What the class Early Childhood Education is like:

Lots of fun activities and hard work

By Natalie Craiker

Timber Creek High School has a lot of great opportunities for students. There are many electives and extracurricular programs that students get to participate in. One of these classes that many students have the opportunity to participate in is Early Childhood Education. This class gives students the opportunity to learn about children and even get certified with the Department of Children and Families. This class is very rewarding but is a lot of hard work and dedication. Many students join this class and do not realize the amount of work it is.

The teacher for the first year class is Mrs. Wright. She is an amazing teacher with a fun, exciting personality. At the beginning of the year, she always tells students many times that this class is very hard work. She also suggests that students not be in this class if they do not like children or if they do not want to do a lot of work. She stated, “If you want to work with children and earn your certification, then this is the class for you. If you want an easy high school elective, you will want to choose another class.” Many students join this class thinking that they will just play with little kids all day. However, students are unable to work in the daycare until they are DCF certified. Becoming DCF certified is a lot of hard work and dedication. There are 7 packets students must complete along with 7 tests. Freshmen Ella Berry stated, “I knew we were getting certified but I didn’t realize how much work it would be.” However, the information in the packet is generally very simple. Mrs. Wright shares most of the answers for the packets with her students and makes this process as easy as possible. Completing this certification takes a lot of time, but it pays off. You will be able to use this certification for the rest of your life.

While this class is a lot of hard work, there are also some fun activities that the students get to participate in. One of the overall favorites of this class is the sugar babies. It is a week-long project where students get to carry around a fake baby. Lots of students enjoy this. Freshmen Samantha Smith said, “I’m excited because they seem like fun and I can walk around with a fake baby and not be judged.” Mrs. Wright stated, “This is usually a highlight of the class.” Other fun things they do is sing children’s songs and other silly activities. Some of the most popular songs include Stand Up Sit Down and Baby Shark.

Students overall love this class. Berry also said, “My favorite part is just the environment of Mrs. Wright being the amazing teacher she is.” Berry really loves this class and is excited for all the opportunities she is going to have. If you want to work with kids in the future, this class is definitely for you. Mrs. Wright stated, “ECE is a fun-filled, jam-packed class that sets the stage for the rest of the early childhood program at TCHS.” This class is a lot of work, but a great opportunity.