During the early morning when others are just arriving at school, the early childhood education class is making its way off campus to work. Two days a week during the first period, the group rides the bus off the Millbrook campus to work as teaching assistants at the nearby Millbrook Elementary school. Each person in Early Childhood Education is assigned a classroom, ranging from pre-school to elementary-aged children, to help teach.
When they aren’t at the elementary school, they still have schoolwork to do, but it’s not the usual kind you would find in a high school classroom. “We have a lot of fun,” said Claire Reynolds, a sophomore at Millbrook High School and a member of the class. “We do circle time and notes.” Though ‘circle time’ might seem odd to find in a high school curriculum, these activities help them learn how to interact with their kids in engaging ways. Every period not spent teaching is spent learning how best to present themselves and their materials to children.
Although it may seem like easy work to some, every student who is committed to teaching their class must be very involved with their learners. They are not just assisting the teachers in the classroom, but are also responsible for creating lesson plans outside of the classroom. Thinking of the ways they can best help their kids. Adjusting lessons to accommodate learners who need extra help, planning engaging activities to help the kids get up and moving, and testing out ways to boost their retention of the material are just a few examples of the ways Millbrook students are making an impact on their community. The Elementary school teachers get help with whatever they need, and the assistants get an amazing opportunity to be a part of the growth of their children and themselves.
“It really has inspired me to pursue it [childhood education] as a career option,” said Gabrielle Leathers, a Sophomore at Millbrook and a student in the early childhood education class. The opportunity to help teachers who need extra help and have a positive impact on the lives of so many children is significant to the personal growth of the participants. Programs like this help participants develop soft skills, like patience and problem-solving, when faced with situations surrounding small children who may not understand boundaries or have trouble listening to directions. These students will carry the skills with them throughout their whole lives, no matter what career they choose, and help prepare those who want to go into the educational field.
Early Childhood Education is not a class you can join without prior knowledge of children or how to care for them. To enroll in this class, students must complete the prerequisite child development course taught by Ms. Komar and give up an extra course slot to accommodate the blocked scheduling. The class is scheduled on both A days and B days to ensure the group can attend on two days every week, even on weeks with teacher work days or holidays.
Whether they’re teaching Preschool or 5th grade, students appreciate the chance to be in the class and be involved in so many people’s lives. Both Claire and Gabrielle recommend that every student at Millbrook take the course if they can.
