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Early Childhood Education program teaches future educators Kailey Calvo | Staff Reporter
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ll high school seniors are worried about graduation at the end of their final year of highschool, but some are even worried about the graduation of the preschoolers that they teach, coming in at 6 a.m. to get working on the preschool graduation decorations. While it may seem strange that a high school campus has a fully student-operated preschool, the Early Childhood Education program is teaching its 180 students how to create and teach lesson plans to 18 preschoolers on Hagerty’s campus. Open for 18 years and taught by lead instructor Jenny Burrell and levels I and II teacher Jennifer Hennessy, the early childhood education program consists of five levels. Students start by learning the best way to teach lessons and end as an active teacher within the preschool. Students even sweep and mop the floors, do laundry and clean furniture, fully operating the preschool. In level I, students learn what the best practices are for educators and how to properly teach children different skills. Students also receive training and testing for DCF hours, which are required in order to work in childcare in Florida. In level II, students begin to work directly with the children
GETTING CREATIVE A Husky Pup preschooler finger paints during class. Early Childhood Education students teach children in the preschool to gain classroom experience. Photo | Kailey Calvo
in the preschool. They create lesson plans, vocab sheets and creative lessons to keep the children engaged. Education topics like shapes, letters of the alphabet, numbers, and days of the week change weekly, and lesson plans are created around each topic. According to Hennessy, who will take over the program after Burrell retires at the end of the year, there are plans in the coming years to integrate different types of learning into the preschoolers’ curriculum. “I am really looking forward to adding more STEM-related materials and hands-on science and math lab activities for our preschoolers. Getting them to learn in as many ways as possible is always our goal,” Hennessy said. There are four certifications that students work toward while taking this course, ranging from the statemandated education classes to ServSafe for proper food handling. Certification takes place in the early levels, while levels three, four, and five all build on the skills taught in the previous levels. Each level has its own focus and certification. Level three works a lot on theorists of education in order to prepare to take a test with Seminole State College and earn college credit if they pass. In level four, students start working on
their Child Development Associate as fun as it is hectic. certificate, working on the many steps “I love the calmer moments, when throughout the entire year. it’s a few of the teachers and the kids,” Not only is an important junior Ashley Zientara said. curriculum taught to students, but Even though one may think they learn important life skills just by that the early childhood education interacting with the children daily. career pathways program is only for “Working those who want to with become teachers, preschoolers My favorite part about the all are welcome in has taught me course, and it program is getting to watch the how important teaches valuable the kids grow as the year goes skills that occur patience on. As the year progresses because of teaching. is. These children are “Early Childhood they open up more and you learning about Education gives get to see some of their rules and skills that are consequences personalities start to develop. transferable to - Kaleb Heyliger, 11 every single many different day, and it is areas. These include important to remember that,” senior coaches, counselors, entrepreneurs, Ariana Seguinot said. management and healthcare. As the preschoolers become Our core skills focus on teamwork, more acclimated to the preschool leadership, psychology of children, environment, they begin to learn more and how to communicate effectively from their teachers and make friends with not only children but provide the in their class. necessary skills to communicate with “[I love] to watch the kids grow others in the workplace,” Hennessy as the year goes on. At first, they said. tend to be a bit shy, but as the year At the beginning of the 2023progresses they open up more 2024 school year, spots will be and you get to see some of their open to enrolling preschoolers in personalities start to develop,” junior the program. All children must be at Kaleb Heyliger said. least 3 and potty trained in order to As one could imagine, managing be eligible to apply for a spot in the and operating a preschool is equally Husky Pups Preschool.
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