“It is such a serotonin boost to get to take a break from hardcore academic classes and talk to little preschoolers that are filled with nothing but joy and excitement,” said senior Katherine Schwartz when asked about her experience taking Child Development.

B-CC offers Child Development, a class in which students learn how to create lesson plans and become teachers for a preschool class for one period of their day. The child development pathway offers a unique opportunity for high school students, as they get hands-on experience with teaching. Senior Emma Schwartz expressed, “The idea of working with kids and creating lessons for them, rather than just reading about it in a textbook was compelling to me.”

Even if students don’t plan on becoming teachers in the future, the class teaches valuable skills and gives students an important role. Katherine Schwartz explained, “[Child Development] teaches you how to be patient and work to meet others’ needs. It’s super important to give back to our community by helping shape the minds of the next generation.” Similarly, Senior Clara Lieppe, shared, “I believe that Child Development is important for almost anybody to take, even if you have no interest in becoming a teacher […] It helps to learn to work with a group of people to plan something using trial and error. It also helps to give basic life skills in caring for children.”

Several students plan on continuing with a career path geared toward helping kids. Junior Grace Stevens said, “Career-wise, [Child Development] helped me discover that I enjoy being able to work with and help teach kids.” Emma Schwartz expressed a similar sentiment, “Even though I don’t necessarily want to be a teacher, taking this course for the past three years has ensured that whatever my future career may be, I want it to involve children.”