Mr. Christian Daviduk is one of the two student teachers in the music wing this year. Mr. Daviduk currently attends Westminster College.
At the moment he is teaching with choir director Mrs. Susan Metelsky, but will switch over to band director Mr. JP Scanga sometime in March. Let’s get to know a little bit about Mr. Daviduk!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Washington, Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes south of Pittsburgh.
Did where you grow up affect your choice for your occupation?
I would say so. I went to Trinity High School, and a lot of the teachers there really took pride in what they did, especially my high school band director Mr. Dan Hilty. They were the best model of what any educator should be and influenced me to study education myself.
How long have you been student teaching?
I started January 20, so for about a month now.
Where are you considering teaching once you graduate?
I am pretty open-minded when it comes to where I am going to apply. I would not mind moving out West to explore the rest of the world while doing what I enjoy!
Why did you choose to teach music?
Music always stuck out as something I enjoyed growing up. I was always a soft-spoken kid, and music gave me the confidence that I lacked. It was an outlet for me to express myself, and if I can give another kid that same experience . . . I would deem that a success!
If you could teach any other subject, what would it be and why?
Probably history. I always liked history in high school. Music and history go hand-in-hand with each other so it was neat getting to see the connection between the two subjects.
Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration is my mother. She always pushed me to be the best that I could be, and everything I do, I do to make her proud.
What is one thing that you would like your students to take away from you?
A love for music and the ability to be able to have fun through performing music.
What is the hardest part about student teaching?
I think right now the biggest issue is being able to juggle the in-person students while also having asynchronous students. It is a very uncertain time, so it’s weird because there are situations that arise that you have to think creatively to solve. COVID-19 came to the states the second semester of my junior year which is right after I took my [teaching] method classes, so my college classes never had the opportunity to provide me solutions for COVID.