Students eagerly shuffle in and take their spots, waiting for their first education class of college to begin. These students are the future early education teachers of Colorado.
The University of Northern Colorado is home to Colorado's first teaching college and has been preparing teachers for over one hundred years. The university features four undergraduate education programs. The early childhood education program stands out for its immersive nature.
Jean Kirshner, the coordinator for the early education program, believes UNC has the best teaching program.
“UNC is Colorado’s teaching school. It is the flagship," Kirshner said. "It educates not only the most teachers, but I'm going to say the best teachers.”
Kirshner has worked at UNC for five years and helps to ensure students are prepared for the challenges of teaching. She surrounds herself with artwork from students, colorful books and action figures, making her office a place of comfort.
She decided to teach at UNC to help mold the shapers of youth. The look of accomplishment on a student's face when everything falls into place and they are able to take command of the classroom satisfies Kirshner. Seeing this reminds Kirshner of when she taught children to read.
The student would get a look of surprise as they orchestrated their letter sounds, fluency and understanding of the word, reading word after word, putting it all together. They would stop to look up at Kirshner and gasp, eyes wide and smile drawn, excited for the world of possibilities now open to them.
She said teaching is a foundational career and that it is often overlooked, explaining that many people don’t think about what it takes to be a teacher.
“It’s challenging to motivate a child and to motivate a group of children, and then to manage them as human beings, who all have different desires and different impulses,” she said.
In the first education class students take, they nervously embark on their teaching journey, starting with 60 hours in a classroom setting.
Alyssa Brewer, a junior early education major, explained that she started at UNC as a nursing major and switched to early education because she realized she didn’t like coursework. Upon joining the early education program, she discovered her love of shaping the younger generations.
She immediately began her practicum hours in the classroom. She had nerves going into the class, but quickly found her footing.
“It was a little nerve-racking, but like the second time I was in there, I was, like, way more comfortable,” Brewer said. “The kids immediately attached themselves to me, and it helps that I have a natural pull towards kids.”
In Kirshner’s diverse early language and literacy class, students learn about how humans form oral language and how to teach it. The class covers phonemics, the distinct units of sound, the physical use of the mouth to make sounds and the diversity of the linguistic system.
“I think for a lot of students, they haven’t stopped to think about what an incredible thing it is that we talk to each other and the developmental milestones of learning to talk,” Kirshner said.
Students in this class work together and get to know each other, sharing their own experiences in the classroom. They remember back to when they first learned how to form sentences and communicate.
Brewer, coming from a more lecture-based major, enjoys how connected the students and professors are. She spoke of the community she’s forming as she completes the program.
“I know everybody,” Brewer said. “I know everybody's name. They know me. I know all my teachers. You really get to know the people you have class with and the professors. It gives you a sense of community and support.”
Brewer explains she has multiple group chats for the classes she is in, and she is able to use them to bounce ideas off of and grow her skills.
A foundational class all students in the program take is Early Childhood Curriculum Social Studies. In this class, students learn how children learn to work and cooperate with each other.
“A classroom is sort of your first experience with a mini civilization, and children have to learn how to interact with each other to foster a learning environment,” Kirshner said.
Along with classes on theories, students in the program take four practicum classes with built-in time in the classroom teaching. Students move from one day a week to five days a week as full-time student teachers.
Many students choose UNC because of its legacy as a teacher's college. UNC opened because there was a lack of certifications needed to become a teacher and many did not have the experience and practice needed to be a good teacher.
Brewer values her practicum classes because they give her hands-on practice with kids. She also emphasizes how UNC works to give an even balance of hands-on practice and theory-based classes.
“Even if you’re not in the practicum, you’re also doing hands-on stuff, you know, acting as kids, playing with toys, figuring out how that works into early childhood,” Brewer said.
She enjoys learning classroom-based theory and being able to apply it in real time to her practicum class.
Jay Trask, head of archives and special collections, explained that UNC has always been at the forefront of teaching innovations.
“UNC was the expert, right? We were actually really progressive with cutting-edge methodology,” Trask said. “We were actively recruiting teachers around the world to make sure our students got a well-rounded education.”
As the university continues to grow the early education program is constantly reevaluating its methods. Kirshner is always open to feedback from students and is always keeping up with educational trends.
“We’re pretty responsive to students and what they want in the program. We have added classes and practicum time to fulfill the students' needs,” Kirshner said.
Brewer’s advice to students going into the program is to get involved.
“Don’t isolate yourself,” she said. “Try to get all the opportunities. Be that person who, you know, goes 110% beyond, like, what's expected.”
As the first early childhood education class comes to an end, students put their notes away and pack up their backpacks. Their nerves have been replaced with excitement about the journey they are about to embark on. They continue the legacy of more than a century of teachers beginning their journey in the same program.
At UNC, the next generation of teachers is currently learning about what it takes to shape the children of tomorrow.
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