By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Mackenzie Coughlin’s eyes light up when she talks about her student-teaching placement.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney senior spent the semester at Bryant Elementary School, where she gained hands-on experience in a first grade classroom.
Coughlin greeted her students at the door each day, taught them lessons about reading, writing, social studies, science and math, and, most importantly, developed close relationships with the young children.
“You can’t have effective teaching without having that trust and the relationships with students first,” she notes.
When her 16 weeks in the classroom ended and it was time to say goodbye, the students gave her handwritten notes with a shared message: We’re going to miss you.
“It warmed my heart,” Coughlin said.
And it reinforced her decision to pursue a career in education.
“It’s amazing to see the impact a teacher can make, even if it’s just a semester,” she said. “Yes, the education part is important, but it really is about the bond that you create with students and seeing them grow as people.”
LOPER FAMILY
An Omaha native, Coughlin has been preparing for this role her entire life.
Her mother Heidi is a first grade teacher at Ponca Elementary School in her hometown, and she has three younger brothers who also played a part in the process, whether they recognized it or not.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” Coughlin explained. “When I was little, I would make my brothers have fake names and I would be their teacher. I just always knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
As she got older, Coughlin started to recognize the positive influence educators had on her life.
“I can still think back to some of my favorite teachers (of course, Mom is one of them) and the impact they had on me,” she said. “It’s lasting. They left that impact on me and I wanted to do that for other students.”
Coughlin attended Omaha Central, one of the largest high schools in the state, and was a member of the Eagles dance team. She enjoyed that experience, but wanted something “more personal” during college.
With a close-knit campus and strong teacher education program, UNK emerged as a top option. Coughlin finalized her decision when she made the UNK Sapphires Dance Team, allowing her to continue pursuing another lifelong passion.
“The dance team here gave me so much confidence and brought me so many opportunities,” said Coughlin, who’s been dancing since age 2. “Coming in my freshman year, I was very timid and not one to get out of my comfort zone, but it forced me to put myself out there and gave me another purpose. Being on the sidelines, I was part of something bigger than just the dance team. I was part of the whole Loper experience in a sense.”
Coughlin also joined the Alpha Phi sorority, giving her another support system and social circle to lean on.
“I came from Omaha – 2 1/2 hours away. If I didn’t have these opportunities, I probably would have gone home on the weekends or stayed in my dorm room,” she said. “Having that close group of friends right off the bat really got me out of my shell and encouraged me to try new things.”
“That’s something I’ve really appreciated about UNK,” she added. “I’ve gotten the bigger university experience while still having it feel like a tight-knit family.”
PASSION FOR EDUCATION
That sense of community extends to academics.
Coughlin formed close relationships with faculty members and classmates, as well as K-12 educators already working in the field.
She started observing classrooms at local schools during her freshman year and was hired to work as a tutor at Bryant Elementary School through America Reads/America Counts, a federal work-study program. Coughlin has been a paraeducator at Bryant, as well, and she works in the Kearney Community Learning Center after-school program.
“It’s those hands-on experiences that you’re going to learn the most from, in a classroom with real students. And UNK puts you there right away, which I appreciated,” she said.
“I feel like you really learn your teaching style when you’re given an opportunity to take that textbook knowledge and implement it into your own lesson plans,” Coughlin added. “You have to be in a classroom to experience that. You’re also receiving so much feedback that all you can do is grow. You’re getting feedback from professors, from the classroom teachers that you’re working with in the community and from the students.”
In Coughlin’s case, this feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
Lisa Jelden, a senior lecturer in the UNK Department of Teacher Education, calls her an energetic, professional student with an obvious passion for education.
“During her coursework in the teacher education program, she jumped into activities with enthusiasm and didn’t hesitate to take the lead when needed. She was open to feedback and always looking for ways to improve her teaching skills, which shows her commitment to growth and learning,” Jelden said. “I’m confident that she will continue to grow and make a big impact in education, both in the classroom and as part of the school community.”
Karrie Banks agrees. As Coughlin’s cooperating teacher at Bryant Elementary School, she also saw the work ethic, dedication and caring attitude firsthand.
“I believe her biggest strength in the classroom is relationship-building. She connected with the students on a high level in a very short amount of time,” Banks said.
“Mackenzie is going to be an amazing teacher,” she added. “It comes very naturally for her. She’s definitely ready to have her own classroom, and her future students are very lucky to get her.”
A member of the Kappa Delta Pi education honor society, Coughlin graduates summa cum laude on Friday with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She’ll represent the College of Education as a gonfalonier during the commencement ceremony.
Coughlin plans to substitute teach at Kearney Public Schools this spring and continue working in the after-school program. She’ll start a full-time teaching position next fall, putting her one step closer to her lifelong mission.
“I hope to be an educator that a student will say was their favorite teacher when they’re older,” she said. “When you think about your favorite teacher, you’re not thinking of the lessons they taught or what you learned academically, you’re thinking of how they made you feel and the relationship they had with you.
“Someday down the line, I want a student to say, ‘Miss Coughlin was my favorite teacher.’ That would make my heart so happy.”
