Moira Coughlin

Position: Resource TeacherSchool: Costello Elementary SchoolSchool District: Lyons School District 103City, State: Lyons, IllinoisAbout the Nominee: Moira Coughlin was nominated by her principal, Andrea Maslan.Moira Coughlin is a resource teacher at Costello Elementary School who helps students be successful. She makes sure to give her students as much help as they need, regardless of what the time on the clock says. As she works with her identified students, if she sees another student who is struggling but does not have an IEP, she will give them support, too. Ms. Coughlin works directly with the classroom teacher to create lessons that correlate with the classroom lessons. This way, the student receives the same information as their classmates, but delivered differently. She makes time to see all of her students, even on half days or on meeting days. Her students want to go with her because even though she is tough, she makes learning fun for them.One time, Ms. Coughlin was working with a student who had hearing loss. The student was beginning to make progress with their reading. Ms. Coughlin met with him at the Lyons Public Library once a week to continue reading with him so that he wouldn’t lose progress. The student enjoyed doing it and Ms. Coughlin enjoyed helping him. These meetings went on for the entire summer, and when the student returned back to school in August, he was above the reading level he had finished at in June.Principal Maslan says that she is proud to have Ms. Coughlin on her team because she is always there for the students.It is without a doubt that Ms. Coughlin is an exceptional teacher. She is always there when anyone needs her, and she is a wealth of knowledge who is willing to share with those who ask for it.Costello hired a new resource teacher this year, and Ms. Coughlin willingly helped her with the program and paperwork that goes along with IEP students. She is a LifeChanger who is making a difference in the lives of her students, staff and community![nominee_videos nominee_email="coughlinm@sd103.com"]