They arrive at the L Street doors as nervous freshmen, eyes glued to their schedules as they navigate the historical hallways of Omaha South High. But four years later, those same students walk those halls with a different kind of gravity. For the teachers at South High, the four-year journey of a Packer isn’t just measured in credits and GPA, but in the visible shift from wide-eyed curiosity to confident seniors.
English teacher Rebecca Oliver, education pathway teacher Samantha Koehler-Overton, and business education teacher Brett Bechaz discuss some of the student growth they’ve witnessed over the last four years.
Can you describe a specific moment when you saw a senior finally “click” with a complex concept they struggled with as a freshman?
Oliver: I had a student who I’ve had their freshman and senior year, and they were one of those kids who needed to mature. They wrote in their assignment that they used to like stirring the pot and upsetting others to see what would happen. Then he wrote that he realized it wasn’t funny and that he didn’t want that to be how people saw and got to know him. I was touched by this because they knew that I remembered how they were in the beginning and how they reflected on how time passed.
Koehler-Overton: One of the clearest “click” moments for me actually happens during internships. I’ve had seniors who, as sophomores, struggled to understand why we focused so much on things like engagement strategies or relationship-building. It all felt kind of abstract to them. Then I’ll go observe them in their internship classroom, and they’re naturally using those same strategies without even thinking about it. I had one student redirect a group of elementary kids using a call-and-response we practiced two years earlier, and it just worked. No hesitation. No overthinking. Afterward, they were talking about what went well and what didn’t and even pointed out a student behavior they didn’t like. That’s usually when I have to laugh a little and say, ‘Yeah … welcome to teaching.’ It’s that moment where you realize it finally clicked, not just the strategy, but the reality of the job.
How have you seen students transition from needing constant direction to taking independent initiative in their studies?
Bechaz: I have seen some confidence that students have gained over time. I had a freshman advisement last year, and it’s funny to see them come in and they don’t have any idea about where to go or what to do. They’re nervous, and it’s a big high school. Just seeing that growth and confidence over time as they start to understand where things are and what to do.
Koehler-Overton: Sophomores in the pathway still want a lot of structure. They’re looking for clear steps, examples and honestly a lot of reassurance before they move forward. By senior year, especially once they’re in internships, that shifts pretty noticeably. They’re making decisions in real time, adjusting when something doesn’t work, and coming back with more specific questions instead of just ‘Is this right?’ I’ve had seniors walk into their placements with a plan, try it, realize it flopped and then come back already thinking about what they’d change next time. That’s a big shift. It’s less about needing me to guide every step and more about them taking ownership, even when it’s messy.
How do seniors today handle disagreements or peer pressure differently than they did when they were 14?
Bechaz: One of the great things about South High School that I’ve experienced in my past three years is that students treat each other with a lot of respect. I don’t see a lot of bullying or a lot of peer pressure being exerted on kids. I’m sure it happens to some extent, but I like how we have people who are confident to be themselves. A lot of these students will grow and deal with peer pressure, and they’ll overcome it.
Oliver: I don’t feel like I see a lot of peer pressure. The only thing I do sometimes see is when someone is trying to get someone else to do something they don’t want to do. My freshmen peer pressure each other more in the sense of making fun of each other if you’re doing something different. Honestly, I mostly see them peer pressure each other into doing the work, and with seniors it’s more behind the scenes, and I’d only hear about it if they tell me about it.
Koehler-Overton: When they’re younger, a lot of their reactions come from not wanting to be wrong or stand out. Disagreements can feel really personal, and sometimes they’ll either shut down or just go along with the group to avoid being the one who’s “wrong.” There’s not always a lot of pauses; it’s more reaction in the moment.
By senior year, that starts to shift. They’re more comfortable sitting in that uncomfortable space of not knowing or not immediately being right, which actually helps them handle disagreements better. I’ve seen more seniors pause, ask questions, or just choose not to engage instead of escalating things. They’re also more confident making their own decisions, even if it goes against what everyone else is doing.
And honestly, once they’ve been in a classroom and realized teaching is basically making a hundred decisions a day, some of them wrong, that fear of being wrong doesn’t hit the same way anymore. It becomes more about figuring it out and adjusting instead of trying to avoid mistakes altogether.
