Students from PK–3 Early Childhood Education Specialist Instruction Credential programs across four CSU campuses share their experiences, growth, and hopes for the classroom. Their stories highlight the power of reflection, hands-on learning, supportive communities, and creating spaces where every young child feels seen and inspired.
Growing Early Educators: Early Childhood Student Voices
Hilary: [00:00:00] Welcome to the CSU SPARK EC Voices podcast, the place where knowledge meets action in early childhood education
Lindsay: We're so glad you're here. This show is brought to you by the CSU SPARK EC Hub, and that's the California State University Systemwide Partnership for Advancing Research and Knowledge in Early Childhood Education.
Hilary: Welcome back to the SPARK EC Voices podcast, where we amplify the voices of educators shaping the future of early childhood
Lindsay: I'm Lindsay
Hilary: And I'm Hilary. Today, we're joined by a few students in California's PK-3 early childhood specialist instruction credential programs across four [00:01:00] different CSU campuses
Lindsay: We'll be talking about how they're growing, what they're learning, and what they feel will stick with them as they launch into their own classrooms
Hilary: Let's get to know everyone.
Please share your name, your university, and one sentence about what brought you into early childhood. Yessica, let's start with you
Yesica: Hello, everyone. I am Yessica Ibarra Campos, currently studying in Fresno State's PK-3 Credential Program. My passion for early childhood education is rooted in my personal journey.
I moved to this country carrying dreams and hope for my family, seeking opportunities we lacked before. Witnessing how early experiences shaped confidence, identity, and love for learning has deeply inspired me. As a DACA recipient, an immigrant, and a bilingual learner, and a first-generation college graduate, I [00:02:00] understand the feeling of entering spaces where belonging is uncertain.
That's why I aspire to be the type of educator who makes every child feel safe, seen, valued, and capable from the very start.
Lindsay: And Victoria, how about you?
Victoria: Hi, I'm Victoria Knighten-Pham. I am currently a PK-3 candidate at Cal State Long Beach. What got me into ECE was I'm a bit of a nepo baby of ECE. My mom ran a daycare in our house when I was little, so I've always been around ECE and had a great appreciation for it.
But I really grew to love it, um, when I was a behavioral therapist in a preschool
Hilary: Great. Thank you. How about you, Henry?
Henry: Hi, everyone. My name is Henry. Um, I'm a current PK3 candidate finishing my last semester at Dominguez Hills. I'm very familiar with the early childhood education, as I worked as an ABA therapist and substitute teacher in my [00:03:00] prior experiences.
Just seeing the joy and impact I made in from my previous opportunities really affirms that I'm on the correct career path .
Lindsay: How about you, Abigail?
Abby: Hi, I'm Abigail or Abby, everyone. I am a student in the Child Development Integrated Teacher Education Program at San Francisco State, so I can get my teaching credential, the PK3 teaching credential, along with my bachelor's degree.
Um, so I guess I've just, I've always really loved little kids. When I was, when I was really little, um, if I saw a baby in public, I'd run up and go hug the baby, even if I didn't know them. Um, and I started volunteering with my mom at our local church, um, in their, like, Sunday school program for preschoolers, um, when I was around 12, and I really enjoyed it.
And then I later worked at the, uh ... They have, like, a preschool at that same church, um, and I worked there for a while. Um, and I just, I've always just [00:04:00] loved young kids. Um, so yeah. And Norma, how about you?
Norma: Hi everyone. My name is Norma Paul. I have a bachelor's in early childhood and adolescence. I have a master's in early child education, and I've worked in early childhood for about 15 years, with Newport-Mesa. What drew me to early childhood was just seeing how sup- how much support children need, um, not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well, and I just love being that, um, I'm, like, one of their first teachers, , besides, their parents.
I just love being that. I get to be, and teach them a lot of those foundational skills.
Hilary: You're from Cal State Long Beach, right?
Norma: Yes, I'm from Cal State Long Beach.
Hilary: Great. Well, I'm so glad you're all here [00:05:00] Thank you all. What really stands out is really how different your paths are. We have students, um, in PK-3 programs or candidates in these PK-3 credential programs that are in four-year programs from San Francisco.
That's so exciting to hear, like, what that looks like, all the way to someone who already has a master's degree and has been working as a professional in the field coming back. So, and then all this in-between, um, with these varied experiences, I think that's gonna make a really rich conversation today. So, eh, that also makes me think this really reflects the workforce of early educators in the field, um, and what this PK-3 program is really all about, just really understanding how important the early years are, having diverse backgrounds for our early educators that actually look and sound and, and are similar to what the children and families are that you're working with.
[00:06:00] And all of these bring a variety of strengths, um, based on your own prior experiences. So let's go a little bit deeper. Let's think about a moment that confirmed this was your path. Some of you already mentioned a couple things about this, but, but maybe really think about, you know, , what in your experience, I mean, maybe it was running up to that baby on the street, or maybe it was an experience in your classroom, but what was it that confirmed it for you?
And, and is your program addressing that for you right now? Let's start with you, Norma.
Norma: I think it really sank in for me when I started seeing the impact I was having on children beyond just academics, when they felt safe, confident, and excited to learn. There were moments when I saw a child go from being unsure and withdrawn to becoming more confident, engaged, and participating, and I remember thinking, "This is where I'm meant to be."[00:07:00]
In early childhood, we're often the first teachers outside the home, and that's such a powerful responsibility. It really is my sweet spot because you're building that foundation not just for learning, but for how and what type of person they want to grow up to be
Hilary: Wow. It kind of gives me goosebumps even hearing you say that, Norma.
How about you, Henry? What was your spark?
Henry: I had the opportunity to dip my toes into teaching last year, being a substitute teacher. I had a lot of fun pretending and role-playing as a teacher in someone else's classroom. Uh, specifically last year I had a sixth grade class I would frequently come back to and take gigs for.
Um, whenever I opened the door to that class, the first few students would cheer. A few boys would run around, start screaming. Like, they were so excited to see me, right? And I was like, wow, like I don't... Is this what it's like teaching every time? Um, on my last assignment [00:08:00] with this particular class, um, the whole class signed a letter that said, "Mr.
Ngo, you are the best sub ever."
Hilary: Hmm.
Henry: And that was the moment for me where I'm like, wow, teaching, this may be something for me. And I hope to continue to have this similar impact for my future students as well.
Hilary: Wow. Okay, so that was sixth grade, but you're in a PK-3, which means you can teach up to third grade.
How is that? So tell us more about that, why you selected that program.
Henry: So I went to sixth grade just because I, I didn't choose them. They, I, it was just a random selection, and I ended up really liking the class. So I thought I wanted sixth graders until my program now, where I'm like, oh, I love TK, I love working in second grade.
Um, I got my bachelor's in child adolescent development, and while I was looking for a credential program, um, I told the information, um, meeting, um, the staff members like, "Oh, I have a..." [00:09:00] Um, I have a degree in this, and I also have experience as an ABA therapist. Is there anything I could do with my experience?
And they told me, "Well, we have this brand-new credential program that you are perfect for. With your experience, with your background, you should go check it out." And now here I am, almost done with the program and I'm going to become a s- a kindergarten teacher this upcoming school year, so.
Hilary: Oh, that's awesome.
All right. Well, we're gonna hang onto that 'cause I wanna hear about future plans at, when we get to the end. And how about you, Yessica? Can you tell us about your story to get here?
Yesica: For me, from the beginning, I believed I wanted to give back to my community. So, , I went through my undergraduate, majoring in a completely different, , degree path.
I was majoring in sociology. And then, , during COVID, that's when this amazing opportunity was given to me, um, to give back to that same community that helped me grow as a person. [00:10:00] So I applied to my local state preschool. Um, and I returned, , to school that summer. I was hired. Um, from then, , my journey began in early childhood.
But I feel like if I had to pick a moment, um, where, that confirmed this path was the right choice for me was, um, meeting with the young children that, , their backgrounds were similar to mine. I especially saw myself in their stories, their language, their families, and their resilience.
, Watching children grow in confidence, , and beginning to trust themselves and feel proud of who they are reminds me of how powerful a teacher can be, especially at early stages of life. In those moments, I began to realize that, changing my career was not that, but it was a calling that I knew, I wanted to be from the beginning since I came to this country.
Oh
Hilary: my gosh, these stories. You're getting to me. They're amazing. [00:11:00] Um, I love that part where you say, "Working with young children from backgrounds similar to mine." That is such a powerful message for the children you're working with and the families you're working with. This, it shows us, those children, "Look what I can be.
I can be a, I can be an educator, too." So that's awesome. How about you, Abigail?
Abby: When I actually started working at the preschool that I was at before, I was actually, looking for something else. Like, I had been volunteering with kids for a while at that point, and I was feeling a bit burnt out
and, um, so I just, I wanted to do something different. And I just, I was having trouble finding, a job. And I eventually, I was just like, "Okay, I'll just apply to some schools and, uh, see what happens." And then I, I got this job, and I ended up really loving it, and it's probably my favorite job that I've had.
And I just really bonded with the kids and, um, yeah. [00:12:00] So I think that really, um, solidified it for me.
Hilary: Those little kids can do it to you sometimes. Mm-hmm. I can tell you that.
Abby: Mm-hmm, for sure.
Hilary: How about you, Victoria?
Victoria: So I don't have a memory of, like, a moment where I'm like, "This is it," but I have a lot of moments where I'm like, it's my little reminders.
I'm like, "Oh, this is what keeps me going." I had one actually really recently, a few weeks ago. I work currently as a TK instructional assistant. I've been doing that for three years now. So I've had a few classes go through, and they had an Easter egg hunt, but it wasn't like a regular Easter egg hunt. It was for students.
They would go with the principal, and they would have a little, like, strip of paper, and they would have to find somebody that matches that description. And we didn't know about it, but the door opened, and in came one of my kids I had two years ago. And he said, "Miss Vicky," and handed me this paper. And it said, "Give this to someone who's the most patient."[00:13:00]
And I'm like, "Uh, me? How do you remember?" Like, uh, it's been two years. But, you know, you always have this fear in early education where you're like, "They're gonna forget me," you know? My kids are four and five. They're gonna be nine and 10 years old. They're not gonna remember just me. But they do. And it was so, like, affirming for me to have that, like, they do remember.
You do have an impact. And so that was really, really good for me
Lindsay: Oh, I
Hilary: love
Lindsay: that You know,
Hilary: me too. Uh, kids do remember things. I mean, if you do something, you know, meaningful, both positive and negative, but those, those create really long-lasting memories.
Lindsay: And now here you are in CSU programs, learning more, growing your confidence, really stepping into your role as educators.
Describe a positive experience you've had in your program, maybe one in your classes, a particularly fun project, or even a clinical experience. What stands out for you? And Victoria, we'll start with you.
Victoria: [00:14:00] So not as much of, like, a singular experience, but an overall experience. It has been phenomenal working with so many other educators.
So with Long Beach, we are in different cohorts, so I'm in the full-time cohort, so we're all with the same people in the same classes. And we've really grown such a strong bond with each other. Um, we're all able to exchange ideas. There's been people of all... We're all across, um, Orange County, LA County.
Some of us are coming in from the Inland Empire. We're, uh, some of us have been educators for 20 years. Some of us are just starting, so it's such a good experience to come together and really, you know, bond over our love of working with children and learning from one another. It's been so amazing.
Lindsay: That is pretty amazing.
How about you, Abigail?
Abby: Something that comes to mind this was actually, uh, at a community college that I was at before. Um, but we had our final project we got to, like, design our own [00:15:00] classroom based on the different principles that we had learned about, and I just thought that was really fun, and we got to be creative
Lindsay: Awesome.
Yesica, what stands out for you? Something you really enjoyed in your program.
Yesica: For me, one of the most meaningful parts of my program has been the opportunity to not only work with educators in my cohort, but educators throughout, um, the Central Valley, especially from preschool-aged children to transitional kindergarten to third grade, which is my current placement.
Experiencing that full, , PK three, um, cohort has been such an amazing, feeling. We have become a family, and I've grown close to a lot of, um, of my mentor teachers, and they have , rewarded me by allowing me to be not only part of their classrooms, but a part of their community. And, uh, one great example that I can give right now is, I restarted the folklorico team with [00:16:00] my current mentor teacher it has been missing as part of the community for quite a while. So , we restarted it this year with, um, our current students. And for n- now we were told that they are pushing for more funding, and they wanna see more of their, their cultural, um, backgrounds represented in their schools.
And being part of that change has made me very, very, um, happy and very, very emotional 'cause it go, all goes back to me as being a child and doing the same thing when I was little.
Lindsay: Well, I cannot wait to come watch that. And Norma, what about you?
Norma: We actually have like a unique situation where our preschool building sits on the far field of our elementary, and we've always been like two separate entities. But because my clinical practice has had me go into the TK classrooms and the [00:17:00] kindergarten classrooms, I've had like the opportunity to collaborate with, um, both the kindergarten teachers and the, uh, transitional kindergarten teachers, and it's really brought us closer together.
We've collaborated on a lot of, projects, and we created like a reading buddy program.
As my students transition into TK and kindergarten, it's been, , a lot easier for my students to transition as I'm able to implement a lot of her expectations into my own curriculum and classroom. And I just think it's like such a, , positive, uh, reinforcement for our students and opportunity for them to grow and transition into elementary smoother.
Lindsay: Well, we cannot celebrate those relationships you're building across the continuum enough, right? That's amazing. Henry, how about you?
Henry: Um, I actually wanted to talk about more of the [00:18:00] social aspect of being a part of this program. Um, I've gotten to know, uh, my cohort really well the past three semesters, and we have gotten so much closer ever since our first class together.
We share our ups, our downs, our concerns, and what's funny is, like, there's only one other male In my class, or my cohort. And of course, both he and I are, like, closest of friends in the class now. And it's just something really cool to behold. Um, some- something that was kind of bumming was when we had all our classes together, and then eventually we only started seeing each other once a week.
And that one time a week we're like, "Oh, we kinda miss seeing each other." And like, you know, you really build those bonds with , your colleagues. And really see, like, um, your peers are from all aspects of life, so that's really an experience that I'm, like, continuing to learn about myself, but also learning about the experiences that my colleagues have to share as well.
Hilary: Right [00:19:00] now early literacy is really front and center in California and really beyond. Uh, and I know all of our universities are working really hard to think about what does that look like? How do we train the very best educators we can that are really strong in literacy practices? So I guess I wanna hear from all of you about what stands out for you from your programs, uh, about how you're learning about early literacy.
Maybe it's a early literacy strategy that you might use with children, um, some type of experience you wanna use in your classroom, uh, or something else. Like, what has stood out to you, maybe even about your own early literacy and early reading journey? So let's start with Yecica this time.
Yesica: One of the biggest lessons I will carry with me is that literacy is not just about learning to read, it's also about helping children find their voice, um, and especially believe in themselves.[00:20:00]
I've learned the importance of how evidence-based foundational skills, for example, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Um, but I've also learned that these skills when learning feels meaningful and engaging. Especially when, um, I wanna create a classroom where my students are able to talk, question, collaborate, and connect with each other.
One perfect example that I can share right now is j- this year for my third grade placement I taught story elements using hands-on activities. And, um, for me, when I was designing this lesson, it was a little difficult because I wanted, I wanted them to connect back to when they were in kindergarten, those early, early stages where, um, they feel that they are learning, but at the same time they are playing.
So what I did is I use materials and [00:21:00] manipulatives, to represent, um, their story elements. So I use the Jenga, um, the Jenga blocks as events. And I explained to my student that- When you push a Jenga block, there's a domino effect, so that's usually what happens with events in a story.
For problems, I used, um, the chess board of, um, I don't know what they're called, but from the chess board The little pins that you move around. I told them because they're, they represent problems and the conflicts I... And the game usually comes with, and how you're going to solve to win that game. And, for a student, , another example, I used Legos for them to create the setting.
And so the student was able to create the setting using the Legos and talk about designing the setting with, um, their own hands. And for my characters, I [00:22:00] had manipulatives of, um, small counters of people and animals, and they picked the characters, , from using those manipulatives.
They picked the... They picked them, and they were able to tell me about the characters, what they represent, um, the importance of them in the story, and that's one example that I can give, uh, for, um, early literacy.
Hilary: I love that. It sounds like such a engaging experience, and it's also integrated with other things and other ways to be creative.
So that sounds like one of those types of activities that your students are gonna remember down the road. Like, that sounds like something, you know, fun and, and something that's, um, hitting on all of those foundational skills. How about you, Norma? What is something that stands out to you from your program?
Norma: So literacy is the area that I'm most passionate about. I like to focus, uh, building literacy through [00:23:00] play-based experience, especially for my English language learners. One practice that I love to do is shared writing, like building a story together, which we just did with the story Brown Bear, Brown Bear, by Eric Carle.
My students shared their ideas, and some in their home language, and then I wrote them down so that they could see how their words connected to print. So I had some students say rainbow zebra and pink unicorn, but we were able to put all their imaginative animals into a collective book for them to read back.
I also like to model a lot, like thinking out loud, pointing to words, and giving children opportunities to hear and play with sounds. For m- my multilingual learners, I use lots of visuals and reputations to make learning accessible for them. For me, it's about making literacy engaging and inclusive, while still being intentional for those foundational skills.
Hilary: Again, I could just imagine [00:24:00] that book, and I bet they all take it home and they're reading it to their little brothers and sisters or their moms before they go to bed. So sounds like a great activity. How about you, Abigail?
Abby: I think the most interesting thing that I've learned is I've been really interested in like bilingualism and multilingual learning.
I actually, when I was in preschool, I went to like a Spanish immersion school for a little while. Um, and I think that was really good for me. I took Spanish later in high school, and I feel like I, even though I hadn't been in that school for a very long time by that point, um, I feel like I picked it up pretty well, and I think that those early years really helped prepare me for that.
And we've just seen a lot of benefits for children from, multilingualism. Um, I'm, right now I'm doing my fieldwork practicum hours in the early childhood education center here at SF State and, on the wall we have the word [00:25:00] family in different languages, and then we have pictures of the kids and their families.
Um, and I just feel like it's a good way to help those kids feel included and, um, to see themselves represented in the classroom.
Hilary: Great. Thank you very much.
Lindsay: Now let's shift a bit to math. What kinds of playful but rigorous approaches have you been learning to implement? Do you have a favorite?
Let's start with Victoria
Victoria: So I kind of got mine from my clinical practices. , There's that kind of idea like, yeah, we know how to make playful math, , for the earlier years. Like yeah, TK, kinder. But as it starts to get older, we start to get, mm, we start from blocks, now we're going, "Now s- let's memorize a multiplication table."
So it's kind of that dissonance of like how do we make that older years more fun and playful and engaging? So I got an example of that during my clinical practices in a third-grade classroom. Um, so the [00:26:00] pa- paper was about measurement. So the teacher saw it, and he's like, "Okay, let's make this more engaging.
Let's make this fun." And so the problem was like, oh, how to measure and use tools and deciding what tools to use. And so instead of just having the students look at the paper and kind of go off there, he's like, "Let's stand up. Let's get them out there. Let me put up ... Oh, should I have a yardstick, or should I use a ruler?"
And they're like, "Yardstick." And so he had all of it out there, and he'd like pick students to come up, especially for the students who wouldn't be as much, um, engaged in the lesson. So he's like, "Okay, go jump. How many jumps to get to six feet?" Um, and then as he saw more kids, he's like, "Okay, this one's disengaged.
Go tally for me." And so he was making it connecting to all the students in the classroom all at once, so it was really good to see. And it was really funny too, because he was like, "Oh, jumping six feet? I don't think any of you guys can jump six feet. I gotta do it." And so they're all going crazy. So it was so nice to see that, like, he's still able to take the curriculum that he's given, but make it engaging and fun [00:27:00] even though they're older and have higher expectations.
Lindsay: I love that so much. Um, I'm not a math person, and I think you made me want to be a math person. Okay, Henry, let's hear from you
Henry: I found that I really love creating any opportunities for any kinesthetic activities. Some of my students, or a lot of my students, have a hard time just sitting at their desk writing, putting pencil to paper, and a lot of them would just get out of their seats anyways.
So I've had a lot of success where my students were able to interact with math manipulatives in a controlled setting, or I'll even give my students time to play with the manipulatives to get all the wiggles out. So they, they have their two minutes to just to play, and then they can really hone in or focus on the lesson at hand.
Um, a recent lesson we did actually was when we were taking surveys and using tally marks to track opinions. So I had my students just kind of get up and then walk to a corner of the classroom. So if you like apples as eating apples for [00:28:00] your favorite fruit, or oranges, or grapes, you would go to a certain corner, and then you would...
I'll give them about 10 seconds. They'll run to the corner, and then we'll count each student to see how many people like apples or grapes or oranges, and it was a really fun way for them to really engage with the lesson rather than just sitting at their seats just itching to get up, you know.
Hilary: All right.
Well, let's shift a tiny bit. So some of you are in your final parts of your student teaching. Some of you are kind of more just getting started on that. But let's think about clinical practice, and clinical practice is that field experience, that actual real opportunity to work with kids, to work with young children.
Um, so let's hear about some of those clinical practice experiences where your learning from the university classroom meets the children and their families. So I wanna hear a story that stands out to you from your clinical practice, and we've heard a little bit, like, from these math and literacy experiences, but what would be [00:29:00] something else you could think of?
How about you, Victoria?
Victoria: Um, I actually had a funny experience. So in one of our science classes, we were talking about how sometimes with students you'll just have things come out of air. You'll get an idea just from them talking to you. And so the example we were talking about was light, and even light manipulation.
And the next day when I was at a clinical practice, one of my students came up and was holding up a plate, and she's like, "The light's shining through." And I'm like, "We just talked about this yesterday. Oh my gosh." So because we had been working on it, like, the, the different ways to manipulate light in the classroom, I was able to take that.
I'm like, "Oh my gosh, let me take out a flashlight. Let's, let's start flashing things under here to see." So they were making the connection, so I was like, "Oh, so much, like, practice right there." So it was very funny to, like, ha- that it connected that way.
Hilary: Yeah. I love that, when you see the connection happen in a classroom, especially over time.
Because I, I wonder, like, if [00:30:00] in a couple months, you know, th- somebody might have a flashlight and that comes to mind, and then you can take that experience and go deeper maybe. Yessica, could you share an experience you've had in one of your clinical practice settings?
Yesica: I honestly feel like I can talk the whole day about all my experiences in all my three different grade level placements, but if I had to share a special moment that, , to this day has been with me is, was literally, , last week.
We were finishing our, lesson on state government in my third grade placement. And so as one of my ending lessons, I wanted the students to get the opportunity to write their own Senate bills after their visit with a California state senator. So after their visit they, um, with [00:31:00] that senator, they were very interested in learning more about their community and more about their local governments.
So what I wanted to do is for them to have that real life experience. So for one of my lessons, I had them, work as a team, create a, a Senate bill that they would like to see either in their community or in their, um, in their school community, and a lot of them came up with, um, helping the homeless, having free college for them in the future.
Some of them came up with having their own student lounge at their school because teachers have their own staff lounge, and they included of what things would be in that lounge. Another group came up with, um, no uniforms for schools that have uniforms. Another group came up with better, um, food for [00:32:00] schools and they would list the types of food that they would like to see at, at their school.
And so even after doing this lesson and them presenting their own Senate bills and making the whole classroom transform into a Senate chamber, they still come up to me and say, "Are we gonna go and... Are we gonna... Are we gonna share these, our ideas with our principal?" So that's something that me and my mentor teacher and I are wanting to see if, um, the principal can come and listen to what they came up with and see how engaged they already are into their school and their community
Hilary: Wow.
That sounds like an awesome experience. And, and I wanna remind our listeners, you know, this is a, a preschool through third grade credential, so we are learning that whole span, um, of how do you work with, you know, a three-year-old all the way up to that eight-year-old, um, or maybe [00:33:00] nine-year-old in a third grade classroom.
And I think that's a really good example of kind of a, a fun, like, really authentic learning experience, um, that you might do. So thanks. How about you, Henry?
Henry: One of my first few lessons in TK was math . And I actually came up with a lesson where we were teaching the students about non-standard units. And I had this one student, he's having a difficult week.
He, when something gets too hard or tedious for him, he throws a fit, takes off his shoes, and he hides under a desk. And I've slowly started working with him, showing him that, oh, we can have this big goal, but split it into small chunks that are really manageable. But he struggles with paper, pencil activities or tasks.
In my non-standard unit, uh, lesson, we use math manipulative, so we have like a, a postcard or a [00:34:00] picture, and he would use cubes to measure the whole picture. So let's say it's a picture of a shoe. He'll have 10 blocks, and he would say, "Oh, the shoe is 10 blocks. The length is 10 blocks long." So on and so forth.
And it was a, like, stark contrast of, like, his engagement, the way he's just interacting with, with the manipulatives. He's just casually doing everything, and he's measuring each of the, the cards, and he's like, "Mr. Nguyen, Mr. Nguyen, I'm finished. Look." Like, and I see the excitement that he's enjoying learning, he's enjoying the process, versus a few days ago, he's throwing a tantrum and hiding because paperwork was too hard for him.
So it's really, that really brought my teaching to life for me.
Hilary: I love how you're using multiple strategies to reach, uh, the s- the children in your classrooms. That's awesome. How about you, Norma?
Norma: Um, so one thing I've gotten out of the clinical practice is, [00:35:00] um, realizing that I might stray away from the really little.
Like I've mentioned before, I was ... I've been in preschool for almost 20 years now, and I was thinking I was gonna stay in the really little zone with TK or kinder, but I challenged myself to move up to third grade, and I did a clinical practice in a third grade class. And that day I went to observe, they were doing fractions, and I was a little bit blown away by the subject and just realizing how complex it was.
And the whole group was struggling with fractions that day. Um, so my cooperating teacher had asked me to walk around the classroom and help facilitate, um, each student individually while they did their, their assignment. And it just was very rewarding, and I saw that this was something that I might wanna do in the future.
And, um, for a reward, I bought them all pizza the next day.
Hilary: Wow. I'm sure your [00:36:00] students will remember that, too. And how about you, Abigail?
Abby: With my field work practicum that I'm doing, um, at the early childhood center, I've, been able to do a couple of lesson plans and implement them with the kids.
And in my first one it had been raining a lot and little worms were coming up from the ground outside, and the kids would see them and they would get really excited. So I found a book, like a, a picture book called Diary of a Worm, and I read it to the kids and they really liked it.
And then I had them do a little craft where they finger painted little worms on some leaves that I had cut out and put them on a piece of paper. And, uh, one little girl, she got really into it and she was like, "Okay, I'm gonna do it." And then she was like, "I'm painting the sky and the, the sun and the clouds," and all of that.
And, um, so it was really cool to see her get really into this [00:37:00] lesson. Um, and yeah.
Hilary: Sounds fun.
Lindsay: It does sound fun. And Diary of a Worm came up in one of my clinical practice observations too, and this blew my mind but it's amazing. She used dirt in their sensory trays to make, um, letters and letter sounds, so it was cool.
She carried that over into foundational skills, so it must be a popular book. Those are the moments that really stick with you, and they shape the kind of teacher that you will become.
Hilary: They also teach you things about yourself. I mean, just like Norma said, she didn't know she wanted to be maybe a third grade teacher down the road, but maybe that's something that might happen.
Um, you know, I think often we start our programs not really knowing what to expect, or maybe we expect certain things and then that changes. But what are your hopes and dreams when you complete your programs? I mean, I'm, I'm assuming you all wanna get a job teaching, um, TK through third grade or you wouldn't be [00:38:00] getting a credential.
But share with us what is next for each of you. Um, and I know Henry, you already mentioned you have a kindergarten job, so I can't wait to hear about that. So maybe we could start with Henry
Henry: So the past month or so, I've been trying to balance finishing my program, but also writing resumes, um, scheduling interviews, going to job fairs.
So it has been a very hectic time for me. And so I actually went to a job fair at my old elementary school, or actually my old district that I used to be a student in. And I got a few interviews, one with my old elementary school and a few in the, the similar district. And, um, I was able to get an interview for a kindergarten interview f- at my old elementary school.
And I was offered... They, I think they liked me so much, they offered me the job the very next day- Mm-hmm ... which is very, like, that got the monkey off my back, and I was so excited. Now I can just focus [00:39:00] on just finishing my, um, my program. And I also come to find out that I will be teaching in the same classroom that I was a kindergarten student in.
So it's a very full circle moment. Um, I really, I'm still, it still feels like a surreal, uh, moment and for me that I still can't believe is happening.
Lindsay: That's so amazing.
Henry: Yeah.
Lindsay: And here's the big question that all future PK-3 candidates might want to know. What advice would you pass on? What's that one piece of advice that you have for future PK-3 credential students?
And we'll start with Norma
Norma: Um, my advice to someone just starting out in this credential would just to be to lean into the process. Just be open to reflecting, to be willing to grow, and not to be afraid to use your voice because that's really where all the learning happens
Lindsay: I love that. Using your voice, finding your teacher voice.
Henry, what [00:40:00] about you?
Henry: One, a few advice I would give is to really kind of embrace being uncomfortable. You're going to be stared at by 30 little kids, and it's okay to be, to not know what you're doing. But as long as you're confident, you ask a lot of questions, and you're always going to be learning. Even, um, experienced teachers will also continue to learn, 'cause education is always changing.
And also, if you are going to be job searching, I would recommend making a website where you can put your resume on, and then you could put a lesson plan, and also put, um, videos of your lesson plan so when you show it to employers, like, whoa, that's something really cool. You're really going to stick out.
Instead of just telling them, you can actually show them, show your, who you are and what you can do in real time. But yeah.
Lindsay: Oh, that's a great idea, Henry. Yesica, how about you? That one piece of advice [00:41:00]
Yesica: My advice would be to believe in yourself, especially on those days when the path feels really heavy.
Sometimes there is gonna be moments where you do- where you doubt yourself, but it's important to remember the reason that you're there, and you are meant to be there. Um, some- I always say to myself, "Sometimes the hardest journeys create the strongest educators." And I always try to remember, um, to be patient, and it's, that, and that would be another advice for future PK3 students.
Be patient with yourself. Ask for help, especially from the people in your cohort, and your, professors, their mentor teachers, and lean on each other. Never forget why you are there.
I just wanna end it with keep going because one day there will be children who need the exact teacher you are becoming.
Lindsay: Oh, I love that. Abigail? [00:42:00]
Abby: My advice would just be to get as much experience in, as possible. I think the experience really helps you to visualize how the concepts that you learn in your classes apply in day-to-day life. Um, and yeah, you can never be too experienced. Um, and yeah, career-wise, it can always help to have that extra experience and yeah.
Okay.
Lindsay: Victoria?
Victoria: I hate to end on a cliché, but it really does go by fast. Um, like you start the program and you're like, "This is, like two m- uh, this is two semesters, two and a half semesters, two years," however long. But it goes by so quickly, in good ways and in bad. So, you know, you are getting through it, but those quick, those, uh, clinical practices go by quickly, so try to get those placements early on.
Start making those, uh, connections with schools [00:43:00] so you can start getting those mentor teachers because it's, it's quick.
Hilary: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, I wanna thank all of you for sharing your stories, sharing your experiences, the, the cool things you're doing in classrooms with children. Um, it's clear how much thought and care you're bringing into this work, and these are the voices shaping the future of early childhood education.
And, uh, it makes me really proud to, to know that I'm part of the CSU, and the CSU is producing these quality teachers.
Today's rich conversation reminded us there is no single path into early childhood education, but each journey is strengthened by reflection, meaningful classroom experiences, and supportive learning communities.
Lindsay: These student voices show us what is possible when emerging educators bring their
identities, creativity, and commitment into classrooms where every young child can feel seen, supported, and inspired to [00:44:00] learn
Thank you to our listeners for joining us today. We appreciate your commitment to young children, families, and the educators who make a difference every day. As we continue learning and growing together, remember that systemness is our superpower.
Hilary: If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website and join the movement to transform early learning through collaboration and innovation, because every great idea begins with a spark.