Other topics discussed included: The roles of the Instructor, the Mentor and the ESA Instrument Committee on the Instructor’s path to becoming a Teacher Trainer. The importance of the SUZUKI™ Early Childhood Education program as an integral element of the Suzuki community and a reminder of Dr. Suzuki’s vision to give every child an opportunity to develop their potential through quality music education from birth. Continuous--Professional Development - should ESA provide courses and events for continuous professional development, and should these courses be required for maintaining membership? How proactive should ESA be in reaching all its members? Fortunately, the planners also provided for time to be social and enjoy the company of our colleagues, which is always an important part of a conference! Thank you to the organisers for this inspirational weekend! 5 Teacher Trainer Manuals and Examinations - are there too many rules? Where did the manual and rules come from? Who should become a Teacher Trainer and how do we find the right people? How can we collaborate with other instruments on our courses and exams? The focus of the conference was very much on examining the structure of our Teacher Training Courses and in particular, the Teacher Training and Examination Manuals which ensure a uniform means of evaluation throughout the membership countries. But is the procedure too prescriptive? How do we balance freedom and flexibility for the individual Teacher Trainer against ensuring quality? Edith Code European Suzuki Teacher Trainers’ Conference 2025 European Suzuki Association Teacher Trainers’ Conference in the beautiful city of Vilnius, Lithuania, April 18-20, 2025. It was three days of inspiration and connecting/ reconnecting with colleagues from 25 countries. The program was packed from morning to evening with presentations and group discussions, taking a look into the past, present and future of SUZUKI™ Teacher Training. There were 80 participants attending, and in the spirit of collaboration, it was not only Teacher Trainers who were invited. Instructors (soon to be Teacher Trainers), Level 5 Teachers (Teachers who have completed all the levels of training) and Country Directors (our link between ESA and the national associations) were invited as well. Most importantly, we also had ESA’s Administrator, Sue Wimpeney, who is essential to keeping the organisation running! This mix of participants allowed us to share our experiences from many different vantage points and for many of us this shed new light on the whole topic of Teacher Training. The event started with a wonderful concert with Lithuanian students. Many thanks go out to the Suzuki Flute, Piano, Guitar and Violin students and Teachers of Lithuania who presented us with a beautifully prepared and very touching program where Lithuanian music was highlighted. The program of the conference was well thought out by Patricia Rüttiman, alternating between presentations for the entire group, discussion groups with about 15 in each group, and smaller workshops/talks with 2-3 talks held simultaneously. This provided a good way to cover a subject from various angles. hese are some of the questions that were explored at the recent T
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4MzY=