Paper, stickers and glue. All things that make future elementary educators smile. But add fairies, superheros, princesses and firemen to the mix and the whole classroom is celebrating.
The early childhood practicum class helps kids under five prepare for kindergarten through fun, hands-on learning. On special occasions like Halloween, the classroom is buzzing with excitement as the students and teachers prepare to celebrate together, making memories with costumes, crafts, and plenty of smiles.
“Preschool children really do have such magical spirits around the holidays,” child guidance and early childhood teacher Mindy Mesneak said. “They get so excited to participate in everything we plan and add so much happiness to our campus.”
Bringing holiday magic into the classroom means finding new and creative ways to keep young learners engaged while learning.
“We teach them why we celebrate Halloween and help them understand how to have fun during such a holiday,” junior Siarah Jones said. “Our classroom is activity based without worksheets, so everything they do is exciting and motivates them to learn.”
Making each lesson meaningful means looking for creative ways to turn everyday moments into engaging learning games.
“I help make these moments memorable by planning activities that I would’ve loved to do as a kid when I was that age,” senior Issac Yanez said.
According to the practicum students, the sense of joy and accomplishment is what makes teaching so rewarding.
“I hope they [the Oak students] will feel the genuine innocence and happiness of our preschoolers and know they helped create memories for the children,” Mesneak said.
This enthusiasm shines through in the creative ways each group brings Halloween to life, with every table adding its own special touch to the celebration.
“Every table has their own party to plan, and the yellow table has activities planned that are very active and exciting – like wrapping the teachers in toilet paper like mummies,” Jones said.
Working together, the student teachers and Mesneak, are able to share ideas, laughter, and excitement as they plan costumes and Halloween fun for the whole class.
“For Halloween we are all dressing up, and trick or treating together, ” junior Lily DeLeon said. “We plan events by communicating amongst each other.”
