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Senior Maddie Devericks did not find her calling as a teacher until after she began college. Today, her time as a student teacher Beadle Middle School in Omaha is her proof that she chose the right path — one she wants to continue as a Nebraska teacher.
Though she’s been spending a lot of time in the classroom lately, Devericks never considered becoming a teacher before college. It wasn’t until she spent a summer in Washington, D.C., as an educational tour guide for middle school students that she started to suspect she might have a calling.
“This whole new exciting version of myself just suddenly came out when I was with students,” she said. “I realized I needed to figure out a way to make this my job. I was like, ‘Oh, duh, I should be a teacher.’”
Devericks, who grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, quickly changed her major and has not looked back. This semester student teaching, she's putting to practice the work she’s done to pursue her passion.
“It’s been so cool to see the ideas I’ve been studying be used in real-life classrooms,” she said. “I’ve been able to directly help students through a lot of same concepts we’ve been learning.”
Beyond applying the knowledge she’s gained, Deverick has been relishing the chance to build relationships with students.
“It's been so fun seeing the students get more comfortable with me as I've been in the classroom," she said. "Since they’ve gotten to know me and we’ve built that trust together, I’m able to be more effective as their teacher.”
Those connections inspire change in her students, too.
“I’ve noticed that more students will come chat with me one-on-one about their lives, which then translates to them participating more in class," she said. "There are a lot of levels to what fostering these relationships can do.”
She's also finding plenty to learn from the experienced teachers around her.
“From my first day at Beadle, I’ve felt so welcomed by the staff," she said. "They’ve been so supportive of me and encourage me to ask questions, so I’ve just experienced this constant stream of learning.”
Nearly one in four new teachers in Nebraska are Husker grads — after earning her degree, Devericks hopes to become one of them.
“I'm not from Nebraska, but I’ve loved it from the second I moved," she said. "I'm definitely looking to stay and teach here.”
