MOUNT VERNON – When Angela Arbogast applied to teach at the Knox Learning Center, she wrote, “I have a lot of life experience as well as education.”
Her life experience has centered on her son, now 21.
“He was active and intelligent. I even referred to him as ‘little Einstein,’” she said. “Then just before he turned 4 he became autistic and non-verbal. He has remained that way. His autism is a mystery.”
A graduate of East Knox High School, Arbogast earned a bachelor’s degree in 1-8 education from Ashland University and a master’s in education from Bowling Green State University. In the late 90s she was a school behavioral health teacher for the ESC before working four years as a specific learning disabilities teacher at East Knox.
Arbogast’s life experience and educational background combine to provide an insight into the different learning challenges that her young students face.
“We are building structure in the classroom, learning rules and behavior expectations,” she said. “I try to be very proactive and work with the children one-on-one when necessary.
“There are special challenges, but I don’t give up easily.”