Teacher Education Courses
Carl Orff Canada offers Teacher Education Courses, ranging from an Introductory Course to the 3 Levels internationally recognized Teacher Certification Program. Offered through universities, conservatories and local Orff Chapters across Canada, the 3-year Levels program is made up of Levels I, II and III. Upon completion of all 3 levels, each which has been endorsed by Carl Orff Canada, a certificate is awarded.
Further professional learning opportunities are available in Canada through workshops, master level courses, peer coaching and the Mentorship program. Educators interested in becoming Teacher Educators in the Levels Courses can apply for the Internship Program.
F.A.Q. about Orff Schulwerk Teacher Education Courses (Levels Courses)
Are you tired of spending all your prep time looking for material and struggling with coming up with meaningful, sequential plans? These level courses are designed to help you. During this valuable two week program, you will be exposed to beautifully crafted lessons involving play, imitation, exploration, discovery, creation, and reflection which you can take right back to your classroom. The Orff approach is well known for its focus on creativity and integrating multiple ways of music making. The voice, body percussion, movement, and a wide assortment of pitched and unpitched instruments offer you and then your students the broadest possible program. Classroom-friendly stuff! It will change your professional practice (and your life)!
Courses are generally based on 60 hours of contact time plus assignments. These are most frequently offered as two-week summer intensive courses. Some course providers may provide other options. Contact them for details.
Typically, courses run Monday through Friday for two weeks. Each day usually has three hours of Orff pedagogy, and one hour each of vocal, movement and recorder. Expect a couple of hours of homework each night.
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They may. This varies province to province, course to course, so please contact the course provider for details.
There are scholarships available through COC for level II and III students. Local Orff chapters and course providers may offer other scholarships. Contact them for details.
Carl Orff Canada is a community of music educators. There are local chapters across the country that offer regular workshops and other opportunities throughout the year. There is a National Conference hosted every two years. Becoming a member of COC entitles you to discounts on workshops and conferences, a regular journal including all the back issues, a ‘members only’ website full of lesson plans and videos, and an amazing network of engaged music educators.
There are three levels to the Carl Orff Canada Teacher Education Curriculum, plus an optional Introductory Level. These ‘endorsed’ courses follow the expectations established in the current COC Teacher Education Curriculum and can be taken in many different locations across the country.
Each level is made up of four strands: basic pedagogy, vocal, recorder, and movement within a flexible framework.
Levels Course Instructors Internship Program
This program prepares educators to be Basic Orff Teacher Instructors in an Orff Levels Course.
People who are interested in teaching Basic Orff in a levels course in Canada can apply to be an internship candidate. If the application is approved by the Teacher Educator Internship Committee of Carl Orff Canada, the candidate is matched with an experienced internship teacher educator and works closely with that person while fulfilling the requirements to complete the program.
For internship program guidelines and application procedures, please see Section Q in the Policies and Procedures Manual found in the members only section of this website.
For further information, contact First Vice-President, chair of the COC Teacher Educator Internship Committee.
International Course Listings
Interested in Orff Schulwerk studies abroad? Further details about courses may be obtained on the websites of the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum Salzburg and the Orff Institute for Elementary Music and Dance Education.
Course Listings by Province
Details about each course can be obtained by following the links provided.
Note: Specific courses are endorsed by Carl Orff Canada and clearly marked.
Please check this list for regular updates.
More F.A.Q. about Orff Schulwerk Teacher Education Courses (Levels Courses)
Each level is made up of four strands: basic pedagogy, vocal, recorder, and movement within a flexible framework.
Courses held from 2022 introduced Carl Orff Canada’s newly revised Level II and III Curriculum. Because the Basic Orff content significantly overlaps in the “new Level II” and the “old Level III,” course providers may offer the two in combination. If you have taken Level II before 2022 and are interested in completing Level III, contact your Course Director for more details.
Yes, you could take level one at one location and level two from another, etc., as long as they are endorsed North American courses.
For Introduction to Orff:
- None, but some experience performing and reading music is strongly advised. Familiarity with basic music theory is a definite asset.
For Orff Level I:
- Background in music theory equivalent to Royal Conservatory of Music Basic Rudiments (Level 5) and performance ability on an instrument; OR permission of the Course Director.
For Orff Level II:
- Orff Level I from a COC Endorsed course, meeting expectations* in all strands of the course OR permission of the Course Director.
- One year of implementation of an Orff program as a teacher is strongly advised.
For Orff Level III:
- Orff Level II from a COC Endorsed course, meeting expectations* in all strands of the course OR permission of the Course Director.
- Two years of implementation of an Orff program as a teacher is strongly advised.
For the Orff Specialist Certificate:
- Successful completion of the Level III program, meeting expectations* in all strands of the course.
* “Meeting expectations” is differently interpreted in different courses, but as a general rule, participants should achieve 80% in each strand of the course in order to meet expectations.
It is important for the continuity of learning that participants take courses in sequential order: Intro (optional), Levels I, II and III. The skills and understandings from each level build upon each other. Each participant needs to experience the curriculum sequentially for mastery to develop. Courses may be repeated at any time, even after completion of Level III.
It is strongly recommended that participants gain a year of teaching experience between levels courses. Exceptions can be made, in the case of Intro courses or other situations. Contact the Course Director.
It is strongly recommended that participants attempt to complete teacher education courses within a 7-year span to experience continuity within the program. If an extended time has passed since attending an endorsed course, participants are encouraged to repeat a course. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Course Director, especially where the applicant is actively teaching using the Orff Schulwerk approach.
The Course Provider issues an ‘Orff Specialist’ Certificate to all Level III participants who complete all strands of the course successfully, recognizing you as an Orff Specialist by the COC.
Intro, Level I and Level II participants are issued a certificate recognizing their progress towards the Orff Specialist Certificate.
Course providers and Orff chapters offer many other valuable workshops and courses to teachers as ongoing professional development. These courses and workshops do not count towards the Orff Specialist Certificate.