The first snow of the 2018-2019 academic year came early in October. That day, eight little tots ran excitedly outside to see the snow. Tasting snowflakes and romping in the snow are some of the memories that will surely never be forgotten at the Pleasant Valley Preschool.
Pleasant Valley High School holds a class of which few students are aware –early childhood development. In this class, students have the opportunity to run a preschool and interact with three to five-year-olds. The course teaches high schoolers how to handle the different behaviors and special situations that occur with young children. It gives students a glimpse of the life as a preschool teacher.
Any student desiring to enroll in early childhood development may do so. Every student participating in the course will be asked to be a teacher. Being a teacher involves studying behavioral patterns among children, coming up with lesson plans pertaining to the topic of the day, modeling good behavior for the children, and ultimately striving to leave a positive impact on the young kids.
Debbie Claussen teaches the class. She said she’s happy to be in a career where she can teach others about being a preschool teacher and if it may or may not be the right career choice for them.
Claussen fondly recalls her delightful teaching experience at the preschool, “the kids are always the bright spot of my day. When I walk in there, it’s just so nice to see those little smiling faces.”
Claussen said she believes the preschool age to be one of the most interesting ages to teach did to the fact that they are so interested in everything and awed by the things around them. “You can see they’re just like little sponges. They soak up everything you teach them.”
She went on to say it’s awesome to see the progress taking place. It made her realize the impact everyone that helps run the preschool has on the youngsters.
Devinah Meeduri, a sophomore in the early childhood development class, said she chose the class because she had always loved young children and wants to be a pediatrician in the future. She felt it was a great opportunity to acquire more experience working with young kids.
Meeduri thought it was the right decision to register for the course,“I really love this class. I love working with all the kids and their different personalities.” She believes, in the future, she is better prepared to handle similar situations to the ones she experiences on a daily basis.
She was surprised to find the little ones were far more intelligent than she expected them to be. “They are the sweetest kids ever.”
Claussen commented, “I think we run a really great preschool here.”
