What Does a Good K–6 Music Curriculum Actually Look Like?
3 Things That Most Documents Get Wrong
Opening a government lesson resource is the most brutal confidence hit you didn’t ask for, and I’m not even talking about the 160 pages.
I’m talking about the version of yourself that starts to believe the lie: the teacher who thinks she’s not good enough, the teacher who apologises for not being a music specialist, that part of you who thinks if you just work harder and read more documents, you’ll finally feel prepared.
I’ve watched teachers get handed music on top of everything else. I’ve witnessed the “just make it work” culture get normalised. I’ve opened resources expecting answers, only to discover they were designed for a version of me that doesn’t exist.
Here’s what I know after thirty years in and around music education: teaching music is not just about delivering content. It’s about becoming someone who can stand in front of kids and lead them to learning something incredible. And for teachers especially — already stretched thin, already doubting themselves — this journey shouldn’t require you to sacrifice your mental health, your evenings, or your belief that you’re capable.
This isn’t about one document. It’s about what happens when the tools you’re given expect you to teach in a way that just doesn’t work in a classroom. It’s about the teacher who stays up late trying to decode jargon. The one who feels guilty for not understanding. The one who blames themselves when it’s the document that failed them.
If you’ve ever opened something that was supposed to help you and you felt your stomach drop, if you’re teaching music without being a musician, or if you’re just tired of resources that make you feel small — this one’s for you!
Listen to this episode now on The Spark for Music Teachers.
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The spark for music teachers is ten minutes of mindset and energy designed especially for anyone teaching music. Tune in every month for insights, tips, strategies for dealing with common issues that arise in teaching music in schools and everything in between! Follow us for more.
I’m glad you understand and can relate to this situation!
Classroom teachers with absolutely no arts background or academic Arts qualifications, coerced to teach the arts.
Oh my! Not like they’re already extremely stressed! No wonder there’s a shortage of teachers! Ahí, yai, yai, yai!
Ahí, yai, yai is right, Bernie! The pressure placed on classroom teachers — especially in the arts — is genuinely unfair, and you’re absolutely right that it contributes to the teacher shortage crisis. We hear this over and over, and it’s part of why we’re so passionate about making music education as accessible and stress-free as possible for teachers.