Lesley Moffat

Author, I Love My Job But It's Killing Me

Lesley Moffat

Author, I Love My Job But It's Killing Me

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Biography

Prior to writing Love the Job, Lose the Stress, Lesley Moffat’s story of overcoming the myriad of health issues she’d faced for decades as a high school band director and wrote about in the book I Love My Job but It’s Killing Me: The Teacher’s Guide to Conquering Chronic Stress and Sickness resonated with teachers all over the world.

Lesley considers it a personal triumph to have overcome personal health issues that were the result of being an exhausted and worn-out band director who was on the verge of walking away from the career she loved. The responsibilities, time, and energy it took to run her music program left her struggling to balance her career with her family life. In order to stay in the job without continuing to struggle with burning the candle at both ends, she set out to figure out how she could be both the mom and badass band director she’d always dreamed of being.

Through the course of her own research, what she learned through trial and error, activities she’s used in teaching more than 30,000 classes, and her experience with how students best learn, she has created a simple yet brilliant protocol that has the potential to change how teachers teach and students learn.

Lesley has worked with thousands of people, helping them not only achieve musical goals (including repeated performances at Carnegie Hall, Disney Theme Parks, Royal Caribbean cruise ships, and competitions and festivals all over the US and Canada), but also teaching them how to develop the long-term life skills they need to help them achieve their goals.

Lesley has been a presenter at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and WMEA Conferences, served on the board for the Mount Pilchuck Music Educators Association, and has been an adjudicator and guest conductor in the Pacific Northwest and is a frequent guest on education and music education podcasts and webinars, sharing strategies from her personal and professional struggles and triumphs.

Lesley lives in the same Seattle suburb where she’s taught for most of her career, developing relationships with students and their families as their teacher and also as a fellow member of the same community.

After completing her undergraduate degree at Indiana University, she returned to her roots and moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where she and her husband, George, raised their three daughters, all of whom were students in her high school band program. Fun fact: Lesley, George, all three of their daughters, and Lesley’s dad have performed at Carnegie Hall.

Speech Topics

PAY ATTENTION! The Power of The First Four Minutes ™ Miracle

This training is the most requested as it teaches teachers how to teach their students to pay attention – and once our students have mastered that skill, we can teach them anything.

While lots of teachers talk about using mindfulness, Lesley has created a protocol and a way to teach it to students so they have buy-in that makes this one of the most impactful and effective teaching strategies out there.

Participants are provided with a template to help them customize The First Four Minute routine for their classes.

The mPowered Music Room

This class outlines the four components to a successful music classroom to help teachers support their own social and emotional needs so they can better support their students’ SEL needs. (Generally this is an overview plus four individual lessons focusing on each component.) Participants see how the template for planning becomes the anchor for providing engaging lessons for students that allows for easier planning and execution of lessons.

I Love My Job but It’s Killing Me!

This topic explores the mPower Method outlined in my first book, I Love My Job but It’s Killing Me, and how your approach to Meals, Movement, Music, and Mindfulness can significantly impact your mental, emotional, and physical health. The intent of this program is to help teachers identify key areas where they can make small changes for huge positive impacts so they have the stamina to continue in their teaching career and personal lives without burning out.

Participants will learn how to apply tried and true strategies for managing the stressors, practical tips for implementing the strategies, and a few other surprises.

Music Ed 2.0 – Read or Not, Here We Grow!

During the pandemic, not being able to play music in traditional ensemble settings has been devastating for student musicians and teachers around the world...and the music programs in our schools. The future of our programs depend on how we handle the next few months as our students are deciding what classes to take next year, but where do you start? Come to this session and get proven strategies for (re)building your program in a way that supports your own and your students' social and emotional needs so you can get back to making music. Without strong social and emotional connections, kids are far less likely to sign up for music classes, and they need music now more than ever! The content of this session is based on Lesley’s second book, Love the Job, Lose the Stress: Successful Social and Emotional Learning in the Modern Music Classroom. This bestselling book is the complete guide to identifying and addressing your students' social and emotional needs and gives you the tools you need to usher them into Music Ed 2.0 in spite of all the challenges ahead so you can rebuild your music program in a way that serves yours and your students’ needs.

Testimonials

"When we launched our webinar series ‘In The Teacher’s Lounge’, I asked Lesley if she would join a couple of our panels to help our directors through this difficult year.  She provided all of us with techniques that I still use to this day! Lesley is one of the most relatable and honest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. The feedback from her webinars was so positive, that I also asked her to present to our team at our annual Kick Off meeting where she provided us with the tools and resources to continue to be successful in our jobs in spite of the stressful time we are all experiencing.  She is a true calming force in a world of chaos!"

- General Manager, WorldStrides Performing Arts

"As we all know, music teachers rarely leave their posts because of any disinterest or even frustration with music; it has to do with their own personal concerns/anxieties/frustrations, etc., that lead to ill-health and personal breakdowns.  Lesley is SO WISE to be addressing this aspect of the professional highway.  She gives them HOPE as well as solutions to resolve their dilemma. I do think she will quickly get the attention of those who realize the doors this program will open."

- VP of Education for Conn-Selmer, Inc.

"Teaching during a pandemic has been crazy – I think everyone can agree with that. However, I haven’t felt the same kind of stress that I had in the Spring (of 2020) and I attribute that largely to what I have learned from Lesley. Taking the time to address students’ social and emotional needs first and then proceeding with content has allowed us to grow together, and to have successful experiences in the classroom regardless of the pandemic. Due to testing they changed my 5th grade band class to 2:45-3:30 (aka last period of the day). A few years ago it was at then of the day on Fridays and it was horrible, the kids were out of control, and I felt completely incompetent. I basically went home crying every Friday and it completely ruined my weekend. It was a hard year and I learned a lot. So with that anxiety already in the back of my mind we also had to record our final concert performance because we just don’t have a lot of days left so this was the day. They came in excited and high-energy like I expected and then we did the mindfulness like we’ve practiced all year and they completely changed. They were relaxed and calm and QUIET at 2:45!!! It was amazing and that’s when I knew I’m completely committed to doing mindfulness with my students and for myself. Immediately complimented them when we were finished and we recorded and it was actually enjoyable! I remember Lesley saying this daily practice will help on those days when you and the students really need it and this helps you get back to calm. I am eternally grateful!!!! It truly feels like a super power!!! Thank you thank you a million times!!!!"

- Middle School Music Teacher and Client

"I love Lesley’s classes!!! Every week Lesley always wows me with her new ideas and lesson plans. Seeing the whole picture and zooming out on the goals she’s set up for her kids has been so helpful and sparks new ideas for me. I feel so supported and inspired, and she makes me feel confident that I can tackle this “new normal” with a good plan and some stillness. I look forward to class every week and am excited when rolling out these new lessons and seeing my students progress every week. She’s able to respectfully coach and talk more specifically about what my students need in my teaching situation and she does this for each student in her class. What I’ve learned has been invaluable and has made me a calmer teacher who has been more present with my students and has made me actually enjoy teaching during a global pandemic."

- Middle School Music Teacher and Client

"I would love more sessions like this! Very interesting and engaging session. I took away a lot of great ideas on building a community in my orchestra class."

- High School Music Teacher

"Lesley taught us how to teach our students to learn to be relaxed and stay centered in a really engaging way. She presents in a totally relevant, applicable, and uplifting manner."

- J.G. High School Music Teacher and Participant in Professional Development

"Lesley has some great suggestions, and she speaks from profound experience. Your jaw will drop as you hear the struggles she’s been through and the simple things she’s done to completely transform her life, all without leaving her career teaching high school band. This episode is a gift, especially to all of our high school band colleagues who are juggling so much."

- Host of Music Ed Mentor Podcast

"Lesley’s the real deal. There are so many takeaways that I can incorporate into my own teaching practice and, more importantly, my personal life."

- Middle School Math Teacher

"Band Director Boot Camp was such a game-changer for me. It’s helped me restore positivity and peace to the culture of my classroom, introduced many significant new protocols, and has taken the headache off of me and given responsibility to my students. We are all operating in a healthier, more efficient classroom where each individual has a role and we feel safe within our four walls. We laugh as a family and I know my students will continue on knowing that band was a place where they belonged."

- Middle School Band Director & Band Director Boot Camp Participant

"I wanted to send you a note about how fantastic your presentation was – Our producer says he thinks it’s the best one we’ve done this year."

- Market Manager for Education, Vanco

"Lesley’s openness and candor are what makes her message so compelling."

- High School Music Teacher

"Lesley is right on the money when it comes to music teacher health, wellness, stress, and burnout and the physical, mental, emotional, and social problems associated with our 24/7 schedules. I can attest first-hand to Lesley’s hard-won knowledge of self-care and her inspirational skills as a presenter of workshops and webinars!"

- Chair/Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Council for Teacher Training, Recruitment & Retention