I am curious as to whether or not the ABRSM give out some kind of award for teachers whose students all obtain exceptionally high marks. I know the best reward for all of our hard work is of course seeing our students excell and enjoy their music, but I think it would be nice for some kind of official recognition from the examination board. It would also be something great for new teachers to aspire to, and be an excellent addition to any C.V.

What do people think?

what about the teachers who are really good but end up with kids who can't be bothered to practice?

I'm not sure...
It could be a bit like school league tables, in that the important thing should really be who does the best with what they've got to work with - but isn't. What's the saying - you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear - but there are some teachers who will have a better stab at it than others, and getting the best out of an individual is more important than a teacher's overall results. We could end up - if taken to the extreme - with teachers only entering the very best in order not to blot their copy book, or only taking on pupils who show high potential. Once slow starters get underway, they could then move to 'high achieving teachers', with the donkey work having already been done, which the new teacher would then take the credit for. I'm all for credit where it's due, but I'm not sure that this would do that. It would only take a few high-flyers to give a teacher a reputation that was undeserved, and no one would know about how Mrs. X round the corner was getting results from pupils that other teachers might tear their hair out over.

Don't think I'd want a reward of this sort.

I've just watched two of my pupils participating in a holiday orchestral concert, really enjoying themselves. For one, it was her first experience of playing in an orchestra, she came over at the end with a huge beam across her face saying how much she loved it and thank you for telling her to join.

Reward enough, I think.

I agree with Sarah and Dulciana...there is so much more to being a good teacher than getting lots of high marks. While people who sack students who aren't that musical or who are a bit lazy would zoom to the top of the list, the rest of us, who teach students with learning difficulties or those who are just playing 'for fun' would be left out in the cold.

I think both types of teacher are equally valid and important. It would be virtually impossible to include awards for teachers whose pupils don't practise regularly, but who are doing a sterling job in other areas, getting what they can out of not particularly talented children. Their work is just as important as the teacher with the dedicated, distinction-acheiving pupils.

Best left alone I think!

Also, I really think that the grade in the exam is, at the end of the day, down to the practice the pupils do at home and to their natural aptitude too. If they do really well they deserve the credit for it!

Yes...And we could always resurrect that old chestnut about whether a high exam mark doth a good player make...or whether some are just good at passing exams, having flogged it all to death at the expense of real learning.

Over the years we've had many threads and posts here from teachers and their pupils who have overcome all sorts of difficulties in their learning, and for whom passing a grade at all is a great pinnacle of success. An awards system like this wouldn't recognise the triumph such a result represents.

Perhaps instead of an award for teachers whose pupils get high marks, maybe there should be some kind of annual thing where students get to put in votes saying why their teacher should win...and then judges would read them and decide the most worthy teacher. That way teachers would get recognition for things other than teaching high flyers...

...although perhaps it might not be fair if some teachers have less pupils or something...

Clara Taylor was once quoted in Libretto saying when she hears the words 'all my pupils get distinctions', perhaps such teachers are very selective about who they take on. I couldn't agree more. The same teacher may have highly talented pupils, hard working but struggling pupils, lazy pupils, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, pupils with learning disabilities. I tell you I have seen every one of the above and more.

Interesting idea but unfair to judge teachers purely on results at face value.

I once knew a teacher who always had really high distinctions for her pupils exams. She achieved this by entering for them for grades approx 2 below their standard! we could probably all do that, but isn't it cheating?!

In a word, yes!

It must also have been very boring and unchallenging for the students...

I agree that such awards would be a bad idea. To be honest I think it's the completely opposite to who should get awarded. The best teacher I've ever known wasn't bothered about making sure her pupils got distinctions in every exam - she was more concerned about making sure they enjoyed playing and were getting the most from their instrument.

Of all the music teachers I've been to, the best by far was one with exactly this attitude. I enjoyed every lesson!

Which is precisely why the current school league table system (and the box-ticking way of teaching now prevalent in our schools) is such a farce...

G.O.W.

The only reward worth having is the smile on the face of a pupil who is enjoying the music - be it Grade 8 distinction or the first couple of notes correctly produced.

Well said!!

I think that long service awards might be a good idea. Otherwise no. Exam results are not the main object of the exercise as we all know, and our rewards will come in many other ways.