Courtney Nighbert

Background

About Courtney Nighbert

I am currently teaching at Fern Persons Elementary as an Intensive Resource Room Teacher. I have been teaching there since 2015 school year. I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in December 2018 with a Masters Degree in Autism Spectrum Disorder. I graduated from The Robert B. Miller College with a Bachelor's of Science in Learning Disabilities and minor in Elementary Education in the spring of 2014. In my past three years at Miller College I have had a lot of experiences in the early childhood field, with a few in the secondary field. The experiences helped me understand and learn how a classroom functions. My general education internship was completed at Fern Persons Elementary in Olivet, MI in a Kindergarten classroom. Through this experience it allowed me to work along side my mentor with nineteen students. Through my internship I was able to practice different classroom management techniques, planning for lessons, and collaborating with my grade level team. My special education internships were completed at Pennfield Middle School in Battle Creek, MI in a 6-8 building and Fern Persons Elementary in Olivet, MI in a K-3 building. During these internships I was able to practice IEP writing, planning lessons, and co-teaching skills. Prior to my internship, I did two years of cadet teaching. During this experience I feel that it helped me understand all the preparations teachers have to teach a lesson. This experience also prepared me for the field of education with the understanding of having to accommodate lessons, balancing instruction time, and making learning a creative experience. I have also done a lot of volunteer work within the education system. Through the volunteer time I worked along side teachers, administrators, and students. The volunteering taught me that as an educator it is important to work with the community because we don’t just affect the lives in the classroom, but also those outside of the classroom.