Little Moments Lead to Big Impacts

On this episode of the Tech Times podcast we chat with Early Care and Education Instructors Brigitte Ground and SueAnn Cardwell about the program, the misconceptions and how they prepare students for a multitude of career options.

Transcript

Announcer: From Tulsa Tech, helping you make your own path with insights and information about the world of career training, the Tech Times Podcast starts right now. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Hey, everybody. Welcome to this episode of the Tech Times podcast. I'm your host, Ryan Williams. Today we're turning our attention to our Peoria campus.

Ryan Williams (Host): This campus is home to a working oil well on the north side of the parking lot, which is really cool to see every time we come up here and visit. This campus also holds our early care and education program, but how do you practice caring for our youngest students? You have an in house daycare. Well, here to joining us talking about all things, early care and education are our two incredible instructors.

Ryan Williams (Host): SueAnn Cardwell and Brigette Ground. Welcome. Thanks for joining us. 

Brigitte Ground: Thank you. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Thanks for having us. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Okay, so let's dive right into this program. I'm really intrigued at how we operate and learn how to take care of littles all day long. So this is a two year program, Brigitte, right? This is a two year program for high school students?

Brigitte Ground: Yes. So they start, can enter the program as a junior and , I teach the juniors and then their senior year they go to Ms. Cardwell's class for the senior. Right, 

Ryan Williams (Host): SueAnn, what do you think are the biggest lessons that teenagers learn from working directly with infants and preschoolers? 

SueAnn Cardwell: Well, I think having an onsite childcare lab is awesome because our students are in class learning.

SueAnn Cardwell: Techniques, learning ideas, learning how to work with them. And then they get to immediately go right into the lab and put all of that into practice 

SueAnn Cardwell: they are able to learn, that you can actually teach an infant science and math and language. It's a little different than you do with adults, but you can do that.

SueAnn Cardwell: And so a lot of our students are surprised at the things you're able to do with children. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Hmm. Brigette, what about you? Do you see any surprises 

Brigitte Ground: the high school students really enjoy? . Learning. It's nice. 'cause what I talk about in my class, they can go directly into the lab and see it. . Like Scaffolding.

Brigitte Ground: , My, the first year we really talk about different theories of teaching and so learning about Montessori and then they go into the classroom and they say, oh, that is, there is some Mon Montessori theory that you use in the lab. It's not everything that we use. , But then even learning about Scaffolding and, Piaget and Vygotsky and seeing all that.

Brigitte Ground: So it is, it's nice because we teach the theory part, the book part, the foundation, and then they can go in and see the actual practice into place , and see and get that hands-on experience. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Do you see those aha moments, like the lights literally turn on on their face as they enter the lab? In some cases.

SueAnn Cardwell: I definitely, yeah, I think we see it often. It's, it's nice to hear, we go into the lab and we observe them as well. But, it's nice to hear when they come back from the lab, all of the chatter about, oh, did you see this? I saw this. Oh yeah, we talked about that. You know, those kind of things. It's, it's great to hear them , recognize those things that we actually taught them in class and seeing it done in real life.

Ryan Williams (Host): That's really cool. , Seeing that application really, lends it. Lens and credence. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. , Really hits home for those students. How does caring for young children teach responsibility in ways that textbooks cannot? And I guess I'll start with Brigitte. First year. 

Brigitte Ground: , I would say it really is just the hands-on.

Brigitte Ground: So talking about how children, when I talk to my students about. , Find motor skills and, you know, I'm showing examples of how you hold a pencil, but how younger kids hold a pencil, , and then they can go into the classroom and they're like, you're right. Like, some of the preschoolers knew how to do the three finger hold out of a pencil, but some of 'em I saw that was doing their, their.

Brigitte Ground: Whole fist. And so I, you know, adapted their hands and, and made them hold onto that pencil. And so that's back to that first question, those aha moments of like, you're, you're right. You just provided them a way, a new way of holding that pencil and you got to see that first time , in the classroom with them, with it.

Ryan Williams (Host): I would think that's just such an exhilarating experience to see it in a textbook . and then really apply it. An hour later 

SueAnn Cardwell: and there's a lot we can text or teach out of the textbook. Right. But you are not gonna learn everything unless you're in the lab hands on because there's incidences that happen minute to minute that you can't predict in the classroom. and so them having a on onsite chuck here lab to actually train in is just great for them to learn these incidental happenings and how to handle 'em like. Specific guidance and discipline, things like that that, you know, we can talk about in here, but when you're having to put it into practice, it's a little different each time with each child.

Ryan Williams (Host): So do you have any fun specific examples of that? 

Brigitte Ground: Well, I teach about, the development of two and three year olds, and a big developmental thing that happens is temper tantrums. And so we talk about how you handle it, but until you're into the moment. You don't really get to experience that. Well, they go into the lab and our lab teachers are amazing.

Brigitte Ground: They provide the correct guidance. And so my students come back and they're like, oh, they really, did you use redirection? Or Oh, they use the technique of, you know, calming them down and breathing with them and then, you know, having the child use their words for something different. So, yeah, I mean that's, the lab teachers do support us in that.

SueAnn Cardwell: It's a very hands-on way that they get to see it. 

Ryan Williams (Host): What would be, you mentioned Oh, you're all right. What you mentioned redirection. What would be a technique might be a helpful tip for new parents out there that have littles at home 

Brigitte Ground: for redirection

Ryan Williams (Host): or just one helpful tip? 

Brigitte Ground: Redirection is just, you know, putting their focus on something different to kind of take their mind off that moment.

Brigitte Ground: Obviously they're in the brainstem at that moment. They're upset, so, okay, let's. Are they really like bubbles? Let's blow some bubbles and then we can go back to that situation and talk to the child about. They use their hands for gentle touches or you can kick a ball instead of your friend. But that, that's the technique advice., 

Ryan Williams (Host): I should take that to heart. I should take that to heart.

SueAnn Cardwell: We also have, in a lot of our childcare rooms, we have calming corners. Yes. And so, you know, sometimes kids are upset and they need to get those emotions out, or, or an emotion zone. Some are called emotion zones.

SueAnn Cardwell: And so, you know, you can give the child an option. Are you ready to go play or do you need some time in the calming corner, and, and then come out when you're ready? And so it, you know, sometimes you have to be angry and sometimes you have to. Calm yourself down. And so they have that area in the room to be able to just go over there.

SueAnn Cardwell: And it's, it's, it's interesting to see the kids when they are having a moment and after, you know, couple of months in school, they realize, oh, okay, I'm gonna just put myself in the calming corner. We're all just, and then I'll come out when I'm ready. 

Ryan Williams (Host): We're all this big kids. I mean, I think we all need a calming, 

SueAnn Cardwell: we all need a calming corner.

SueAnn Cardwell: I have one in my classroom, matter of fact. 

Ryan Williams (Host): We mentioned a few of these, earlier in our conversation, but what are some of the skills that students develop while they're here? 

SueAnn Cardwell: I think, oh gosh, so many. They learn techniques on teaching In my program and second year we learn a lot about lesson planning, activity planning .

SueAnn Cardwell: What can you teach a preschooler that has to do with social skills? What can you teach an infant that has to do with math? So they learn how to create a curriculum for a classroom and then, you know, so if they leave and go to have their own classroom, they'll have a set of lesson plans already prepared.

SueAnn Cardwell: Be able to do those on their own. 

Ryan Williams (Host): That's cool. I think the biggest heart, hardest part for all of us adults is thinking back to the time where we have to go back to those fundamentals.. And teach, you know, we already know all this stuff. So we're just like, get all frustrated trying to teach people these new techniques and things, but we already know them.

Ryan Williams (Host): We have to get back down to that level. So that's really cool. 

Brigitte Ground: Yeah, that's what I tell my students a lot. It seems like an easy skill to you of, you know, having to scoop up corn and pouring it into a cup. But that is a new skill for the children. And so we think, oh, just, we just tell 'em, oh, scoop it up and pour it in.

Brigitte Ground: But like there's so many movements and skills that the children have to learn to gain to get to that, and so it's new to the kids. That's what I keep telling my students. So. Break it down, really talk to the, the children about the steps that they're gonna do in order to pour it. 'cause we can pour water into a cup all day long.

Brigitte Ground: But that's, that's a hard skill for young children. 

Ryan Williams (Host): I guess I'm just curious, is, is language an issue too? Like, pour this into a cup and maybe they don't know the word cup or something like that. Is that come into play sometimes? 

SueAnn Cardwell: Absolutely. Yeah., You know. We just had a conversation with a student today.

SueAnn Cardwell: She was actually, yeah. Talking to us about, you know, how to talk to infants and how a lot of times parents or people use words like, oh, look at the doggy, look at the, here's your Wawa, you know, for water and not using like the true words and . So yeah, I mean, it's important to teach children a large amount of language , because.

SueAnn Cardwell: They're learning words every day. You know, infants are learning. You can just sit and have a conversation with them. That's what we say when you go in the infant room, always sit and talk to them. No matter what you're doing, explain what you're doing. Yes, they're infants, but they're, you know, making connections in their brain every time someone talks to them.

Ryan Williams (Host): So I heard a long time ago that, , you could just really pick a child up and do whatever activity you plan on doing and then just talk them through it as they're doing it no matter what. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah, exactly.

Ryan Williams (Host): And, , they'll start to pick up on those things. Exactly. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah. That's so true. 

Ryan Williams (Host): What do you think surprises your students the most about working in a real daycare setting?

SueAnn Cardwell: I think, you can teach about what developmentally, what a 4-year-old does developmentally, what an infant does. All of that, like I was saying from the textbook, but going in there, you see so many different things. It, I think they're shocked a lot of times. Sometimes it's good things. Sometimes they're a little shocked about, oh, one of the students.

SueAnn Cardwell: Was saying she found out how honest, uh, pre-K kids are . When they go and, . They say, oh, what is wrong with your hair? You know, it's like, oh, well I just did it different today. You know, they're very honest. Yeah. So you have to, I think that's a shocking thing. They're like, I can't believe they said that.

SueAnn Cardwell: It's like you have to explain to the student, well, they don't understand yet. Right. That you know all about feelings. So that's. Something new.

Brigitte Ground: I think too, like they have nieces and nephews. I mean, and you know, we do day to day life, right? And so I think being able to go back into the lab and then when they see an infant crawl the first time or make steps that they didn't see 'em do the day before, the last time they were in the lab, they're like, oh my goodness, Ms.

Brigitte Ground: Grand, they're walking now. And I'm like, yeah, like, and you, you guys helped provide that growth and that development. I think it helps us. Slow time down, I guess in a way that, I mean, yes, we're all growing and we're all developing, but like these, when you work with children, you get to see those first moments, those first times of the kids.

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah, I do. I agree. I think that they realize, I think what's shocking to them is they realize that they have a hand. By being here an entire school year, mine are here for two years with these children. These children get to know them very well. They see 'em out somewhere and they know their names.

SueAnn Cardwell: You know, it's like they're that when they realize that they've actually had a hand in helping these children develop to where they are today, 

Ryan Williams (Host): raising another human. That is powerful. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Is there a typical day in your experience teaching alongside of working daycare and what might that look like?

Brigitte Ground: There's no typical day. , We have a schedule that we even try to follow. . No, , it's just a lot of hands on and you never know where you're gonna be at what you're doing. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Every classroom, every childcare room has a schedule. . , And they try to stick to that. But, you know, every day you have to be flexible.

SueAnn Cardwell: And that's what another thing we teach the students. You know, you can have the best plan set and wanna follow it. I can guarantee you if something's gonna happen that day, that's gonna completely throw it off. So you have to be flexible. You have to have a plan B to to, what am I gonna do if solve this? 

Ryan Williams (Host): I can't believe the littles won't follow our plan, the textbook,

Ryan Williams (Host): like if you behave just like the textbook. What qualities help a student be a good fit and be successful in this program? 

Brigitte Ground: I think having a love or a passion for young children is really important. I mean. You are around kids all the time. And so, because sometimes students come to us and they didn't realize that they were gonna be working with real children.

Brigitte Ground: And I'm like, yeah, you're gonna be in the classroom, you're gonna be changing diapers, you're gonna be wiping noses, you're gonna be helping them write their name. And so, . It's a shock for some students. Yeah. , But then I also have students that come in and they don't know that we have a textbook. Why?

Brigitte Ground: Why do we have a textbook? Well, because you gotta learn the theory and the background first, and then you can go work with the kids. 

Ryan Williams (Host): We can't just go play with the kids. Right. Yeah. 

SueAnn Cardwell: That's a misconception of our program. It is, , a lot is that, with students and with others, that. Students come here and just play with kids all day.

SueAnn Cardwell: And you know, that's, yes, we have fun with the children, but . Everything we do has a purpose. And they, I mean, it's, it's not an easy program. Like some people think, , we have the textbook, we do Blackboard, work, we have exams. . We, they have big portfolios they have to put together .

SueAnn Cardwell: , Throughout the school year. So it's a lot of work. But we do have fun. Yeah. I mean we, it's, nothing is better when you're in a bad mood to be able to go in and see these kids laughing and running over and giving you a hug and that kind of thing, and making your day better. So, 

Ryan Williams (Host): and nothing better than nap time either.

SueAnn Cardwell: Right? My, my students don't understand why they don't get nap time. 

Brigitte Ground: My students are always mad too, and I'm like, Nope, we don't get nap time. We even do a whole chapter, a whole section and chapter about it, and they're like, can we do it? Just pretend. Nope. Absolutely not. 

Ryan Williams (Host): I think it would be a relax.

Brigitte Ground: Sometimes mainly welcome to nap. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Are there any certifications that students can earn while they're in the program? 

Brigitte Ground: Yes. So the first year that the students are with me, um, they'll get safe sleep, which is required for, or any person working in a childcare center. They'll be in the infant classroom. That's learning that infants must be placed on their back to sleep with nothing else in the crib.

Brigitte Ground: No blankets, no pillows. No string on the pacifier, anything, just the baby on their back. , They also get the certification of teacher assistant and ELCCT, which the ELCCT is required for all people working in a childcare center. It's a 40 hour training, a big test, and so here at CareerTech, they're able to take that certification for free in our program.

Brigitte Ground: And then also in their first year they get a infant toddler certification and CPR and first aid, , that we give them. And they also get the food handlers. . Because working in a childcare center, you need to have a food handlers 'cause you're serving food. So understanding food safety and then Ms.

Brigitte Ground: Cardwell. 

SueAnn Cardwell: And then second year, , we do a master's teacher certification that they take here through CareerTech. Which. We'll allow 'em to be a master teacher. And then we also do the CDA certification, which is Child Development Associate Credential. That's a huge, . Huge project. They are second semester, they are working on a CDA portfolio, which is a massive portfolio.

SueAnn Cardwell: It's a lot about what we've done over the two years. So it's almost like a review that they're putting together this big portfolio. , And then after we go through all of the. , Modules and they get the portfolio put together, then they can choose to be certified. In the past, almost every one of my class is a certified CDA.

SueAnn Cardwell: So, and that's something you have to have in order to work. In childcare and be a lead teacher or a master teacher, you have to have your CDA. 

Ryan Williams (Host): So through these two years and all of these certifications, , what kind of, I guess I'll, this is kind of a weird question, but do these certifications provide our students a competitive advantage over maybe someone else?

SueAnn Cardwell: Absolutely. . Absolutely. Okay. I mean, , even with just the first year certifications, they can, yeah. They, they're hired. Like this, because they already have most of their required certifications. Oh, wow. Yeah. As a teacher assistant. With mine, , CDA teachers are, they are desperate for them out in the field.

SueAnn Cardwell: So if my students have a CDA, they will be hired before they graduate here. 

SueAnn Cardwell: You know, the biggest issue with the CDA is that. That is not through CareerTech. They have to pay for that themselves and it's huge fee. It just went up to $525.

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah, those financial burdens can really give in the way sometimes.

SueAnn Cardwell: That's what's going to make them be successful when they leave here. , I get calls. Every week. From childcare centers and places that are desperate and they're like, do you have anybody that's getting ready to have their CDA? Or do you have anybody that's needing a job? You know? , I get called constantly, uh, with people looking for, 

Ryan Williams (Host): well, if anybody, if, if any sophomores are out there that are listening, then certain job opportunities. After high school, a lot. How does this program go beyond childcare? 

Brigitte Ground: , Yeah. We give them lots of opportunities to see an elementary school classroom and we have elementary school teachers come and talk about their job. Yep. But so we do focus a lot on the littles, but we also express that you can, especially in my program.

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah. In my program, we. Focus quite a bit on like elementary school teaching and social work. 

Ryan Williams (Host): I mean, the theory would be the same. It's just the kids are a little, the actual kids in the classroom are a little bit older. so up to third grade probably still applies pretty well. 

Brigitte Ground: Yeah.

Ryan Williams (Host): Yeah. 

Brigitte Ground: Right. And we have a lot of students that are interested in social workers. And so we have OU area of their social, , worker program, 

SueAnn Cardwell: former student in the program who is now A DHS, um. Child welfare worker. . Wow. So she comes and speaks to them and, 

Brigitte Ground: and she tells them, honestly, this is my job and this is how I do it.

Brigitte Ground: And, and she even shows the career path. 'cause obviously she was in our program and she talks about the career path of the way to get to a social worker. . So yes, we have the onsite childcare center for younger kids. . But we also really focus on elementary school child, , social worker, .

Brigitte Ground: All of those interest, 

Ryan Williams (Host): that's probably a big eye-opener for students 'cause they just don't realize that expanded reach of opportunity. Right? 

SueAnn Cardwell: Absolutely. Yes. And this field, I mean majoring in early childhood will lead you to those fields. I mean, you can major in early childhood and it's not just Yeah.

SueAnn Cardwell: Teaching. Like when you go to college and you major in early childhood, it also will, , span off into. Social work or you know, what the age group that you wanna teach and that kind of thing. 

Brigitte Ground: That's my first chapter with my students is careers in early childhood. And I tell 'em, you don't just have to be in a classroom.

Brigitte Ground: You can be a parent educator. You could go work on a cruise line. Yeah. At the childcare center, on a cruise line. 

Ryan Williams (Host): What? 

Brigitte Ground: Yes. Yeah. I mean, you can go, go anywhere. I actually have, 

SueAnn Cardwell: we have a, , a student. A childcare center? Yeah. Actually we have a student that just recently graduated and she's doing that.

SueAnn Cardwell: She's on a cruise, uh working children. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Tell me more about this job. I'm in the wrong industry. 

SueAnn Cardwell: There's also a, um, childcare center that, uh, it's a nationwide thing and they have a, , traveling childcare center with the PGA tournament.

Brigitte Ground: And the 49 ERs I did this sound. The 40 and the 49ers?

Brigitte Ground: Yes. And the 49 ERs. Oh wow. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Yes. That is fun. 

Brigitte Ground: Yeah. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Well, we're gonna take a quick break when we come back. , We hope everybody sticks around 'cause we're gonna find out a little bit more about these two wonderful instructors.

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Ryan Williams (Host): Okay, welcome back everyone. We are here chatting with our early care and education instructor, SueAnn Cardwell and Brigitte Ground. , Before the break, guys, we talked a lot about the program, , but now we wanna get to know you a little bit better. , Brigitte, have you always worked, enjoyed working with the littles?

Brigitte Ground: Yes. So my mom was a teacher. , And so growing up in her classroom, I knew. I always wanted be a teacher at home. I had all my stuffed animals on the floor and I was teaching them letters and numbers. And so I know I've always known I wanted to be a teacher. Now, I really, 10 years ago, if you'd asked me, I would've said, I'm not gonna teach juniors in high school.

Brigitte Ground: But. Obviously just the way it works around, but it's still, I'm teaching my passion and I get to do a lot of the fun activities. These high schoolers just clean up better than preschoolers, so it makes my day happy. 

Ryan Williams (Host): I was gonna ask, what drew you to the field of early childhood education? 

Brigitte Ground: My mom, her, her classroom, and I just loved that we would.

Brigitte Ground: Be out in the town and you know, all the kids would be like, oh, Mrs. Boley, oh, Mrs. Boley. And even adults, like, oh, I remember. And, and so it just, that made my heart happy to see that. And I wanted that influence on future students too. 

Ryan Williams (Host): She made, she made such a huge impact. . It sounds like 

Ryan Williams (Host): SueAnn, what about you?

SueAnn Cardwell: Same as Brigitte. I always wanted to be a teacher, although. No one in my family was a teacher, but I don't know. I just, from, when I was little, I did the same thing. I used to play. I had, I had a chalkboard, I had a, a desk. I had all these things, , that I would just pretend as I was teaching a class. And so I always wanted to do that.

SueAnn Cardwell: , I did begin, . After I graduated college, I was more in the field of social work. So I was a child advocate for many years. And, before I came here and I actually came here and I was the lab manager in the childcare lab. Okay. So I did, actually did that for nine years. And then our program with the high school students, when I first started here, it was on.

SueAnn Cardwell: It was about to be canceled, so it was on probation. And, the teacher at the time, she, she was hired to do the teaching when I was hired for that. And she took that class and ran with it. And it grew and grew and grew. And it grew to the point that. They decided to open a second classroom because our waiting list was so long.

SueAnn Cardwell: And that's when I, it, it was rough because I really enjoyed working with the little ones and their families and, but I had subbed a lot for the teacher, so I was like, yeah, okay, let me, let me give this a try. And same as Brigitte, I never, if you had asked me years ago. I would've, somebody said, you're gonna work with high school students?

SueAnn Cardwell: I would've said, uh, no. Yeah. But, , here I am and I absolutely love it. . It's been. The best decision and . I just love working with the high school students. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Well, you kind of brought it up a little bit. How did your SueAnn, how did your path end up at Tulsa Tech? 

SueAnn Cardwell: So I, straight outta college, I worked at the Domestic Violence Intervention Services shelter, and I worked there for several, several years.

SueAnn Cardwell: Then I moved over to, . The Margaret Hudson program. And there I met Becky Cunningham, who, , she was absolutely my supervisor there. And we worked together for many years. And then Becky came here to take over the high school classroom. And as soon as she did, she immediately called me and said, Hey, come over here.

SueAnn Cardwell: And I wasn't sure about it, but I came and toured and I was so impressed. And I said, okay, fine. So I did. I came over here and, , we were, we worked together so well. I always. Give her all the credit for where I am today because she's the one who encouraged me to come here. She's the one encouraged me, you know, to, to go on and, and, , take the CareerTech classes and get my certification and that kind of thing.

SueAnn Cardwell: So, yeah. , Yeah, so that's kind of what led me. This way is actually was Becky Cunningham. 

Ryan Williams (Host): You had a mentor?

SueAnn Cardwell: I did. Good for you. She was a mentor and best friend. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Brigitte, what about you? How did your path end up at Tulsa Tech? 

Brigitte Ground: I worked at OSU. They have a child development lab and , so I. Have always been kind of in the lab setting, not in a public school classroom, we'll say for younger kids.

Brigitte Ground: And so I loved that. And then, , I got married and we came to Tulsa area and I was like, huh, there's no lab over here. . And , so I kind of worked at some different places, but then I did hear that there was a Tulsa Tech, children's learning lab, and I was like, oh. That's where I need to go because I had done all my college at OSU in the lab there, worked there.

Brigitte Ground: And so I knew, I liked the dual role of Littles and Bigs. . Obviously, OSU it was with college students, but here it was with high school students. And so I actually started in the preschool classroom here, , and taught there for a couple years and then, . Applied for the instructor position.

Brigitte Ground: So that's how I got here. But yeah. 

Ryan Williams (Host): Is there really much difference between college students and high school students learning how to take care of littles? 

Brigitte Ground: No. I mean, really it's just pointing out those things that they learn. . Right? Like we talked about with the high school students of like, oh, you're teaching Scaffolding and you're teaching redirection.

Brigitte Ground: And so it was just pointing out that kind of thing to. Both of them that I, I liked that dual role of having the littles, but also the big ones too. Yeah. 

Ryan Williams (Host): SueAnn, what's your favorite part of having the Children's Learning lab, a working daycare connected to each of your classrooms? 

SueAnn Cardwell: I think that's just such a benefit because there are early care and education programs at other tech centers that do not have an onsite lab.

SueAnn Cardwell: . And there's just no way to describe the amount of benefits that our students get just by being able, like I said, to hear what we're, we're teaching right then in class and turn around and immediately go put it to practice in the childcare lab. , So we are so appreciative. To be able to have that on site.

SueAnn Cardwell: I think the students wouldn't learn half as much as they do if it wasn't here. 

SueAnn Cardwell: I think our students are way more prepared to actually go into the field and work in the childcare center because of their experiences in the lab. , Two years worth of experiences. I mean, that's two years worth of.

SueAnn Cardwell: Of experience on a resume. . And, , 

Ryan Williams (Host): again, a competitive advantage. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Absolutely. I, and a lot of our, , childcare centers in town that do hire our students, and they consider that two years here as experience. . So that helps them get a higher pay even. So, 

Ryan Williams (Host): that's so cool. . Brigitte, what's your favorite part about being right next door?

Brigitte Ground: . I would probably say the same thing. I mean, I, if I'm talking about object permanence, I can, you know, we can bring an infant or two right in my classroom and I can show them that younger infants don't have object permanence, and then I can go get a toddler or two and bring 'em in and do the activity with them and show 'em that they do have object permits.

Brigitte Ground: So, yeah. We have the textbook and we can read it and I can say it. , Over and over again, but having that experience right there, hands on, I can go get children or they can go into the lab and Exactly. See what we're talking about. 

Ryan Williams (Host): For those listeners who may not be familiar, and for the host who has, is a bit dense, , can you explain object permanence.

Brigitte Ground: Uh, so object permanence is understanding that an object still exists even though you can't see it. So an infant, if you are playing with the ball and you put it under a blanket, they think the ball is poof, gone, disappeared, and they'll sometimes just move on to something different. Another toy. 'cause they're, they think it's gone.

Brigitte Ground: But an infant that has object permanence, will you hide it under the blanket? They'll pull the blanket off to get the ball. They know it still exists. 

Ryan Williams (Host): There you go. That's why Peekaboo works so well. 

Brigitte Ground: That is why Peekaboo is a game that you should absolutely play with your children. 

Ryan Williams (Host): How do you, , SueAnn, how do you define success in your classroom?

SueAnn Cardwell: Oh, I define success. For the students, it for me or for the students? 

Ryan Williams (Host): Let's start with the students. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Okay. For the students, I define success when they do have those aha moments when they come in from lab and they're excited at what they were able to teach the students or the children, when they see him.

SueAnn Cardwell: Learning something specifically from the activity that they gave them. , I think that my students being able, knowing that everything they're doing here is also gonna lead them to success out in the field. , I think, I think that they consider, I consider success mainly, I consider success for mine because they are graduating.

SueAnn Cardwell: So if they are. Going, either going on to college, which of course, , we encourage that just as much as if you are not a really interested in college, then go into the field. So if they're going to college or they get hired in the field, I think that's, that's my goal. , Don't wanna give them those skills.

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah. 

Ryan Williams (Host): I don't wanna put you on the spot, Brigitte, but. The same question. What, what defines success? , 

Brigitte Ground: Same with Ms. Cardwell, those aha moments of the students, but also when they come up to me and say, I, I know I want to be a teacher, or, , working with. Different children in our lab and also back in the community of like, I know I want to be a special education teacher because that's what I, I really like that.

Brigitte Ground: So when they come to me and they, they express that or say, I'm ready. I'm ready to get a job, I wanna get a job at a childcare center. To me that shows that I've done my part of showing them and educating them that they feel confident that they can take it out. Into the world 

Ryan Williams (Host): that eagerness and confidence is really, , , encouraging.

Ryan Williams (Host): So do you guys get to interact with, , alumni out in the field? 

SueAnn Cardwell: Uh yeah. Week to week actually, I have a lot of the, um, my former students, they will come in and talk to my students. . And, tell about. Their path on where they are today. Whether it's they went to college and got their teachings degree or they left outta here with their CDA, and now they're doing this out in the field.

Ryan Williams (Host): So being successful. Brigitte, what do you wish more people understood about early childhood education as a career? 

Brigitte Ground: It's not just babysitting, , everything. What I tell my students is having purposeful play. , Yes, play can be fun and exciting and a lot of laughing, and you should hear a lot of laughing and talking in a classroom, but making sure it's a purposeful play and it's not just sitting and holding an infant or sitting and babysitting a toddler, like you can get up and play with them.

Brigitte Ground: You can go. , Explore nature outside. You can read books to them over and over again. So I would say that that's important. It's not just babysitting 

Ryan Williams (Host): SueAnn. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah. Childcare teachers, I feel like don't necessarily get the respect they deserve because people do just consider it babysitting. . And our childcare teachers work so hard with.

SueAnn Cardwell: Planning specific activities that are geared towards the children's skills and what they need in order to develop those skills. So yeah, I agree. I agree with 

Ryan Williams (Host): Brigitte. What part of your work gives you the most energy? 

Brigitte Ground: I like. Doing activities in my classroom that I'm hoping they'll carry on into their future classroom.

Brigitte Ground: So I read my high school students' children's books, and we do activities and we do games, and my hope is that. They'll remember those like Dr. Seuss Week is huge back here. . And yeah, we are dressed funny and we have snacks every day and everyone's like, oh, they're just partying down there. But it's party with the purpose.

Brigitte Ground: . Once again, because we're hoping that they'll remember, oh, we did those, the redfish Blue fish for Dr. Seuss week, or Oh, I remember we did that activity for the hundredth day of school. So. Yeah, we do a lot of partying and celebrating, but it is so that they'll carry that into their future classroom. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Yeah. I think , I think on campus, , other programs are like, gosh, they're always just having parties down there. And, but yeah, every time we have a party, we do activities along with it, like you know, Cinco de Mayo, we do have a Cinco de Mayo party and we, , do you know. Activities that go along with that theme.

SueAnn Cardwell: We do Chinese New Year. We do, , Dr. Seuss, we have all kinds of Dr Seuss, like activities that you can do with young children. And I, we do 'em with our, with our students. With students because yeah, we hope that they. They see the fun, they see the educational component of it, and they will remember this and put it in their portfolio or just remember it and do it with their classes 

Ryan Williams (Host): alongside the, actual application of teaching., And so of course we want to have fun. These are littles, right? Right. I mean, you can't not have a party with, right. How boring would that be? Have to be little, meeting. 

SueAnn Cardwell: And they do, we should, a high school students learn just as, just as well as the little children by having fun. Sure. Right. I think our high school students yes.

SueAnn Cardwell: Learn a lot more when we, we are doing games and doing things like that. They just, you know, it really, really pulls them in and 

Ryan Williams (Host): . Well, thank you so much, both of you for joining us today. Thank you on Tech Times Podcast. Um, we appreciate you being here. 

SueAnn Cardwell: Thank you.

Brigitte Ground: Thank you. 

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