Tuning his teaching

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For music education and music performance senior Matt Nix, music is what he has been devoted to for the past 13 years. But teaching it to young students still stirs a small identity issue within him.

“Those first couple weeks … when you are immersing in it and living it, actually I would say it was somewhat of a crisis,” he said.

Nix, who has just finished the first four weeks of a 16-week student teaching program at East Lansing Public Schools, is spending most of his day following his teacher mentor and only is on MSU campus once per week. The hardest part of his work, Nix said, is the constantly changing roles as a student and as a teacher.

“When I am at school, I have to view things — like something that happens right in front of me — I would have to deal with it as a teacher,” he said. “But as soon as it is finished, I challenge myself to always view it as a learner, as a student.”

Still, Nix said teaching is a passion for him and he is working as a student teacher for the semester to gain hands-on experience.

Nix is not a newcomer to teaching students — it’s something he’s pursued for years.

Ever since high school, he has been teaching a music class in Flint, Mich., every Saturday, and for more than two years, he has been involved with the MSU Community Music School as a cello instructor.

Music and teaching is all interconnected; and like music, it can have an open ending too, Nix said.
“Sharing something I love, sharing music, is something I look forward to every morning when I wake up,” he said.

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