Head of music’s double-decade milestone

Watching successful music groups perform in public has been a highlight of a 20-year career enjoyed by a teacher at Aureus School.

Head of Music Alison Burbage was inspired to take up the profession after being taught by a number of inspirational teachers, although there have been a lot of changes since she first started.

“I think the role of a teacher has changed to be more encompassing. You have to be aware of so many things in every single lesson, and ensure you meet the needs of every student and also be aware of anything that may be different about every single student. I teach every student and key stage three, so that is a lot to remember,” she said.

But staying motivated isn’t an issue as Mrs Burbage says she thinks about all the students she has taught, and how positive they have been when they see her outside school wanting to tell her what they’ve been doing.

“Seeing music groups that I have led performing in concerts both here and abroad has definitely been very rewarding,” she said.

Mrs Burbage started her teaching career at a school in Reading in 2005, and joined the team at Aureus, a member GLF Schools Multi-Academy Trust,  in 2021. Outside of school she is a fan of reading, especially Jane Austen or any good thriller.

As a teacher, among the challenges she has faced over the last two decades have been the changes around what should be done in lessons and what the focus is.

“Learning all of the new terms, and especially the acronyms can be challenging. I find it best to put the changes in when required and not over think about it, but to think about the benefit that those changes will have on those students,” she said.

Teachers need to have an unlimited source of understanding - and empathise with the students as to why they make some of the decisions that they do and to think very carefully about how students feel about the subject.

There is no ‘best moment’ says Mrs Burbage; “I can’t pinpoint one single moment, but seeing a student perform when they have, at first, said they couldn’t, but then they worked really hard to be able to perform and the smile on their face when they realised they actually could is really rewarding.”

Newly-qualified teachers should be able to start each lesson fresh, without thinking about what might have happened in the previous one - whether it was the same class or not.

“I have had some really important exchanges with students who might have had a difficult few lessons, but then decide they are going to work hard and focus.”

The relationship between school and the students’ families has also evolved over time and now there is more contact between teachers and parents where a positive relationship can make a real difference.

“I think that it is now more important than ever that students see teachers as human beings and they respect you more when they see you like this,” she says.

And for the future - the arts needs to be included more and be accessible for everyone and Alison would like her students to remember her for listening to them and being both understanding and passionate about her subject.