Young teacher’s SSO experience

During the summer holidays Young North Public School teacher Kimberley Wise was awarded a scholarship which allowed her to participate in a five-day residency program with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

She, along with 24 other primary school teachers, had been selected for their passion for education, enthusiasm to bring music to their classrooms, and willingness to share this training with their communities.

The overall program, run over two weeks, involved more than 50 teachers primarily from public schools in regional NSW and Western Sydney.

Called TunED Up, the teacher training program comprises a number of intensive workshops where participants learn music teaching skills from SSO musicians and staff - who are specialists in music education - that they can now apply to both their classrooms and wider communities. 

The SSO doubled its intake of teachers this year following the overwhelming positive impact of the 2014 TunED Up pilot program on schools across NSW.

The program was devised in response to alarming results of recent studies conducted by the University of NSW, which found music is the subject that causes teachers the most stress in their teaching and is frequently neglected in NSW primary schools. 

This indicates that music is not emphasised enough in teacher training, despite being a mandatory subject in the NSW school curriculum.

“University studies have shown that participation in music learning does so much to enhance the cognitive, physical and social development of a child,” SSO director of learning and engagement Kim Waldock said. 

“Unfortunately many primary school teachers lack the sufficient skills and confidence to teach music as well or as often as they would like, and this is where the TunED Up program comes in.”

Participation in the program has enabled teachers to develop their musical experience, pedagogy and classroom practice, instrumental knowledge and competence with digital music resources.

According to Ms Waldock the reach of TunED Up extends far beyond the teachers who attend.

“We worked out that the average reach of our 2014 TunED Up teachers was 400 children annually - and that was just the children with whom the teachers had direct contact,” she said.

“Even more students are reached by the colleagues our TunED Up teachers are sharing their new skills with.

“We estimate that at least 8000 children benefited directly and indirectly from TunED Up in 2014 and with our expanded intake this year we expect that number to double,” Ms Waldock said.