What I learned this week in Early Childhood Education

Mikaela Campbell

McKay Student Ambassador

Early Childhood Education

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Hello! I hope that you all have enjoyed your classes and learned something meaningful this semester. This past week has been full of new experiences for me, and I'm excited to share what I've been learning in the Early Childhood Education major.

A class that I was really looking forward to was ECE 355. This is one of the first classes I have been able to take specifically for Early Childhood Education. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but I'm always fascinated by what I learn each week.

ECE 355 is Language Development from birth to age 5. I love that this class helps me explore the child development side of the major while also preparing me for teaching. Most recently, the class has focused on language development in babies and toddlers. We've discussed ways that babies communicate before they learn to talk, such as pointing, making eye contact, or turning away to reject something. Then we discussed that once children reach toddler years, their vocabulary will rapidly increase, how critical play is when learning to talk, and ways to notice speech delays.

In my last class, an 18-month-old came into class, and we observed his language skills. Our instructor would do things to help him talk and respond to what she said while he played, such as repeating what he said and saying things like "give this mom". This was really cool to see because he picked up on a lot and was able to communicate both through talking, such as saying "more," and through actions like pointing to what he wanted. Something we were looking for was recognizing how many words he said, as well as what he knew. He could repeat many words, but there were ways that we could see he knew the word. For example, when our instructor would say "where are your eyes?", he would point to his eyes. I am amazed by how much I've already learned about language and look forward to what I'll learn next.

In my EDLF 411 class, we have talked about legal and ethical issues in the classroom. This is a very discussion-based class. Last week, we discussed the difference between morals, ethics, and laws. Then have thought about how that applies to what we do in and out of the classroom as teachers. We have also studied cases of children being mistreated by teachers, which has been a difficult topic but is very important. A lot of our conversations have also been focused on the laws and ethics in a classroom and why that matters. There are many resources on codes of ethics for teachers, and that is something we have referred to quite often in this class as well.

I am also currently taking CPSE 300. This class teaches me to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities through working with parents, other professionals, and, of course, the students themselves.

In this class, I have the opportunity to volunteer at an elementary school. Currently, I am volunteering in a special education classroom. The past couple of weeks have already taught me a lot. It's been interesting to learn about an IEP plan and a variety of ways to help students and then to actually see that happening in a classroom. I was nervous when I went for the first time because this was something new for me, but I've loved working with the students and their teacher. I have found new ways to help each time I go to the school.

Something else I love that this class emphasizes is that there is no average student, just like there is no average Child of God. We are all unique beings who came from a Supreme Creator, and that's pretty incredible to me.

I love being part of the Early Childhood Education major and discovering new ways to help my students in my future classroom. What experiences have you had?

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