Music for ALL

The founder and creator of 'Teach to the Beat' is Mrs Deborah Armstrong who has been a local Primary School teacher for over 15 years. As Music Co-ordinator as well as a busy class teacher and Mum of four, Deborah is well-experienced at juggling the pressures of school life.

After working tirelessly for many years to encourage fellow teachers to teach Music for themselves, she eventually found a way which worked. 'Teach to the Beat' was the answer. Keen to support as many schools as possible, Deborah now aims to make Music teaching accessible for ALL Primary School teachers whether they have a musical background or not.

For too long, Music in NI Primary schools has been seen as the responsibility of ‘someone else more musical.’ With the help of TTTB, it is time that EVERY teacher sees themselves as capable of delivering this essential subject area. When EVERY teacher is involved, EVERY child can be too.

Our Research

Music is an essential element of 'The Arts' in the NI Curriculum. However, a recent survey by TTTB revealed the key barriers curbing its impact.

These were:

*a lack of skills;

* a pressure to prioritise other subjects and;

* a lack of time and resources.

As a result, 98% of teachers surveyed said they were not fully confident to teach Music within the Primary Classroom.

To help them develop the confidence they need, 'Teach to the Beat' seeks to overcome these barriers with its online, cross-curricular, easy-to-use units, exclusively designed around the Music objectives of the Northern Ireland Curriculum.

More than ‘just' Music

The starting point is always an exciting WAU Topic, e.g.Seasons, Nursery Rhymes, Food, Weather- to name but a few!

The Music teaching is expertly woven around these; all whilst consolidating other learning objectives as well as the NI Curriculum’s Cross-Curricular Skills, Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities.

With NI learning objectives specifically outlined in each unit, you can be confident that ‘Teach to the Beat’ leads Cross-Curricular learning at its best.

Highly sought after for the top-quality resources she brings to the classroom; Deborah has worked as a Professional Associate for CCEA and is now part of the Taskforce for Curriculum Reform for Music in Northern Ireland.

Deborah is delighted to be partnering with the renowned ‘Out of the Ark Music’ to bring you the very best of songs within each TTTB Unit. Her passion for what Music can achieve really is contagious. Read more in the ‘Our Partners’ tab!

Music for Mental Health

Increasingly, schools are recognising the need to cater for pupil and staff mental health and well-being. Indeed, even in the New ETI Inspection Frame, ‘Health, Well-being and Keeping Safe’ is highlighted as one of the nine contributory areas.

When we consider that 1 in 6 children in our society are likely to have a mental health problem (The Children’s Society), the unique power of Music to reach areas which no other subject can becomes especially noteworthy. Many of our Pilot schools have been 'Being Well, Doing Well' or 'Take 5' schools. In the Testimonial section, you can read more about the beneficial impact TTTB has had as it has run alongside these mental health initiatives.

Making lessons positive, heart-warming and enjoyable for teachers- as well as pupils- is also a driving factor. With TTTB’s ‘click of the button’, workload-reducing resources, schools need not look any further! No stress, no running around, no extra personnel required- just Music delivered by everyday teachers and integrated into the lessons of everyday classrooms.

A Genuine Passion

Deborah is the most passionate and empathetic educator! When she visited our class, she already knew the children by name from our previous discussions about their progress, which truly impressed me. She immediately got involved in the lessons, and the children absolutely loved her energy and enthusiasm. Deborah's passion for music shines through in everything she does.

She understands how powerful music can be in supporting children's development across the curriculum, and her resources reflect that perfectly. She's also been a fantastic person to collaborate with - always approachable, quick to respond, and full of inspiring ideas. Thank you, Deborah, for your hard work and dedication in developing these wonderful schemes for teachers.You are a passionate educator who genuinely makes a difference! Cathy Allen - Macosquin PS.