The National Music Teacher Mentoring Program (NMTMP) is a unique in-school professional music education learning program open to all Victorian schools.
NMTMP pairs experienced music teachers with generalist primary teachers or inexperienced music teachers in an individualised mentoring program in classrooms over 16 weeks. The program aims to increase classroom teacher confidence and capability to teach music to students of Foundation (Prep) to Year 2, with a focus on singing skills.
About the NMTMP
NMTMP is a Commonwealth funded initiative developed by the late Richard Gill (AO) in partnership with the
Australian Youth Orchestra.
The NMTMP is delivered by the Victorian Department of Education (DE) and other states and territories. NMTMP aligns with the delivery of the DE’s
Music in Schools initiatives that aim to support access to quality music education in primary schools.
The NMTMP:
- aims to strengthen the confidence and capacity of primary generalist teachers to deliver quality music education for their students, with a focus on Foundation (Prep) to Year 2 and is also suitable for teachers new to delivering specialist music education for students Prep to Year 6.
- gives primary teachers the opportunity to receive personalised mentoring from an experienced classroom music teacher
- offers flexible delivery negotiated between the mentor and mentored teacher's /partipants's school
- takes place in the classroom(s) of the teacher being mentored with a focus on team teaching and lessons co-designed by the mentor and classroom teacher
- supports teachers to implement the
Victorian F-10 Curriculum: The Arts Music
- has core content that is vocally based with a focus on building foundation skills in singing.
An evaluation of the program's data collected from 2017-2021 was conducted by Monash University in 2022, and demonstrated:
-
Substantial growth in teacher confidence and competence to teach music, and in student engagement with music as a result of the NMTMP.
-
The positive flow on effects of the program on the emotional, psychological, behavioural and learning outcomes (both musical and in other subject areas) for students and teachers are clearly evident.
- This approach provides opportunity for learning by both mentor and mentee in a process of collaborative self-development.
Mentee: Program structure and financial support
Funding is available for participating government schools to cover school Casual Relief Teaching (CRT) costs to support up to two mentees per school to undertake the following activities during Terms 2 and 3 (and early Term 4 if required):
| 1. Each mentee attends a
1.5hour planning meeting with their mentor at the start of the program to identify their learning needs/goals | 3 hours |
2. Each mentee observes their mentor teaching primary classroom music at their mentor's school (two days allocated per mentee). Mentors from secondary schools mentoring in a primary school may make other arrangements with their partner school.
| 24 hours |
| 3. A targeted
16 week mentoring program delivered in the classroom of each mentee teacher (approx. 3 hours per week for two mentees, based on 1.5 hours each per week). | Nil |
| 4. Each mentee attends a
one day professional learning day delivered by a lead mentor. | 12 hours |
| 5. Each mentee attends a
1.5 hour mid-program meeting with their mentor to discuss progress and engage in feedback. | 3 hours |
| 6. Each mentee attends a
1.5 hour evaluation meeting with their mentor at the conclusion of the program and participates in a national evaluation survey. | 3 hours |
|
Total casual relief funding available to mentee school | Up to 45 hours (7.5 days) for two mentees per school |
Mentor: Program structure and financial support
Training and funding is available for participating government schools to cover school CRT costs to support mentors to participate in the program to undertake the following activities during Terms 2 and 3 (and early Term 4 if required):
1. Participate in a 2 day in person professional learning course to develop mentoring skills, scheduled for 29-30 March 2023
| 12 hours (2 days) CRT covered by the mentor's school. All course attendance and catering costs covered by Australian Youth Orchestra. |
2. Deliver: - 1.5 hour planning meeting with each mentee at the start of the program to identify each mentee's needs and learning goals
- 1.5 hour mid-program meeting with each mentee to discuss progress and provide feedback
- 1.5 hour evaluation meeting with each mentee at the conclusion of the program.
| 9 hours |
| 3. Deliver a
16 week mentoring program (approx. 3 hour per week for 2 mentees, 1.5 hours per mentee) in the mentee's classroom. | 48 hours |
| 4. Deliver classroom music lessons in your own school to enable mentees to observe your teaching practice. | CRT for mentor not covered by DE
|
| 5. Participate in evaluation of NMTMP 2023 as required. | 3 hours |
| Total casual relief funding available to mentor school | 66 hours (11 days) |
Key contacts
Terms and conditions
- Funding for government schools will be processed in accordance with the Department’s Schools Targeted Funding Governance Model.
- Schools are initially required to use their own funds to cover CRT costs. DE will create an Initiative Agreement in the Schools Targeted Funding Portal so that reimbursement requests for expenditure incurred against the NMTMP can be provided.
Our collection statement (privacy notice)
The Victorian Department of Education (DE) collects personal information for the purposes of implementing the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program.
The information collected in this Expression of Interest form will be disclosed and used by the relevant Department employees and the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) with the above mentioned purpose and will not otherwise be used or disclosed by the Department or where otherwise permitted by law.
If all requested information is not provided, the Department may be unable to process your expression of interest for the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program.
You can request access and correction of your personal information by contacting the Learning and Teaching Division (LTD), Department of Education via
music.education@edumail.vic.gov.au
For more information, please see the Department’s
Information Privacy Policy