Qualifications

What qualifications do you need to teach music?

Technically, nothing.  You could set yourself up right now as a music teacher, with no letters beside your name, no years of lessons behind you, no knowledge of your instrument or repertoire.  Of course, if you did that, you’d also have no students.

If you want to keep and retain students, you will need to have some kind of training behind you.  

There is a belief that your “letters” (e.g. diplomas such as ATCL) are some kind of teaching qualification.  They’re not.  There are some examining bodies that have diplomas in teaching, but having your ATCL in, say, Performance Flute is not a qualification for teaching.  What it does mean, however, is that you have obviously studied your instrument to a very high level, and will have a working knowledge of technical aspects of your instrument.

The best way to learn to teach is to teach.  There’s a saying “To teach is to learn twice,”[1] that is, you continue to learn, or gain further insight, when you teach.  Teaching is a great way to think about a topic and to work out how break it down into smaller, logical and more manageable steps.

If you are trying to decide whether or not you’re ready to start teaching, try easing your way into it.  Ask your teacher (or any other teacher you know/admire) if you can observe them teaching.  Did they explain a concept the way you would explain it?  How would you explain it differently?  Maybe ask that they mentor you?  Some senior teachers have such a huge waiting list that they might get their more advanced pupils to start teaching the children on the waiting list.  Ask if this is available.

Find a trial student.  Offer your next door neighbour’s kid a few free trumpet lessons.  Help coach a junior chamber music group at school.  Go back to your old primary/intermediate school and offer to help out with the rock band.  The more experience you have with children and teaching/coaching, the better teacher you’re going to be.

There’s no regulatory body that looks over music teachers or their qualifications.  There are music education organisations you can join, but these are optional. It’s a good idea to have a look into these as they offer workshops/PD sessions (teacher speak for Professional Development.  Not prison speak for Periodic Detention).  In New Zealand we have MENZA (Music Education New Zealand/Aotearoa), IRMT (Institute of Registered Music Teachers), NEWZATS (something about singing…) and many others you can join.  All of which have VCAs.[2]

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[1] Joseph Joubert, 1896 (post)

[2] Vaguely Catchy Acronyms