Australia’s Best Teachers: Trudy Surman’s dance classes aim to prep students with career skills

SA dance teacher Trudy Surman uses her lessons to equip students with real-world skills many employers seek.

It’s easy to draw the conclusion dance students limit themselves to a linear career path but this couldn’t be further from the truth, Trudy Surman says.

The Para Hills High School arts and culture co-ordinator believes dance studies can equip students with real-world skills many employers seek.

“The most important things with our year 7s when they first come into the arts is really about learning those skills that are needed when you step out into the workforce, like team building skills, communication skills, critical and creative thinking,” Ms Surman said.

“It’s all of those soft skills that employees actually want these days. If you can dance and you can act in front of your peers, then you can certainly get up in front of a prospective employer and sell yourself.”

With more than half of the school’s students from non-English speaking backgrounds, Ms Surman – named Secondary Teacher of the Year at the 2022 Public Education Awards – is committed to culturally responsive practices in her teaching.

“What I really love about my job is I work with some really great kids who are willing to try something that maybe they haven’t tried before,” she said.

“And it’s about seeing them experience something they haven’t – they have never possibly done a contemporary dance class or any dance class.”

The school has also had a dramatic increase in the number of male students participating in dance.

Dance teacher Trudy Surman with Aimable Irakze, 17, from Para Hills High School. Picture: Matt Loxton

“We’re very fortunate that we have another male dance teacher at our school now so we have this fantastic role model for our young men,” Ms Surman said.

“That’s taken a while to establish; I’ve been at this site for almost 25 years. Young men love to move and it just gives them a physical escape from being stuck in a chair all the time.

“Our program is a contemporary dance program but we establish warm-up practices that are very specific to fitness and a lot of our boys and girls can adapt and use this for their sporting.”

Education Minister Blair Boyer said Ms Surman was a “wonderful example of how to engage students in a way that is innovative and works to the individual student’s interests and strengths”.

“Trudy’s work in showcasing dance to a school, in a sometimes challenging socio-economic area, shows the profound impact teachers can have on a young person’s life,” he said.

“I was at Para Hills High School earlier this month to see the great work they are doing regarding wellbeing and the school’s principal, Alina Page, was quick to praise Trudy on her commitment to her students.

“That’s the real testament to how valued you are, not only as a teacher but as integral member of the community, that you can provide these amazing experiences to students in a way that will open doors to their future.”

Mr Boyer said public education was so much more than teaching.

“For more than 150 years, public schools and preschools in SA have served the important public purpose of enriching the lives of children and young people,” he said.

“By helping them to reach their potential, contribute to the economy through work, and play an active role in their community, teachers play an integral and important role in shaping our young people.

“Teachers who take on this incredible work should rightly be recognised for the amazing contributions they make, not just to a classroom, but to their community more broadly, with impressions left on their students for years to come.”

Originally published as Australia’s Best Teachers: Trudy Surman’s dance classes aim to prep students with career skills