ABRSM, the UK and international examinations board, has announced a second edition of its Becoming a Better Music Teacher course, created by ABRSM and available through the FutureLearn platform.
According to ABRSM, the free online course ‘is aimed at teachers who are beginning their teaching journeys, or established teachers wishing to refresh and refocus their teaching skills’. The course aims to provide teachers with ‘a strong foundation for effective music teaching’.
ABRSM offers a range of teacher support initiatives including teacher development and annual teacher conferences; and this latest partnership with FutureLearn represents a new expansion into e-learning.
S-J Dejey, a learner from the first Becoming a Better Music Teacher course, said:
‘I was very keen to do this course and was impressed with the amount of information available. You never stop learning and as a teacher it is important to keep up to date. It was also good to be able to see the comments from other teachers as sharing ideas is also important. I would thoroughly recommend it!’
ABRSM’s Chief Examiner and Lead Educator, John Holmes, said:
‘At the heart of ABRSM’s Becoming a better Music Teacher course is the principle that an effective teacher is a reflective teacher. Its success earlier this year proved to us beyond doubt that there is a tremendous appetite among music teachers for good quality, relevant and helpful professional development – especially if it can be accessed online and fitted around an already busy life.
‘ABRSM is wholeheartedly committed to supporting teachers in further developing their skills, knowledge and understanding in what is such a vital, yet sometimes solitary, role. We believe in the unique, life-enhancing power of music, and are passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians, so we would love all like-minded teachers to join us for the second run of the course.
Enrolment for ABRSM’s Becoming a Better Music Teacher is now open.
- Commencing on 18 November, it will cover five key areas of teaching practice including: Teaching and Learning Principles; Core Musical Skills; and Professional Values and Practice.
- The course is focused towards teachers’ professional development and includes: how to develop your own teaching philosophy, explore the basis for motivation and how motivation is linked to progression, and design individual learning plans for pupils.
