Early morning walks on the Haley Center concourse often include the sounds of screams and laughter from toddlers at the Auburn University Early Learning Center.
Although the center serves as a preschool for young children, it also provides employment for 50 to 60 undergraduates in need of a position that will fulfill the requirements of their major.
According to Sharon Wilbanks, director of the center, most of the students who work there major in human development and family studies.
"But we also have students coming from every possible major," she said. "Generally, they're students who are in fields related to working with people."
Students who work at the center generally take the position in order to receive class credit and to gain experience for future careers involving work with other people, whether children or adults.
Wilbanks said although the primary goal of the center is the education of the children, its secondary goal is the training of students.
"It's highly important to us--it's very crucial to sending students out into the world," she said. "We try to train them not just how to work with young children, but how to work with people. And we help them to translate this into their future career field."
Katie Hicks, senior in human development and family studies, said she has worked at the center for one year.
Hicks said she originally took the position as a lab for a teaching course.
She said she continues to work there this year for the teaching experience.
"I get a grade for it, but also I chose to do it," Hicks said. "It's fun. It's my favorite class for sure."
Melisa Shannon, senior in psychology, said she just started working at the center this semester in order to fulfill the requirements for a minor in human development and family studies.
"Also, I always wanted to work with the students on campus," she said.
According to Hicks and Shannon, student teachers are subject to a number of evaluations.
Hicks and Shannon are currently preparing for a midsemester self-evaluation.
Shannon said the most fulfilling part of the job is watching the children learn new things.
"I think it's rewarding to watch them or even teach other children new things and watch them work together," she said.
Hicks said she has also learned a lot from the children.
"It's definitely opened my eyes to different types of children and personalities and temperaments, and also different cultures," she said.
Hicks said the responsibilities of the student educators were much the same as those of the other teachers.
"We are just, like, all working together to help the classroom run smoothly," she said.
Shannon said the other teachers act as role models for the student educators and teach them how to effectively handle different situations that can arise in child care.
"I think, mostly, they model things to us, and they teach us different rules," she said.
Kenzie Steury, 5, said she enjoys spending time with the student teachers.
"They make sure I'm OK," she said.
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