Preschool in the High School

Hey there... I used to do it.. but that was... OH MY GOSH...11 years ago!!!!!!!!!!! AAAA I can't believe how fast time flies. I LOVED it as a student.. that was my favorite class! As a student I would be assigned to one to two kids and would try to stick with those kids.. of coarse some of the kids would switch depending on the connection with the children. Then we would take pictures.. work on projects.. play together.. and at the end of the year we would make a big book of all the things we did with that child. I THINK IT IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As a previous preschool teacher I think this is much better... as there is so much more attention for each child!

Don't hold back... if you or your child doesn't like it you can always take your child out! :)

I actually am a speech pathologist and work on the community support team-- which means that I consult with community preschools. Two of the preschools that I consult with are High School programs and have teens. There are pros and cons, but mostly I see pros. Occasionally, you do get that teen that you just don't want your kiddo to be around, but I haven't seen that very often. And usually that teen just wants to hang out and not interact with the kids (they're "too cool" for that). Plus, the preschool teacher would never allow the teens to do anything that is inappropriate. And most of the teens are just really good kids that really love working with children. Having the teens really improves the "adult" to child ratio-- so the program can really be more directed, there are more bodies to assist with the kiddos. The other big pro that I have seen, is that these programs are designed to teach the teens about child development, so the teens are required to come up with activities, etc. as part of their curriculum-- I have certainly seen more activities and more creative activities in those preschools than in others!
Hope that answers a few questions.
--E.

I think it is a great opportunity for the student and parents in the community. The students get some great experience and skills caring for and teaching small children and the parents get a very inexpensive way to provide a preschool experience for their child.

Also, the students are supervised, so it isn't like you are leaving your 4 yr old with teens all day alone!

I understand the fear that the teens may say or do things that are not quite appropriate for a 4 yr old, but I would just speak with the supervisors and find out what type of supervision there is and how they prevent that type of thing.

My niece participated in the childcare program at her highschool. She was closely supervised and the children were taken care of exceptionally well. There is and has been for years a waiting list for openings. Keep in mind that this is work extra work for the highschooler so the chances of a lazy, disinterested teenager wanting to participate are slim. My niece said that in the four years she participated there was only one girl who wasn't good with the children and she was weeded out almost immediately.

I think it's wonderful for both students as long as some training is provided for the high school student ahead of time in age appropriateness. It will help preschooler having an older child who puts positive energy and attention into them and make them feel special. It will provide the high-schooler with a skill and make them feel needed. They did this in my son's school with the kindergarten and grade 8 and it was lovely!
My son was influenced by watching a group of older kids walk by our home when he was very young once, and copied their behavior, so its not always easy to control their experiences in the world at large, but we can talk about it with them after it happens too.

I was one of those students back in high school too. It was through the child development courses. I can tell you the boys you would usually see cussing out in public, they understood not to use that language around young children and none of the girls were inappropriate either. The school may have an observation room that you can watch from and no one would see you watching if you are concerned.

As someone who has put both of her kids through a high school preschool program, I have nothing but good things to say about it. It was a wonderful experience for me and the kiddos. The kids get so much direct attention and the activities that the high schoolers come up with are amazing. I would highly recommend it!