Following a request from its membership in 2017, the European String Teachers Association (ESTA) created ESTA Education, a new training branch for teachers of all instruments and voice, not just strings. Now, research carried out by the organisation has identified a need for multiple courses so that teachers can choose an entry point that is relevant to their experience. The result is a range of study options with an emphasis on course structures that can be tailored to fit around an existing teaching schedule.
‘I felt it was vital that our courses were affordable and designed to complement the busy lives of teachers,’ explains Philip Aird, CEO. He states that many music teacher training courses require weekend attendances and can be costly in terms of travel and fees, which ESTA Education was keen to avoid.
Teachers at any stage of their career looking to develop and discover new teaching strategies can now enrol on ESTA Education's one-year Certificate for Music Educators (CME). Alternatively, for those wanting more advanced instrument-specific courses, the ESTA Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) is a more intensive online learning programme, requiring 12 to 15 hours of study each week.
Both courses are mostly taught remotely via online webinars and video lesson observations. Each student is allocated a mentor who supports and helps deliver the resources provided by the ESTA course leaders and the various ESTA-approved heads of instruments. There is also an additional course available for teachers of either piano or strings based in Hong Kong and Malaysia, the Certificate for Teachers (CfT). This course, by contrast, is taught in person.
Beyond the certificate
Both the CME and the PG Cert provide a fully accredited UK qualification, but beyond the certificate there is a lasting legacy of confidence and a reaffirming of one's ability, according to Aird: ‘Students have formed new friendships and gained a network of international colleagues. Sharing problems and solutions has provided each and every student with a valuable bank of new ideas and thinking.’
Head of the plucked strings teacher training course, Helen Sanderson, highlights the fact that teaching can be ‘somewhat solitary at times’, and feels that listening to other teachers provides a learning space with a unique camaraderie. ESTA Education's director of academic studies, Richard Crozier, adds: ‘I think the world of the instrumental or vocal teacher has always been quite a lonely one, especially for teachers either working at home or travelling from school to school.’
The CME is validated by Trinity College London at the standard of Ofqual Level 4, loosely equivalent to the early stages of undergraduate degree study. It begins with a three-day summer school in August, held at Chichester University, which consists of seminars covering many aspects of music education. Prior to attending, students are asked to provide a video recording of them teaching a lesson for the course mentors to make notes on their strengths, as well as areas that could be developed through the training.
The structure is focused around four main units of study: the reflective practitioner; music education and learners’ musical worlds; musical learning – planning, leading, assessment and evaluation; and finally, the music educator and their wider professional role. Students are required to carry out a written assignment and keep a professional development log, and to work on case studies through the submission of further lesson video recordings.
Group webinars are a key part of the learning – online class meetings where students can ask questions or chat about their ideas in a smaller group. While studies may be undertaken from home, work, or wherever you might be able to get online, the webinars mean that students are not alone and have the opportunity to interact with each other and their allocated mentor.
Specialised study
While there are no prerequisites for applying to the CME, the PG Cert on the other hand asks for applicants to hold a degree-level qualification and Grade 8 or equivalent as a performer. There are specified schools of study for this course: brass, piano, percussion, plucked strings, strings, voice and woodwind, separating out the learners into disciplines. There are some aspects in common with the CME, one of which is that the course begins with a group residential at the University of Chichester for PG Cert students from across all instrument groups.
Professor Laura Ritchie, cellist and PG Cert course leader, explains that the residential course is a vital part of the process, not only to meet the cohort but also to help everyone feel confident using the ESTA Education resources: ‘Not everyone is used to working online, so we introduce the online systems during the residential. The very nature of the course from then on is that it can be flexible, convenient for working teachers, and there are options for how and when mentor groups meet. I meet online with my students for around 45 minutes every week, but it depends on the group – some meet for longer, but less frequently.’
During the residential week, students will make a five-minute presentation on a teaching technique and undertake an analytical study of the specific method being covered. ‘We've had everything from using a railway track as a way to develop bowing techniques for beginners, to using cardboard tubes as props!’ says Ritchie. Students are then required to film themselves implementing this technique in a live lesson.
The group webinars, one-to-one meetings, discussions, reading material and video lesson observations provided by the course all aim to encourage teachers to question things they may previously have taken for granted. Some of the exploration into teaching practices might involve teaching without notation to enable a holistic approach, and often the techniques discussed come from other teachers in the group – all part of creating a supportive learning community.
ESTA works in partnership with the University of Chichester, where Ritchie is professor of learning and teaching. Successful completion of the PG Cert course is equal to one-third of a master's degree – a Level 7 qualification, validated by the university. There is then the option to complete the full MA degree at Chichester.
Cello teacher Sally Swift is part of the first cohort to do the Chichester University distance learning MA in Music Performance as a follow-on from the ESTA PG Cert: ‘When I heard about the ESTA course, I jumped at the chance. The fact that it was distance learning was a perfect fit for my busy teaching schedule, but earning credits towards an MA was such an added bonus.’
Expansion into Hong Kong and Malaysia
The CfT is the newest of ESTA's courses, taking place in just two locations: Hong Kong and Malaysia. ‘I'm delighted to announce that the University of Chichester and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama now endorse our new Certificate for Teachers programme, states Aird. ‘This is a short course, designed to refresh and reinvigorate, and to give teachers the stimulus for exploring further professional development opportunities.’
Designed by Bill Thomson, a former Hong Kong and Singapore development executive with ABRSM, along with Laura Ritchie, the classes are taught in person alongside interpreters. Written assignments can be submitted in English or Chinese, and all course leaders and mentors have experience working with teachers across South East Asia. Course topics range from improvisation to exam preparation and repertoire. The requirements for enrolment on the CfT are a Grade 8 certificate from a recognised exam board and a minimum age of 18.
What do the students get from these courses? Swift, who graduated in 2018, found the course made her ‘excited again about teaching’ and that she now has an ‘enquiring approach’.
Richard Crozier worked as ABRSM's director of professional development before becoming ESTA's director of academic studies. He has found that it isn't always easy for instrumentalists who would like move into music education: ‘At the start of their careers, highly proficient performers might be lacking a broad base of teaching skills,’ he says. ‘But across all backgrounds it's always been my experience that a period of study stimulates a greater hunger for more learning, and this certainly true of our ESTA students.’
The application process for ESTA Education courses can be found online (https://estaeducation.co.uk) along with course dates and fees.
