Students who take Pre-K learning courses at BHS are gaining real-world teaching experience in classrooms this year through the K Lab program, where they work with preschoolers as teachers in hands-on learning.
Through daily instruction, hallway interactions and learning techniques, the program enables older students to gain inside knowledge of teaching. As both age groups share the same classroom, they have found successful ways with learning from each other. Interviews with a TA (Teacher Assistant) and a little Bronco showed how both of these interactions can shape both sides of the classroom in high school.
Senior Colette Renaud took the class Child Development her freshman year for one semester in order to get into the preschool program. Although this course isn’t a requirement, she wanted to further her knowledge in child education. Throughout this course, students are able to come in before school to help with the younger students or even after school with the honor of being accepted to take this role. Renaud is now taking preschool honors this semester.
“The preschoolers definitely made a funny and good impact on my day,” Renaud said. “Seeing little kids in the hall makes me really happy because they always wave and interact.”
For Renaud, times like these make the classroom experience feel less like a chore and more like a real job.
“I’m in a class where we get one week of prep and one week of teaching,” Renaud said. “Each week has a theme… we printed dinosaur drawings and used textures so they could make patterns. Centers and stations are basically the same thing, like science, math, reading and arts and crafts.”
As the TA’s get to teach, high school students also get to observe the preschoolers and how they communicate with each other and especially pick up on social cues.
Preschoolers have also had thoughts about seeing high schoolers in the halls and waving back to them.
“Yes,” said a preschooler. She liked having the students here to wave at, and for Renaud, that is some of the most important times for her and she’s thankful she was recommended the course in the first place.
“I was recommended to this course by friends who graduated, and everyone who took it loved it,” Renaud said.