Choosing The Path That Is Right For You

Shaun Halland

Choosing The Path That Is Right For You

We know the tax deadline is April 15th every single year. This year, April 15th was also the due date for this article. Like the taxes, I have also put this task off until the last minute. To top it off, I write this as I begin the busiest week of my year as a full-time church musician. Yes, it is Holy Week.  Not exactly a model of sustainability, am I?

I spent the first 22 years of my career as both a high school vocal music teacher and a church musician. I love the work in both areas and was highly fortunate to always have great opportunities to find positions that allowed me to do both. I also love to work as a collaborative pianist so I’ve usually had three jobs that allowed me to live out my passions. And like many, I’ve attempted to balance all of that work with a home life, family and maintaining relationships, often with much difficulty. Options presented themselves along the way to simply focus on one area of my career but I remained fortunate in finding wonderful places to work and so I kept going.

In 2020, the world shifted. Covid turned our world upside down and, though it was awful,It helped me see the world differently. I began to question what was important in my life and what I truly valued. Since we were forced to make changes, we had the opportunity to learn about ourselves. . As we slowly returned to teaching in the early days of hybrid, my passion for teaching had begun to wane. I had been modifying the way I worked in both school and church for a long time and I was feeling the early warning signs of burnout. A series of personal difficulties with colleagues at school also weighed on me during this time. 

My turning point came early in the 2021-2022 school year when a former student showed up in my classroom as a special education para while she finished up her special education degree. After observing my teaching for some time, she came up to me one day and asked me a very pointed question. She was very cautious and respectful, but she asked, “What’s wrong, Mr. Halland?” She told me that my passion for teaching had lifted her spirit when she was a student. And, she said she didn’t see that passion now. I simply nodded in agreement because I knew she was right. I was simply going through the motions. It was at that point that I realized I needed a change. I have deep respect for young people and know that you can’t pull one over on them. I also refused to be a teacher who lacked passion as that is completely unfair to kids.

What happened next was perhaps fate, good fortune, or an answer to prayers. I was contacted in early 2022 about a full-time church opening at the church I currently serve. This was the opportunity I was looking for. I was fortunate that they were willing to wait until the conclusion of the school year for me to start. I notified my colleagues and supervisor that I would be resigning my teaching position at the end of the school year in March of that year. While relieved to have this new opportunity, I was also met with many mixed emotions. I felt like I had let down my students and myself. I assumed I would teach until I retired. But deep down I knew that I needed to make this change.

Three years later I can attest that I made the right decision. I have recaptured my  passion and found great purpose in the work I do now. I miss working with kids on a daily basis but I have achieved  a balance in life that allows me to be successful both in my career and at home.

Many of my colleagues have shared wonderful guidance over these past few issues with regards to how we sustain ourselves in these careers. I encourage you to read their words for guidance as we navigate these demanding careers. My hope in sharing my testimonial with you is that you hear a message of hope. A hope that you have the power to determine your path. We ultimately decide what is the best course. Being the best version of ourselves is how we are most successful in this work. We deserve to be happy and healthy while working these incredibly demanding jobs.