Serving as a student teacher is typically a great way for college students looking to get a degree in education to hone in on their teaching skills and test the water with actual students. The White Station High Orchestras, under the instruction of Dr. Andrew Plamer, just gained one by the name of Matthew Finley from the University of Memphis.

Finley was able to request working at a high school because he wanted to work with more mature players, and his program felt he was best needed right here at White Station to push him. His only prior teaching experience was that of a summer camp at Whitehaven, but he has high hopes of learning a lot from Dr. Palmer, who interestingly, he started playing the viola with in fifth grade.

“I’m expecting to learn how teaching is from a teacher’s perspective because I already know how it is from the student side. I’m also learning how to rehearse a big group. That’s something I want to get better at doing,” he said.

The 2016 Overton High School graduate hopes that he can give students relatable and sound advice, given that he is just a tad more experienced than them.

“I am, of course, younger than Dr. Palmer, and I see the students doing the exact same things I was doing in high school. I don’t want to say I’m going to ‘big brother’ them all, but kinda like that,” he said.