LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Each month during the school year, 10/11 and Doane University present a Golden Apple Award to a deserving teacher. This month’s winner teaches music at Kooser Elementary in Lincoln. This school prides itself on being the Kodiaks, which is fitting for Matt Erb. Just as a Kodiak is the largest bear in the world, Mr. Erb’s personality is larger than life.
For the surprise presentation, 10/11′s Taryn and Jon Vanderford headed to a familiar place. Their kids both attended Kooser Elementary, and Mr. Erb was instrumental in instilling their love of music. So it was an honor for them to present Mr. Erb with the teaching award.
Matt Erb is a Milford native. He’s been teaching at Kooser since the elementary school opened in northwest Lincoln in 2009. He took a break for five years to work for the Lincoln Education Association and returned because he missed the kids.
His love for music grew as a member of the Cornhusker Marching Band. His desire to become an elementary music teacher was solidified when he student taught under Barb Nelson at West Lincoln.
“Honestly I found that here at the elementary level this is where the rubber meets the road,” Erb said. “I get to be an instrumental teacher as well as a vocal teacher. I teach xylophone, recorder, drums as we sing and play and dance and move. It’s the best of both worlds in my opinion.”
Mr. Erb was recommended for the award anonymously. And the person who nominated Mr. Erb put great effort into praising his attributes.
“What sets Matt apart is his ability to connect with each student at Kooser on a personal level. His patience, empathy, and genuine care for his students at Kooser have made a profound impact on their lives and have helped them discover the joy and power of music.” the anonymous nominator wrote.
“You have to trick them into learning, Erb said. “P.E. and music can be rivals in elementary school, and P.E. is going to win that battle in the eyes of a 7-year-old almost every time. So in order to make music the same fun energy level that I see my P.E. colleagues bring to their classes, you have to engage the students and put on a performance so they want to learn whatever it is they are learning that day.”
The person who nominated Mr. Erb for the Golden Apple Award said that music isn’t just about hitting the right notes. It’s about fostering creativity. And one way Mr. Erb did that is by writing the Kooser fight song.
To this day, the Vanderford kids and most Kooser graduates can still sing the fight song Mr. Erb wrote with his wife Morgan and friend Jack Rinke.
“We sat down and knew that no school worth its salt didn’t have a fight song,” Erb said. “We needed to instill pride and community at the school and then the Kooser Kodiak fight song was born. It’s my biggest hit.”
Kooser principal Kellie Joy-Clark said these words come to mind when she thinks of Mr. Erb.
“Passionate, playful, exuberant, intelligent, fun, I can’t even stop with the adjectives I could use to describe Matthew,” Joy-Clark said. “Just joyous. So many things about him just make learning and being around him just wonderful.”
She said Mr. Erb is a gifted educator and a fabulous human, a human with a passion and energy to teach kids music and to love it their whole lives.
“Kids who continue to do music through high school and into their adult lives is what you do this for,” Erb said. “That’s why we do this, to create a legacy long term.”
If you know a teacher who’d be perfect for this honor like Mr. Matt Erb, nominate them here.
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