Fieldwork Experiences
(go back)

My sophomore year I participated in a fieldwork experience for my Child and Adolescent Psychology class. I was placed in a pre-k class at Elizabethtown Community Nursery School. I started February 28th and finished May 2nd. I visited the classroom every Monday from 9:15-11:45. There were 17 children in the class.

Each day I would watch as the teacher lead the group in an observation session based around the topic of the week. Then I would participate and interact with the class when they had general play time. The class was then called back together for another observation session, which I observed and occasionally participated in. After that, the children were taken outside to play on the playground. Upon returning to the classroom, the children were picked up by their respective parents.

In the pre-k class, I learned a great deal about conflict resolution on a very basic level. I also learned about being able to explain things in a very simplistic way without speaking down to children. I was able to observe the teacher communicate with the children in an age appropriate manner. I also learned that younger children are able to take in and understand a great deal more than most adults believe. Overall, this experience has encouraged me to become a teacher in general because I observed these children who were so eager to learn.