National Music Teacher Mentoring Program
The National Music Teacher Mentoring Program (NMTMP) is a unique in-school professional learning program open to all K-6 NSW Department of Education schools. Experienced primary music teachers are paired with K-6 classroom teachers to mentor and build teachers’ capacity to teach classroom music.
Bernie Heard
When music is at the heart of a classroom that does provide opportunities for young people to find their way to really excel in the classroom. Hi, my name's Bernie Heard, I am the manager of the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program. The program was founded by Australian conductor and educator, Richard Gill. It was created to develop confidence and competence for classroom teachers to embed music education and creativity in their classrooms.
Karen Morrow
The program is important because it shares Richard Gill's philosophy that all children should have access to musical programs. And for me, music is more than just music, for me, music sets kids up for successful learning across the other KLAs. I really want classroom teachers to understand that they need no background experience in music because there's this block in primary teaching where people say, "Oh, I can't teach music, I've got no formal music training and I haven't a clue what I'm doing and I need to know what I'm doing in order to teach my children." Well, there are so many rich resources, especially given through the National Music Teacher's Mentoring Program, and with a willingness to learn and a little bit of direction, there's only a few things, only a few basic concepts to really teach in primary school and they're repetitive and it's a matter of understanding what pitch is and then looking for songs and looking for material to reinforce those different concepts.
Michelle Everson
My name's Michelle Everson, I work at Gorokan Public School, and I'm teaching a beautiful 1/2 composite class this year. I was very lucky to have Karen as my mentor, she's so enthusiastic and Karen never made me feel that I wasn't up to scratch, that I didn't know what I was doing, and even when she would jump in to help me out, that's what it felt like, it felt like I was being helped and supported. She's just been a wonderful person to work with. The things that you learn you can incorporate into your daily routine. Music teaching is not in isolation, you can incorporate it in what you're doing in your various lessons during the day. I am definitely a lot more confident now than I was at the start of the program. I feel that I know where to go to ask for help, and I feel that I can use our music teacher as a great resource.
Jason Clenton
The program's been really important at our school because, like any school, a quality music instruction is quite a limited resource. So, to actually have a mentor in the school who will come and work with your teachers and with your students, it actually builds the capacity in everyone. Through great teachers, we can actually give children the opportunity to create with music and to perform with music. So, having quality teaching in your school around a music program is a real asset to any school.
Jacqueline Lockyer
The National Music Teacher Mentoring Program has been important at Yandelora School. We value the opportunity for our teachers to access really high-quality mentoring and to build their confidence, to teach music across the school, in specific music lessons and in other KLAs where we embed music activities and practices into our teaching and learning. For a lot of our children who are non-verbal, a lot of our children with high anxieties, autism, we find that music really helps them be calm and helps them to regulate.
Joanne Archer
It's been really great to have an experienced mentor who has experience and knowledge in music curriculum and how we can work to adjust that to meet the learning needs and styles of all the students here. I've had so many questions that I thought were outside the box, but my mentor has worked with me to be able to address those questions. To get confidence in music has been one thing, to help me know I'm on the right path, keep going, but yeah, just to have someone who's passionate about music, instil that in me, and to keep going on that journey has been wonderful. It has helped me grow in confidence as a teacher and the offshoot of that is, it is helping our students with their learning.
Bernie Heard
The goal of our program is to ensure that every young person in Australia has access to high quality music education throughout their schooling, and this is a really important part of that process and a real opportunity for our mentors to make an active contribution to that.
Michelle Everson
I just think it's a wonderful program and I think that anyone who has the opportunity to do it should jump right in and have a go.
[end of transcript]
In 2024, the 8-session mentoring program will be available in both Semester 1 (program A) and Semester 2 (program B). Teachers interested in participating as a mentor or mentee are invited to apply for the Semester 1 (program A) or Semester 2 (program B) sessions.
Schools who have participated in previous years are encouraged to reapply with new or returning mentee teachers.
The NMTMP is linked to the NSW Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus. This program provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen teaching practice in preparation for the release of the new Creative Arts K-6 syllabus.
Applications for the 2024 NMTMP are now open – follow the links below to apply.
The National Music Teacher Mentoring Program (NMTMP) is a national initiative, established in 2016 by the late Richard Gill (OA), with partner Australian Youth Orchestra.
The NMTMP creates opportunities for every student to access quality music education in the classroom. The program operates across remote, regional and metropolitan Australia.
Experienced K-6 music teachers (mentors) work with participating teachers (mentees) in their classroom, to build their confidence, skills and practices in delivering valuable music experiences for students.
The NMTMP:
- focuses on team-teaching lessons co-designed by the mentor and mentee
- provides flexible delivery negotiated between the mentor and mentee
- does not require specialised equipment or prior knowledge
- empowers teachers to confidently embed musical content into their regular teaching practice
- is linked to the NSW Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus.
- Term 4, Week 5 – applications for Program A and B open
- Term 4, Week 9 – Program A applications close
- Term 4, Week 10 – Program A successful schools notified
- Term 1, Week 4 – Program A preparation commences
- Term 1, Week 6 – Program A launch meeting
- Term 2, Week 4 – Program B applications close
- Term 2, Week 5 – Program B successful schools notified
- Term 2, Week 8 – Program A concludes
- Term 3, Week 1 – Program B preparation commences
- Term 4, Week 3 – Program B launch meeting
- Term 4, Week 6 – Program B program concludes
The NMTMP provides participating teachers (mentees) with:
- personalised professional learning delivered in their classroom
- skills and confidence to deliver musical learning experiences
- expert support and mentoring from an experienced K-6 classroom music teacher
- co-designed planning, programming and assessment strategies
- a range of resources and practices to embed across the curriculum
- access to a supportive community of mentees and mentors
- approximately 15 hours of Teacher Identified Professional Development.
The NMTMP provides mentors with opportunities for:
- sharing and modelling meaningful music education practices
- improved leadership skills
- networking with other teachers around NSW
- training and development, with masterclasses delivered online
- ongoing support with optional online mentor sessions
- access to emerging department and other music resources
- engagement with a supportive community of mentees and mentors
- approximately 5 hours of Teacher Identified Professional Development.
The mentee school is responsible for funding this program.
The total cost of the program is 2 casual relief days per participating mentee teacher for program A or program B. The cost is calculated on ¼ day of casual release per participating mentee teacher. This cost is paid to the mentor’s school in order to cover the release of the mentor teacher. This covers the release of the mentor to provide planning mentoring and demonstration sessions throughout the NMTMP.
Application information:
- only one application is required per school (up to 4 applicants can apply per application)
- principal approval is required to apply
- schools who have previously participated in the program are encouraged to reapply
- all school contexts will be considered, with preference given to schools with 2 or more participating teachers.
To apply:
- read the information on this page
- complete the application form
Successful applicants will be provided with more detailed information in the program acceptance paperwork.
Mentors are selected for their highly-developed K-6 music education skills, as well as their willingness to share, collaborate and mentor.
Application information:
Outstanding candidates are welcome to apply with:
- demonstrated excellent K-6 classroom music teaching skills
- at least 3 years K-6 classroom music teaching experience
- principal approval to participate in the program.
Please note:
- teachers who have previously participated as a mentor are required to re-apply
- mentors are required to submit a short teaching video in support of their application. Details are outlined in the application form. Mentors who participated in the NMTMP in 2022 or 2023 are not required to resubmit a teaching video.
To apply:
- read the information on this page
- complete the application form
Applicants accepted as mentors will be provided with more detailed information in the program acceptance paperwork.
Illustrations of Practice
Watch 'NMTMP at Yandelora School'
(3:22)
(Duration: 3 minutes 22 seconds)
Jacqueline Lockyer
Music at Yandelora School is incredibly important. We, as a collective group, truly believe that a lot of our children can really sing through the arts. For us, when we see our children really excel in an area, it builds confidence in them, that they can excel in other areas as well. The National Music Teacher Mentoring Program has been important at Yandelora School. We value the opportunity for our teachers to access really high-quality mentoring, and to build their confidence to teach music across the school, in specific music lessons and in other KLAs where we embed music activities and practices into our teaching and learning.
Kiralee Strahle
I'm Kiralee Strahle. I am the project advisor for the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, and also being involved as a mentor in the program. What I love most about the program is that it's really flexible and adaptable, and it's a really unique way to have some professional development brought into your school, where you're getting the face-to-face support with a experienced classroom music teacher who is an expert in their field, working alongside a classroom teacher. And when we've got two experts working together, then you get this beautiful, reciprocal relationship going on. One of the greatest benefits of the program is that it's really flexible and adaptable, and it can work really well in each school's unique context. Some of the mentoring sessions can be face-to-face, or they can be online, or they can be delivered in a hybrid situation, so that we can cater to all our teachers across New South Wales.
Joanna Archer
My name is Joanne, and I work in an SSP setting, School for Specific Purpose. And I have been doing music across the classes in our school. Even though I've been involved in music, I lacked confidence in what I was doing, that I was on the right path. And I craved to be able to talk to someone who had already done that journey and was able to share with me, from their experience, about the Department of Education's curriculum and how best I can use that to meet the needs of the students here. I've had so many questions that I thought were outside the box, but my mentor has worked with me to be able to address those questions. To get confidence in music has been one thing. To help me know I'm on the right path, keep going, but, yeah, just to have someone who's passionate about music instil that in me, and to keep going on that journey, has been wonderful.
Kiralee
Jo was already doing an amazing job. She just needed a cheerleader to come in and go, "You're doing great!" Just to give her that extra support and confidence. When teachers are confident in delivering music in their classroom, it's really the students that are benefiting.
Jacqueline
I would encourage anyone with a teacher who's interested and passionate to take this opportunity on because we can see really authentic music lessons being taught in the classroom. And Joanne now has the confidence, moving on, to ensure that her planning and her programming are really top-level, they're excellent, and that she can then assess those lessons. And we see that reflected in student reporting.
Joanna
For anyone considering doing the program, talk to your executive and principal. You won't regret it.
[End of transcript]
Watch 'NMTMP at Gorokan Public School' (3:13)
(Duration: 3 minutes 13 seconds)
Jason Clenton
Music's a really important part of our students' learning because we all experience music, and especially children. So when kids come to school, it's a perfect opportunity for us to use music to engage them, to motivate them, and ultimately we can even use it to extend them in their learning here at school.
Karen Morrow
I'm Karen Morrow. I'm working at Gorokan Public School, amazing school up on the Central Coast in New South Wales, and I am currently the RFF music teacher. The program is important because it shares Richard Gill's philosophy that all children should have access to musical programs, and for me, music sets kids up for success for learning across the other KLAs. I really want classroom teachers to understand that they need no background experience in music. There are so many rich resources given through the National Music Teachers Mentoring Program and with a willingness to learn and a little bit of direction, you'll be surprised how much satisfaction it gives you in passing on a skill.
Michelle Everson
My name's Michelle Everson. I work at Gorokan Public School and I'm teaching a beautiful 1/2 composite class this year. So I think there's probably a lot of teachers out there like myself that don't have confidence with teaching music because we often think of it as a specialist subject, and you certainly need to have some specialist knowledge to teach music. I was very lucky to have Karen as my mentor. She's so enthusiastic and Karen never made me feel that I wasn't up to scratch, that I didn't know what I was doing. And even when she would jump in to help me out, that's what it felt like. It felt like I was being helped and supported. She's just been a wonderful person to work with.
Karen
Look, I love working with other teachers. It's about passing the baton on, and I feel very strongly about empowering young teachers. When it comes to music, I have more of a passion for that even because I really want as many kids in New South Wales to be able to access the basic concepts of music and to be able to explore that and to be able to grow through that.
Michelle
I just think it's so important for our students, that perhaps it's something they might not have an opportunity to do outside of school. It's fun for them, really fun for them, and I think it's quite supportive of literacy and mathematics development when you're talking about rhythm and beat and timing and so forth. So I just think it's a wonderful program and I think that anyone who has the opportunity to do it should jump right in and have a go.
Jason
I'd most definitely recommend the program to other principals. If you want to create opportunities to touch, you know, a number of classrooms and maximum number of students, it's a great way to do it through the mentoring program. And not only that, do you get to tap into that, but when the mentor leaves, you get to keep that knowledge and skills and practice within your school. So it's a golden opportunity.
[End of transcript]
Contact us
Please direct any questions to the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program Project Advisor.