Courtney Eichhorn

Personal

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I was born and raised in Stephenson, Michigan, a very small and rural town in the Upper Peninsula.  Upon graduation from high school, I chose to attend Northern Michigan University (NMU).  I graduated from NMU's School of Education in May 2012 with a degree in both Special Education: Emotional Impairment and Secondary English Education (6-12 general education).  I also studied Special Education Psychology to earn an additional minor. I married my husband in 2010 and since then life has been a great and busy adventure! As a former active-duty military spouse, we have lived in several different places around the country, but now proudly call Junction City, Kansas our home.  In December 2016, I earned my Master of Arts in Education (MAED) degree from Michigan State University with dual concentrations in Special Education and PK-12 School Leadership.

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In addition to working full-time as a teacher, I am also the mother of two children: one girl and one boy.  In my spare time, I spend as much time as possible with my family.   I enjoy reading, photography, exploring the beautiful outdoors, and traveling to new destinations. I also consider myself a life-long learner as I utilize my time to grow professionally and seek out new knowledge regularly.

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Photo Credit: Kayla Eickmeyer Photography (2016)

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Professional

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I currently hold teaching certifications in both Michigan and Kansas.  I have a wide range of experience working with students with emotional impairments/disturbance and mild/moderate disabilities including individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disabilities, Other Health Impairments, Cognitive/Intellectual Disabilities, as well as those who are non-disabled students.  My classroom experience has also varied across age and grade levels from Kindergarten to 12th grade, although I have primarily worked in secondary settings.  

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I completed my student teaching in Lawton, Oklahoma.  The following school year, I was hired by the same school (Lawton Public Schools) as a special education teacher. In that position, I co-taught English I, English II, and English IV (grades 9, 10, and 12). When we moved to Kansas in 2013, I took a job with Geary County USD 475 in Junction City, Kansas as a middle school (6-8) and 9th grade special education teacher of students with Emotional and Behavior Disorders.  Presently, I am still employed by Geary County Schools, but in a different capacity.  For the past three years, I have been the ninth grade special education teacher in the English content area at Junction City High School - Freshman Success Academy.   I co-teach two sections of English I and then teach Foundational English I and Adaptive Tutorial English.  Foundational English I is a class in which the same skills are taught as the general education English I, but the curriculum is modified as all of my students read and write at or below the third grade level.  The course provides students with their English I graduation requirement. My Adaptive Tutorial English class is an 80 minute supplemental literacy-based intervention for students with special needs that attend their core English course within the general education setting. 

 

At the Freshman Success Academy, my professional role also includes being the case manager to an average of 20 students and the Exceptional Student Services teacher on my team.  I am responsible for monitoring the progress of all of the team's students with Individual Education Plans/Programs (IEPs), ensuring the accurate and consistent implementation of the IEPs, and working collaboratively with the general education teachers to help provide accommodations within the general education classroom.  I also write IEPs, update file information, conduct IEP meetings, and maintain consistent contact with parents of students receiving special education services.

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Additionally, I am currently serving Junction City High School in two leadership capacities: Team D Team Leader and the Freshman Academy's Professional Development Council (PDC) Building Representative.  As team leader, I am responsible for collaborating effectively with my assigned group of teachers to promote student success, for developing, updating, and progress monitoring MTSS/RTI plans, coordinating family and student events, organizing and scheduling team parent meetings, planning and conducting regulary scheduled team meetings, and assisting teachers in any questions, concerns, or matters that do not require administrative involvement.  As the building representative for professional development, I meet individually with teachers to ensure the development of a personal professional development plan in which we create goals and identify means of growing professionally.  I also assist staff in recording professional development that they have completed and help them to find other available opportunities aligned to their personal goals, their content, and the school's improvment plan.  All of this information is utilized for certified staff to gain relicensure in the state of Kansas as well as provide documentation of movement in the district's salary schedule.

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What do students say about Mrs. Eichhorn?

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