2009 Awards
Teacher Award
Miss Maria Natoli
Classroom Music Teacher
Indooroopilly State School, Indooroopilly, QLD
Maria Natoli is an inspiring and enthusiastic music teacher for Preparatory to Year 7 classes at Indooroopilly State School. She provides a sequential and developmental program of classroom music, using a wide variety of music material to encourage students to actively participate in learning. Maria conducts choirs with Years 4-7, and has been successful in encouraging primary school boys of all ages to sing. She uses a range of pedagogical practices which advance students' knowledge, skills and confidence in music, and which develop persistence and foster a sense of belonging through group music-making. She organises a whole school Talent Quest which is non-competitive and seeks to promote student participation and to build confidence as performers.
Maria Natoli also provides professional support in music for her school colleagues, and organises cluster meetings with other music teachers in the area. She encourages all attendees to share ideas and to reflect on their teaching practice. Several initiatives have emerged which have been adopted for the benefit of students from the cluster schools, including 'Vocal Workout', a day where choral students come together to participate in a variety of small workshops to develop vocal technique and to foster a love of singing in a non-competitive environment.