April 2, 2024
Scarlett Caudill always knew she wanted to teach younger kids. The Portsmouth, Ohio native, who has always had a passion for English, decided to broaden her education at Shawnee State University. A junior in the Early Childhood Education program, Caudill also has minors in Spanish and teaching English to non-English-speaking students.
When choosing the route in education she wanted to take, she found her calling while volunteering at Portsmouth Elementary with students that could not speak English well.
“It was an afterschool program, and I mostly taught this six-year-old boy how to speak English,” Caudill said. “I felt a lot more at ease with that age group than previously with the older kids my age. I can be more myself with younger kids than older kids.”
In the classroom, Caudill has enjoyed the connections she’s built with her professors and their willingness to help in any shape or form. She feels they have been able to prepare her and her classmates for the future they will see in the classroom.
Courses in SSU’s Early Childhood Education program go beyond basic methodology and subject matter. Students will take classes in Child & Adolescent Psychology, Art in the Curriculum, Understanding Cultural Diversity, and Matching Books with Readers to learn practical skills from professors across several departments. After three years of foundational classes, students spend the first half of their fourth year preparing for student teaching before spending time in a classroom working side-by-side with a current teacher.
To learn more about the Early Childhood Education program at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/education.