today! If normal teaching is heavy, it is even more challenging when you are weighed down by grief or sadness. Here is my hard-earned wisdom from some recent loss.
On a much brighter note, thank you for helping the podcast surpass 10,000 downloads! To God be the glory!
I am excited to present a webinar for Musicplayonline this Wednesday, 9.10.25, at 5:30 CST. It is "Yes! Musicplay Works for Upper El...
Being an organized music teacher doesn't have to be alphabetizing and color coding but it might! Need some tips for digital and physical organization in your music room that don't feel like a part-time job? Here are some of my favorites. Of course it includes Musicplay, binders and calendar work!
Sale alert! Happier Music Teacher E-Book is on sale for 30% off on F-Flat Books on 9.2.25 (today!) through midnight. Promo code: LAB...
Drowning in paper and stuff at the beginning of the school year? Me, too. Here are some organizational principles from a decidedly Type B+ teacher. This doesn't have to work for your Type A colleague down the hall or be featured in a magazine spread (do they still have those?), it needs to work for you!
Sometimes we're so worried about getting our students and children ready for back to school that we forget to take care of ourselves. The Music Ed with Missy Facebook group had some excellent wisdom to share for teachers preparing for back to school this summer/fall. Back to school is a lot for teachers! Let's prioritize being kind to ourselves during a challenging season for us and our families!
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