would you have a problem with an unqualified person teaching music in your school?

[goonIcantakeit]

question to both parents and teachers.

I shall be teaching classroom music next term. I'm very excited, but want to be prepared for any ill-feeling/doubts there may be about having an unqualified person teaching. It's during the teachers' PPA time.

I have a track recorder at the school in that I run an ensemble there, so I am not an unknown quantity and it is on merit.

Honestly? I want my child taught music by a music teacher. Preferably qualified- but if not, with lots of experience actually teaching music to children.

You may not need to play the piano yourself to teach singing but if you can't play you need an accompanist.
I would prefer my children to be taught music by someone who had training/experience in teaching music and music qualifications. You sound enthusiastic, which is great! but as others say, it's not totally clear what your music qualifications are

Repetition is good. The generally accepted best way is to perform the song to them, then 'sing a line, they sing it back' for first chunk , then sing altogether a couple of times. Then do same with next bit / chorus / whatever. If the song is the right difficulty level they will learn it v quickly. And remember the words much faster than the teacher, damn little sponges that they are

I don't swear a lot when I'm teaching, honest

I'm a music specialist...primary music. If you are a good musician, with good skills and can play something like piano, ukulele, guitar to accompany yourself with the kids...can engage kids and create classroom music making sessions altogether...like a samba band....be spontaneous....make things up in the spot, use children's ideas to create songs and compositions...I'd be happy if you were qualified or not.

If you can't do those things, were planning on relying heavily on cd's and backing tracks....you don't know the difference between steady beat and rhythm ....and not getting instruments out....I would be very unhappy.

I actually believe every primary school should have a resident music specialist, so important is music making. I trained non specialists in my last job....and some of the things I witnessed were awful.

So that's your answer really.

What's a track recorder? As in a multitrack recorder?

What are people inferring by "music teacher" here? One-to-one peripatetic instrumental teachers are trained, but might not be comfortable teaching a class of lively 10 year olds.

I'll put my hand up and say that I'm a fully-qualified primary class teacher, who specialised in music when training a very long time ago and attained Grade 8 in the piano even longer ago. So I'm more than comfortable teaching music across the primary range, although I'd avoid KS1 if I'm honest (sorry, just personal preference), and I do swaps with colleagues who aren't experienced and would prefer to teach my class, say PE.

Music degree + PGCE Music or similar. And then music class teaching experience.

Secondary music jobs (so teaching KS3, GCSE, A level and BTECs etc, music studio use) are aplenty, primary ones a little harder to come by but PPA cover jobs for councils or music hubs, or as resident music specialist in independent prep schools are also fun . Most primary music teachers are trained and qualified for secondary then shift to primary.

Peri teachers aren't usually trained teachers - they are usually professional musicians who make money on the side with some hourly paid peri teaching. I've done this too but prefer class teaching / management stuff.

I meant trained musicians. And have experience working with children, but not necessarily large groups.

I would be unhappy. Are your lessons following the new national curriculum in music? Is your school following the National Plan for Music Education? Would you be able to provide evidence regarding this should Ofsted inspect your school?

If you can do all of this then you should be fine. I know Music & other arts related subjects are not seen as important as other areas of the curriculum but for some children & young people, this is what inspires them & keeps them focused in school so they should receive the same quality as they do in other subject areas.

Maybe you could look at the new Certificate for Music Educators (CME) & train on the job? And yes this is my area of work, so I probably do feel a little bit more touchy about this subject.

I wouldn't care about you not being qualified: if you already have history at the school, clearly enjoy your job and the children enjoy their time with you, I'd be happy. :)

thanks, this is really helping me predict possible issues.

Issues with your ability to do the job? Or issues parents and teachers may have with you (which you dismiss)?

What are your circumstances OP? Do you have music teaching experience?

TootsSweet makes a good point, actually. Whilst a class band/garage band etc sounds great fun, you will also need to be following the New Curriculum for music, which comes on into force properly in September.

I would be deeply unhappy. I'd consider moving my kids.

"I'd consider moving my kids."

Where to? That's easier said than done these days.

To be fair, the new curriculum is brilliantly basic, in a good way - it basically allows you to make music with children and takes away unnecessary detail of how.

There's no particular reason that the OP can't fulfil her duties by having 'class band' rehearsals every lesson...

Except if she's not able to lead and design the lessons in order to teach which tbh from her posts here, I currently doubt. Any good teaching requires planning, assessment and understanding of pedagogy and learning. Choosing repertoire, giving and understanding different roles, listening and analysing, being able to use the right language to describe the music, understanding structure and style, and so on and so on.

The danger of an ever freer curriculum and the whole 'free schools' debacle is just this, really. A free and easy curriculum is great for trained and qualified music teachers, but for someone like the OP who clearly needs more guidance, it's not fair to the children IMO.

Are you trained in music but not qualified as a teacher? I am just trying to understand what you mean by unqualified?

Thank you thebitch. The way you described is what I thought. Her way doesn't work but I wondered if it was because the class are tricky or that it's an odd method.
Good Luck op - if you have lots of group music teaching experience then that's a huge bonus.

My son's primary school had/has exactly this scenario - a piano teacher who covers PPA by teaching music - no QTS. She's been doing it for a good 12 or 14 years, runs the choir, orchestra, recorders, teaches recorder, ukelele, trumpet (taster lessons), piano and makes sure the peris to teach strings, woodwind, brass, drums, guitars are all up to scratch. It works well for them - my son had a far more varied and consistent music education at primary school than I've ever managed to give any of my pupils (yes - I read music and am happy to sing, but with all the pressure on Maths, English, Phonics etc, it just drops off the end).

sorry I had to pop out.

Sorry not to be more informative - I wasn't being blase. The move from ensemble to adding on classroom work will be a huge learning curve, but like Bitch I was worried about outing myself.

HercShipwright - wow! that's quite a reaction! Yikes! what are you assuming will happen? chaos? no notation? naughty boys out of control?

It's good to hear these views. It shows how much faith the head is placing in me after watching me work. I won't be letting him down.

I'm very fortunate in that we are a team of three. Unheard of luxury! So we get to create our own curriculum, just as we should be doing in music - it isn't like maths! Off to the cafe tomorrow with my composer buddy to make our plans: the children will be safe with us!

Track recorder was a typo - I meant track record! I think I am comfortable in classroom management.

But don't get me wrong - there's no way I could teach maths, English, science, etc to a class of my own all year long. That's a far bigger project than coming in as a specialist for something I'm good at like music, IMO.

I probably should have asked: "what would reassure you?".

OP my dd is a gifted musician and attended school until the end of y3.
Because of the provision for music at schools and the curriculum it is hardly quality even with the best teacher.
I would have been far happier to have you teach my dd when she was at school than a teacher following the curriculum, planning etc.
You sound like you will inspire children to want to play music and that is what it should be about.
The ones who are serious will be having instrumental lessons outside school anyway.

Heres how much music is valued.

Both me and dh approached our dcs schools when they were little, offered at their own time free whole group music lessons, combined with drama and several instrumental and ensembles. They weren't in the slightest bit interested. I am qualified teacher and dh is an internationally acclaimed musician and educator, having taught award winners himself
Music is just not valued at all by many schools.