Former special education student teaches, inspires at Arp Elementary

Published 5:45 am Thursday, August 26, 2021

As a special education resource teacher, East Texas native Tisha Yancy’s story of overcoming learning disabilities is what drives her to help students at Arp Elementary School to reach their learning potential.

After 14 years of teaching and joining Arp Elementary this year, Yancy continues to motivate and inspire elementary students, while making sure they dodge misconceptions in the classroom and reach their goals just as she did.

Yancy grew up in Whitehouse and in Van, and struggled greatly with reading, but didn’t understand why.

“When I was younger, I didn’t know that they didn’t really understood a lot about dyslexia and that disability, so I think a large part went undiagnosed,” she said.

In junior high, Yancy tested for special education classes and was found eligible to be placed in resource classes. She described the moment as a breakthrough to help her learn better.

“Those classes helped slow things down for me, to be able to slow our pace and to really understand the curriculum a lot easier and also without the stress of, ‘I’m going to try to keep up with everyone else in the classroom,’” she said.

Yancy found success in her schoolwork and became enamored with the dream of becoming a teacher one day. She credits a teacher she will never forget, Mrs. Storey at Van ISD.

“She was that type of teacher that you wanted to make happy and you wanted to do good for her. She inspired me,” she said.

Yancy eventually graduated from Whitehouse ISD and went on to own a licensed home daycare.

Years later, Yancy faced a turning point in her career when her husband suffered a back injury and was out of work. Yancy found herself reflecting on the dream she always had of becoming a teacher. She looked at her daughter and knew she had to do something to keep her family afloat, while at the same time achieving her dream.

Before she could become a teacher, Yancy had to continue her education — something she struggled to do through grade school until she was treated for her learning disability. It would be no easy feat. Nevertheless, she enrolled in classes at Tyler Junior College.

She was placed in remedial classes, but through communication with her professors, tutoring resources and juggling home life with young daughters and a husband with an injury, Yancy earned her associate of arts from TJC in 2006 and went on to graduate from UT Tyler with a bachelor of science in early childhood education in 2008.

When she completed her academic journey, her husband was inspired to do the same. He waited for her to finish school, and he jumped in, earning his degrees and going into the human resources field.

“He saw the challenges that I had gone through and he thought, ‘Well if she can do it, then by golly, I’m going to do it.’ He actually got his bachelor’s and ended up getting his master’s,” Yancy said.

Yancy said since she’s started teaching at Arp Elementary, she sees herself in her students that have the same learning disabilities she had and learned to overcome.

“I tell (students), ‘I was just like you. I struggled to read, and look where Mrs. Yancy is at today.’ If I can be that inspiration to a student that I’m teaching, then that’s awesome,” she said.

Yancy encourages her students by making sure they know not to let a disability or a challenge hold them back from achieving their goals.

Since she’s been on the same journey her students face day-to-day, Yancy said she has more compassion for her students who struggle to read.

Yancy advocates for her students’ invisible disabilities.

“If a person didn’t have any legs, you wouldn’t expect them to walk up a flight of stairs. They would happen to have accommodations, they’ll have to have an elevator or ways to be able to get there. Just like with people with disabilities, there are accommodations out there that you can use that can help you to achieve to get there,” she said.

To inspire her students, Yancy has kept her report cards from Van Junior High, which show she was in special education classes.

“I think it shows where I was at one point and time and where you can be, what you can do if you put your mind to it,” she said.