Elliott educators inspire future special education teachers at UNL

April 15, 2026

Elliott Elementary School staff members inspired future educators with words of encouragement this spring during a trip to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
 
Seven leaders on the school’s special education team visited with more than three dozen UNL students at Barkley Memorial Center. Former Elliott teacher and current UNL lecturer Erin Pfister arranged the event for her class. Elliott special education teachers Becca Volker, Hanna Sherman, Kiran Bahl, Jen Steinheider and Melissa Fenton answered questions alongside school psychologist Brandon Ee and behavior interventionist Caleb Lemon.
 
UNL student Brad Hoffman soaked up valuable information in the Special Education 201: Introduction to Special Education class. He is participating in the Para Pathway to Teaching (PPT) program, which is a partnership between Lincoln Public Schools and UNL. The PPT launched in 2023 to help LPS paraeducators obtain their special education teaching endorsements.
 
Hoffman is currently working as a paraeducator at Mickle Middle School. He said it was motivating to watch Elliott professionals speak about their work.
 
“Listening to the Elliott special education team made me remember why I want to get into the special education field,” Hoffman said. “You could hear their passion when they responded to questions and gave detailed answers.”

 
Pfister taught special education classes at Elliott from 2003-08 and has remained friends with many of her former co-workers. She said the panel was a great opportunity to inform future educators about effective instructional and behavior management techniques.
 
“I brought in the most effective elementary special education team I know to discuss working as a team to meet the needs of students,” Pfister said. “Sometimes my students feel overwhelmed by all of the information they learn about special education, and they often envision themselves being the only person responsible for the student. The Elliott team showed them that they are not alone and that a great team can make all the difference for students with significant needs.”
 
All seven panelists emphasized to the Huskers that special education is not meant to be a solo profession. They said it was important to seek help from and offer encouragement to co-workers throughout the school day. They felt that having a two-way street of support was uplifting for both students and staff.
 
“I think that’s why we go at this with a team approach and a team mindset,” Sherman said. “We don’t want anyone to feel that they’re alone in this.”
 
“It took me a while in my career to figure out how important it was not to try to do it all,” Steinheider said. “That was just a learning curve. I wish I had learned earlier how many resources are available and that it’s okay to ask for help every single day. I didn’t do it as much as I should have earlier, and now I do. It makes a big difference for the kids.”

 
Bahl said that unity-based approach has spread throughout the entire building. She began teaching at LPS in 1996 and has watched the overall special education philosophy change over that time. Instead of keeping special education students in separate sections of their schools, they are now integrated into classrooms, cafeterias and other campus areas.
 
“Now, it’s just this huge collaboration of they’re everyone’s students,” Bahl said. “It makes a difference in the way everything runs.”
 
The Owls said that encompassing approach benefits students in many ways. Teachers can monitor their classroom progress more effectively because they receive information from multiple sources. They also can share data that allows the entire special education team to create detailed plans for each person.
 
Ee said that type of communication has created a large amount of trust at Elliott. Teammates are willing to share their strengths because they believe in everyone’s abilities. Some are more proficient in compiling data spreadsheets, while others are skilled in forming personalized lessons in subjects like math or reading.
 
“Specific to this team, I think we know each other’s roles really well,” Ee said. “I think we have really well-defined roles.”

 
Pfister said that was one of the main reasons why she wanted the Owls to come to UNL.
 
“I reached out because the Elliott team is exceptionally strong in collaboration and flexible service delivery,” Pfister said. “This semester’s class includes many elementary and special education teachers, and I want them to learn from a team that works well together.”
 
Hoffman said he enjoyed learning about instructional practices from the Elliott professionals. He was grateful to listen to them provide their expertise to future teachers like himself.
 
“It is important for current teachers to share their experiences and stories in classrooms like this because it helps the students in the classroom to decide if special education is truly where they belong, or if they feel like they would maybe benefit in a different role,” Hoffman said. “They give us great advice and stories that help us make our decisions and discover the passion that we have for working with students within the special education realm.”
 
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