They are a lot smaller than the rest of the students at Libertyville High School, but the handful of preschoolers who attend class there present just as big a challenge for their teachers.
The youngsters are taking part in a special three-week ”play school”
nursery class-a key element in the high school`s child development education program taught by Barbara Sellers.
The little ones allow the sophomores, juniors and seniors in the child development class to practice the skills they`ve learned during the semester.
”Teaching is a live experience, and you never know how it`s going to turn out,” Sellers said recently. ”It`s a real learning experience to find out about all of the work and planning you have to do just to get ready for a lesson and a simple play activity.”
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One morning last week, the two students who were supposed to lead the day`s lesson came to class unprepared, so Sellers jumped in with a lesson of her own. ”That`s something you also have to be prepared to do,” she said.
While their youngsters learned a new song, heard the story of ”The Three Little Pigs” and colored pictures of the Big, Bad Wolf, a few of their mothers relaxed and read the newspaper in an adjoining lounge.
Nancy Witherington`s son, Ross, 4, and Kathy Bracken`s son, Travis, 5, were both recruited for the program by high school students in the class. ”It seemed like a wonderful idea,” Witherington said.
Travis had a few jitters last week at an orientation session, his mother said, but seemed to be enjoying himself Tuesday. With a ratio of two or three high school students to each preschooler, ”it`s like having three baby-sitters at once,” Bracken said.
”It`s like having your own personal buddy,” agreed Jennifer Revis, whose sons Stephen, 5, and Geoffrey, 3, are both enrolled in the class.
”Stephen was in the class last spring, and he always came home happy.”
Some of the high school students take the class, because they`re considering careers in education, while others have more personal reasons.
This semester, senior Jim Lotko of Vernon Hills is the only male in the class of 23 students. ”My mother has been doing this kind of work for 20 years, and I`ve been helping her since I was in about 6th grade. I enjoy it,” he said.
Last semester, there were seven high school boys in the program, Sellers said. ”It`s an excellent program for boys, particularly with the way that a father`s role is changing,” she said.