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Jan Black
i started my teaching career after graduating from East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, with a degree in Art Education. Unable to obtain a position in Art, I went back to school and obtained an endorsement in Special Education. I have been a substitute teacher, long term and on a daily basis. During this time I obtained my endorsement through Virginia Intermont College, "Highly Qualified" status through UVA Wise and a Technology cohort through Virginia Highlands Community College and Ea ... read morest Tennesse Technical College. In addition to substituting I was employed as a Homebound teacher for students who were unable to attend school due to illness or some medical condition. I also substituted in an alternative education program called the"Interchange" for children with behavioral issues. I was a teaching assistant for three years in a special education classroom, leading to a full-time position as a "self contained" SLD, EMR, ED teacher. I have worked with students who have traumatic brain injury (TBI), Autism, and Severe and Profound students who were non-verbal, using a feeding tube, and communicated with a hand squeeze or eye gaze. I always worked Art into all my programs. I spent seventeen years in the many areas of Special Education at the high school level. The past seven years I have spent working at the middle school level, grades six, seven and eight, as an Art teacher. I am still getting to work in both areas of Art, Special Education and inclusion. My summers were spent working for our local Parks and Recreation Department. This included playground activities and the National Junior Tennis League. I did this for twenty-four summers until the position was cut due to funding. During all this time I was also a tutor for a local group home after school, and sold tickets at night for school related sporting events. Our school system has a gallery that three Art teachers maintain with student Art work throughout the year. I am still learning and hopefully guiding our future one student at a time.
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