LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Nancy Kautzman was nominated by Tisha Eisenhuth, the parent of a student.

"For the past few years, my son has been fortunate to have Mrs. Kautzman as his intervention specialist," said Eisenhuth. "When Mrs. Kautzman first met my son, she focused on getting to know him, including his strengths, challenges, and sensory needs. She arranges her classroom to make students comforable and give them the opportunity to particpate in various methods of learning. Her classroom also has an area for needed breaks or the use of sensory objects. Mrs. Kautzman collaborates with other teachers and staff to set my son up for success throughout the school building. She continually communicates and works with our school-related service providers to find out what is working best for my son to help him succeed."

"When the pandemic hit and schools shut down, she sent an email to parents stating that with all the sudden uncertainties, two things she knew for sure were that she loved being our child's teacher and that she would be there for our family," said Eisenhuth. "This proved to be true as we dove into the new world of virtual learning. She quickly educated herself and her students on using Google Classroom, a forum that was new to us all and challenging for students with significant needs who thrive best in an in-person learning environment. She even drove to each of her students' homes during the pandemic to pay a distanced, outdoor visit and return some supplies from the classroom."

"When we returned last fall to in-person learning with new policies and daily changes, she did everything she could to make the environment welcoming, fun, and full of learning in a positive way," said Eisenhuth. "She supports all of her students, including my son, in several envirnonments each day, such as general education classrooms, a resource room, and even in specials classes like art, music, or physical education. She always makes transitions throughout the day as smooth as possible. Mrs. Kautzman is also available to parents for questions and support. When a challenging situation arises with my son and I express concern for what may happen in the future, she reminds me to focus on what is best to do for today. This has put me at ease and reminded me that sometimes, things need to be one step at a time."

"She is always great in IEP team meetings. She's willing to answer questions and walk through assessments and information," said Eisenhuth. "You can tell through communication with Mrs. Kautzman that she is always thinking about new ways to tackle a challenge or encourage others. She is never against listening to new ideas and working with me as a parent or with her colleagues to help find new solutions.  Because of her ability to teach, listen, collaborate, innovate, set up students for future success, and inspire, I believe she's a LifeChanger for my son and other students."