Alumni Spotlight: Reilly Mahan (MAEd)

Reilly Mahan Joins us today to talk about her experience earning her Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Literacy, and how her classes at Furman helped her become a better teacher.

For more information on the Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Literacy: VISIT THE WEBSITE

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Reilly Mahan. I teach out in Spartanburg at Jesse Bobo elementary school. I actually completed both my undergrad and my graduate degree at Furman University. It has definitely been a huge part of how I have shaped my classroom and what I’m up to today and I can’t wait to talk about it.

How has Furman impacted the way you approach teaching?

Before the graduate program, literacy was just such a beast. It just seems so hard to fully grasp or to fully tackle in the classroom in a way that was benefiting every single kid. I felt like I was doing the same old same old. For a first year teacher, I tried to stick to the basics or the programs that you’re given to at the school, but it just felt so dry, like it wasn’t tailored to my kids and their specific needs.

Going through the graduate program every single day, I was learning something very applicable that I could learn that night, and take with me into the classroom the next day. It just made a world of a difference.