Bulldog Preschool offers high school students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in an early childhood learning environment. The class is set up to help high school students become better at teaching young children while also providing quality child care to families in the community.
The class is offered during the first through third hour, and high school students will teach preschoolers subjects like math, science, and writing. The preschool uses a system of rotations to help the students learn easier and give more individualized care and attention to the preschool students.
“We have a red group, a green group, and a yellow group. And there’s about six students in each group. The red group will teach one week, the green group will teach next week, and then the yellow group will teach the week after that,” said Family and Consumer Science teacher Jamie Cantrell.
Enrollment numbers for Bulldog Preschool lowered due to COVID-19 last year. Otherwise, the program mostly faces the typical issues of a modern day preschool.
“Other than preschoolers having temper tantrums, the preschool hasn’t faced other problems, but when Covid first hit, the program completely shut down the preschool. Then the next spring, we had a low number of preschoolers while some parents were a little afraid,” said Cantrell.
The preschool welcomes children ages three to five. The experience helps kids grow while also helping the parents deal with separating from their children.
“We have more trouble with parents unable to let go than we do with the children,” said Cantrell.
For high schoolers, this early childhood lab offers dual credit, but students are not required to take dual enrollment.
“It is dual credit with Missouri State University, so you get three hours of college credit,” stated Cantrell.
Getting the extra college benefits is exciting, but students do need some prerequisites to join the class.
“You have to take Child Development which is the first semester and then Early Childhood,” added Cantrell.
Cantrell and the Bulldog Preschool would welcome anyone who would want to join the teaching team.
“It’s just for anybody that wants to work with young children or would like to go into psychology, education, even medical,” said Cantrell.
This year’s teachers met their new students on Friday, February 28. The practical experience of working in the preschool gives the high school students insight of what it’s like to work with children in a professional setting.
“They will love it, it’s totally different from babysitting… Working in a lab like this, students become the teacher,” said Cantrell.