Reimagining Work-Life Balance, Part I –Amy I. Acklin

REIMAGINING WORK-LIFE BALANCE, PART 1

BY AMY I. ACKLIN

INTRODUCTION "Work hard, play hard, and know the difference between the two."

These wise words were spoken often during my doctoral studies at Florida State University by scholar and teacher, Dr. Clifford Madsen. This adage has resonated with me throughout my career, especially when discussing work-life balance topics with my students.

For years, I thought of work-life balance as a personal topic. I didn't feel a deeper sense of responsibility until my own music students shared with me their trepidations about entering the profession due to worklife demands. Examining research, it is clear that my students are not the only ones feeling this way. National trends on music teacher attrition and burnout are sobering.

A large-scale study by Carl Hancock (2009) examining music teacher attrition and retention indicated that music positions in secondary schools turnover yearly at 16%, resulting in 19,000 vacancies a year. Interestingly, in examining teacher exit surveys, Hancock (2016) found that only 1% of former music teachers were dissatisfied with "teaching," noting that other areas (lack of administrative support, constant need for advocacy, salary, to name a few) influenced teachers' decisions to leave the profession. Post-pandemic data on this topic will be interesting as we hear of historic rates of teachers in all subjects pursuing other lines of work.

Other researchers have conducted case studies of music teachers and noted behaviors that lead to satisfaction in work-life balance. For example, Fitzpatrick (2013) and Shaw (2014) found that marching band directors who proactively used worklife strategies improved their balance over time. They also found these teachers set boundaries and work expectations and had strong support systems.

OVERVIEW I am writing to share my personal narrative of how work has impacted my family, and likewise, how family has impacted my work. For years, I have been asked by friends to share my journey as a collegiate band director as it relates to being a working mom in the profession. My story is not meant to provide a model for how it is "supposed" to be, but simply to pass along what has worked for me and my family.

I love what I do. I'm the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Louisville where I run a Division I Athletics Band program, direct the UofL Symphonic Band, and teach courses in conducting and music education. I am on a 12-month contract, recently earned the rank of full professor, and keep an active guest conducting and publishing schedule.

The part of my job that brings me the most joy is working with my college students, however, there is no doubt that my family is the brightest part of my life. I have been married for 23 years to Chad - the most remarkable human I know. We have two amazing children - Adeline (11) and William (8). Perhaps the most important lesson we have learned since being parents is that you must make decisions that are right for you

Amy Acklin serves as Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands at the University of Louisville. Under her direction, the UofL Symphonic Band performed at the 2016 CBDNA Southern Division Conference and the 2015 Kentucky Music Educators Association Professional Conference. Dr. Acklin serves as the National Band Association KY State Chair and is the recipient of the 2021 UofL Distinguished Teacher Award and the 2019 KMEA College/University Teacher of the Year Award. She holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of Louisville and a Ph.D. in Music Education/Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University.

and YOUR family, regardless of what works for everyone else. This takes a dose of confidence and humility, as well as the ability to laugh at yourself through many trials and errors.

There can be a general sense that working moms always feel guilty because it's impossible to give adequate time to both work and home. I simply refuse to accept that mindset. I am proud to be a working mom and would not want it any other way. There weren't many models in higher education where I saw how to balance both worlds, so I have worked to develop systems to help me "thrive" versus "drown" amid the many spinning plates. For me, compartmentalizing my responsibilities works best.

FINDING TIME TO FOCUS The best piece of advice I can pass along to all teachers is to create systems for uninterrupted workflow and uninterrupted family/personal time. Learning how to minimize interruptions has been key for me in navigating tenure-track expectations and feeling satisfaction as a parent. It started with reassessing tasks and realizing that I'm in the driver's seat of choosing when and if I get things done.

Creating systems to focus takes planning, financial resources, and at times, the willingness to work during nontraditional hours. I do not mix work and home. For example, if I am working from home in the summer, I have a babysitter hired to keep care of the children. Other weeks, my children are enrolled in summer camps. When getting a babysitter is not an option, I create a schedule with structured activities and blocks of time for the kids to know when I am available.

For creating family time boundaries, I schedule an out-ofoffice email reply when traveling. Chad takes it one step further and fully uninstalls his email app from his phone. We make dinner as a family a priority and make it a tech-free zone by putting electronics in a different room. If I still have work emails or phone calls when I get home, I finish them in the car before walking into the house. My kids know that by the time I walk in the kitchen, I am fully focused on my family.

PRACTICAL LIFE HACKS The following examples are not one-size-fits-all solutions but will give you an idea of how I manage my work responsibilities. I went to band camp with a two-week old. It’s not that I didn’t take 6-weeks of maternity leave, it’s just that I took 2 weeks at the beginning and then 4 weeks at the end of the academic year which allowed me to have an extended vacation. I had a huge support system that allowed me to do this as well as doctor approval.

When each child was born, I brought a pack-and-play to my office so that I would always be prepared in an emergency if they needed to come to my school. I didn't use it often, but it was a relief knowing that everything was there.

My job involves quite a bit of travel, so when my children were babies, I tried to take them with me when I was able, including multiple bowl games and conferences. I would also bring built-in babysitting with me. This required extra finances and time but was worth all the sacrifice. For example, when William was 5 months old, I took him with me to The Midwest Conference. One of my best friends traveled with us and babysat him in the hotel room while I attended meetings. I did not attend a single concert that year but still met all my professional obligations.

Chad also made a laundry organizer for us where everyone has their own "bin." This has worked great during intense work weeks where the only thing to worry about is putting clean clothes in everyone's container. Folding then becomes optional and usually doesn't happen until the marching band season is finished.

Lastly, I've learned that you must be brave and ask your supervisors at work for changes when needed. It’s OK to ask for a private room for nursing. It’s OK to ask if your schedule can be changed - even if only temporarily. With my first child, I was hesitant to ask for such things, but I did with my second child and found that coworkers were appreciative of knowing of my needs and were happy to help. The latitude of accommodations will be different for everyone, but it is important to brainstorm possibilities with your supervisor ahead of time.

MODELING BALANCE FOR OUR STUDENTS Not only have I changed my family life to better accommodate work, but I have also made changes in my work schedule to have better balance at home. I have found that my students deeply appreciate when I

Reimagining Work-Life Balance, Part I, Amy Acklin, cont.

Reimagining Work-Life Balance, Part I, Amy Acklin, cont.

am intentional about how I use their time. For example, the UofL CMB band camp used to be one week from 9am-9pm. That schedule was hard on my family because it functioned as if I were out of town. I changed the schedule the following year to 8am5pm each day and added several days to the camp. I simply told my students I needed to be home for dinner each day with my family. This was a seismic shift in our program.

In creating better balance for my own life, this in turn created better balance for my students. They were thrilled with the change. Having their evenings free gave them flexibility to participate in other school events, like rushing for a fraternity or sorority, working a part-time job, or having down time to hang out with their friends. It also increased the students' motivation and improved the culture of the program. To this day, band camp is one of our favorite times of the entire UofL CMB season.

I have also extended this idea into other ensemble settings. For example, there are times I need to schedule additional weekend rehearsals with the UofL Symphonic Band to prepare for a high-profile event (recording session, conference, special concert, etc...). Anytime I schedule additional rehearsals, I cancel classes later in the semester to give them time back. It might not match exactly, but I get close, and students are always thankful. Likewise, with the UofL CMB, I mark out pre-planned R&R days throughout the semester to give them personal time after an intense run of performances. NEXT STEPS In December, I'll have the opportunity to present more on this topic at The Midwest Clinic, along with my husband and dear friends Dr. Matt McCutchen (Director of Bands at the University of South Florida) and his beautiful wife, Nash. Our session, "Take Your Job and LOVE It: Reimagining Work-Life Balance" will be research-based and focus on music teacher retention, attrition, and burnout as well as current family policy trends in the business world. Chad and Nash will also share their stories from the spouse perspective of navigating family life while being married to busy band directors. We would love to have you join us if you are able.

Full disclaimer - I've had as many struggles as successes in work-life balance. The reality is that my work and family life is a dichotomy of messy, vibrant, exhausting, and rich experiences. It is a human experience that happens to be marked by the unique chapter of raising children. The mechanics of "how" I manage both worlds are rooted not in the particulars of each day, but more in a mindset of reimagining what is possible and choosing to be engaged as a musician and parent. I've learned to lower the bar, laugh at myself, and enjoy this special season of life.

There is no denying that the music profession is demanding and time consuming and that certain performance events will require a huge sacrifice of clock hours. However, as teachers, we can improve the health and sustainability of our programs if we play the long-game and intentionally plan for balance throughout our calendar year, both for ourselves and those we serve - our students. The job will never do this for us.

In closing, I hope you will find something helpful in this article, regardless of whether you are a working parent. This is an exciting time where wellness, mental health, and work and family issues are starting to be discussed. These conversations are long overdue for the band profession. We can all learn from one another's journey through this world as together, we try to make life better for the next generation of teachers. Most importantly, I hope you will take pause and reflect on ways you can better prioritize the demands of work and life, so that the best part of your job - TEACHING MUSIC, can stay front and center for a long and healthy career.

REFERENCES

Fitzpatrick, K.R. (2013). Motherhood and the high school band director: A case study.

Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 196, 7-23. Hancock, C. B. (2009). National estimates of retention, migration, and attrition: A multiyear comparison of music and non music teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education, 57(2), 92-107. Hancock, C.B. (2016). Is the grass greener? Current and former music teachers’ perceptions a year after moving to a different school or leaving the classroom. Journal of Research in Music Education, 63(4), 421-438. Shaw, R.D. (2014). The work-life balance of competitive marching band teachers: A multiple case study. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 200, 63-80.