Diana I.
Diana I.
Ready to take the next step?
M.S.Ed. Early Childhood Education Teacher, Class of 2021
I chose to attend Brooklyn College for graduate school because I enjoyed my time here as an undergraduate student and I was very impressed by its Early Childhood Education program. Thanks to Brooklyn College, I was able to acquire knowledge and experiences from various areas in Early Childhood Education. As an undergraduate, I majored in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. Now for graduate school, I am continuing Early Childhood, but pursuing a bilingual extension as well. Having a diverse set of skills under my belt will allow me to not only be more marketable in the job force, but have more options to choose from career wise.
After graduating, I will continue my role as a teacher in an early childhood setting. I plan to teach in a special education environment for some time and become more experience in that field. However, down the line, I also want to work in a bilingual education setting and support Dual Language Learners as well. But even though I see myself working in the classroom with young children at the moment, I am still open to any opportunities that come my way.
What makes this program unique are the professors you meet during your college career. The professors all come from different areas of early childhood education. They all have many unique experiences in the field and you can see just how passionate they are about teaching young children through their lectures. I can recall at least one thing I learned from each of their courses. The professors also do such a great job guiding you through their courses and fieldwork. Their assignments, though challenging, are creative and memorable as well. I have definitely used parts of previous assignments in my classroom lesson plans.
I would describe the community atmosphere as very welcoming and safe. As a graduate student, I mostly take night classes. Nevertheless, I always feel safe walking around the campus and buildings. During the day, you see more liveliness in the campus. Students can be seen interacting with one another, promoting a club activity, or just relaxing on the West Quad. In terms of the staff, most of which I have approached whether it’s librarians, advisors, or professors, have been polite and helpful. They answer all of my questions or guide me to find what I am looking for. I would definitely recommend the Jumpstart program if you are thinking about a career in education or if you are just interested in working with young children.
My advice for incoming graduate students to the Early Childhood Education program is to talk to the advisor and see what program best fits you and your interests. Depending on the option you enrolled for, you can take early childhood courses that focus on special education, bilingual education, or early intervention. My other advice is to begin thinking of your teaching philosophy if you do not have one already. I believe that by having your own philosophy, you not only have a framework of how you want to teach, but you are also setting goals for you and your future students. My third advice is to always attend classes with an open mind. Some courses may be required and you may not be particularly interested in them. However, you will be surprised to see how those courses may turn out to be the most interesting and memorable.
