Supporting teachers to grow and connect

Time-strapped teachers often find it hard to take on extra tasks, and this year many have seen their appetite for training reduced even further. However, in Term 2, when there was an opportunity for support, connection and high-quality expertise, teachers participating in The Song Room programs bucked the trend.

This term The Song Room Arts Learning Team went on tour around Victoria delivering face-to face professional learning workshops to launch the DUET 2022 program with the Department of Education & Training, Victoria.  It was brilliant to get together in the same room with so many inspiring teachers to share knowledge and help set them up for their DUET program.

As part of the full-day workshop participating teachers and principals in Shepparton, Ballarat, Melbourne and Traralgon explored the Quality Music Education Framework, the Victorian Curriculum and key documents that underpin the DUET program in a practical and interactive setting. The sessions also helped established supportive communities of practice to encourage educators to share their learning and experience in a professional, constructive and collaborative way.

“I would like to thank you for an excellent Music workshop yesterday… I absolutely loved it. You have opened my eyes to the joy of understanding music.”

– Acting Principal, Narracan Primary School, VIC.

Our Arts Learning Team guided the group through step-by-step activities to demonstrate how simple exercises could be built upon for curriculum alignment across Foundation to Year Six.  Teachers with minimal confidence in delivering music were soon singing swashbuckling Sea Shanties and learning call and response ideas to take into their classrooms. They explored how to create beautiful group sounds with simple, everyday instruments, as well as the joys of improvisation using the pentatonic scale.

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the experience in Shepparton last Friday. I went in a bit anxious, but learnt so much and felt so much more confident by the afternoon. A fantastic experience.”

– Teacher, Melrose Primary School, VIC.

At the end of each workshop we asked teachers to write one word or draw one image to represent how they were feeling as they walked out the door. The images below speak for themselves.