Darlene Justice

Coordinator: ECE Internship

After twenty-two years as an elementary school educator, I am thrilled to be a staff member at the University of Tennessee. I started my work toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in 1963, but it was not until 1980 that I decided to return to U.T. to complete that work. I earned my Masters Degree in Education in 1984 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I earned a license to teach kindergarten –eighth grades and took a position teaching third grade at Brookwood Elementary School in Dalton, Georgia.

I returned to Knoxville in 1986 and was offered a position at Carter Elementary School teaching first grade. I had the privilege of teaching at Carter for twelve years. I taught first grade for two years, and then taught third grade for nine years.. I even had the experience of teaching a fourth-fifth grade split class for a year.

During those twelve years I was able to continue coursework at U.T. and to earn endorsements in Pre-kindergarten and in Supervision/Administration from the College of Education. I also attained the status of Career Ladder III as part of Tennessee’s State Department of Education Better Education Program.

In 1999 I became a Curriculum Generalist for Knox County Schools and served three schools as a traveling curriculum specialist. I worked in that capacity for a year before being assigned as a school administrator at Gap Creek Elementary School. I spent three years in that position and was reassigned to East Knox County Elementary School in 2003 where I served the Mascot Community until June of 2005.

It is such a pleasure to be a part of the Department of Child and Family Studies staff at U.T. and to work in the capacity of Coordinator of Internship in the Early Childhood Education program. As a building level administrator I have had the opportunity of supervising interns from this program for the past two years. I have been impressed with the program and the pre-professionals that have been assigned to schools in Knox County. I look forward to doing all that I can to positively affect the program and to see that the interns are well-prepared for a profession in education. In this way I can continue to make an impact on the children in this community and in other communities in which our interns are employed.

 

Contact Information

1215 W. Cumberland Ave
6 Jessie Harris Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-1912

Phone: 865-974-7015
Email: fjustice@utk.edu

Contact CEHHS

335 Claxton Complex 1122 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996

Phone: 865-974-2201
Fax: 865-974-8718