Camp Turtle Trap is a place where children create memories, life-long friends, and new experiences. Another equally important benefit of Camp Turtle Trap are opportunities we offer to explore and dabble in the art of teaching.
Have you heard, ‘There’s a shortage of high-quality teachers in the early childhood field.’ How are Camp Turtle Trap and Parish Day School working to fill the gap? What power can a preschool have to change and impact the field of education?
As we sought to hire the staff needed to operate a high-quality program, a vision grew in our hearts. Throughout each interview, there was a common thread woven through the dialogues. “I would love to gain experience with children” or, “I think I want to work with children as a career.’ An eagerness and excitement just bubbled over throughout the interview. In those moments, a vision was born in our hearts. Combining the passion and excitement with the knowledge of our experience would create a symbiotic relationship!
With the vision in our hearts, a plan for young adults considering education as their lifelong profession was born. Pairing our experienced teachers with the exploring teachers formed a beautiful partnership. Each was needed and important in the whole program.
Our experienced teachers are highly skilled and knowledgeable about the required policies and procedures. With their guidance, the exploring educators can be mentored and coached. Their knowledge helped to shape and mold our passionate and enthusiastic exploring counselors. Reciprocally, the passion and enthusiasm for early childhood were refreshed in our seasoned teachers. What a perfect combination!
While each exploring counselor may not go into the field of Education they were given a safe place to grow in their knowledge of early childhood. This knowledge will forever be in their hearts as they pursue their future careers. Whatever career they may choose, they have a new awareness of the needs of our youngest members of society. For those continuing in the field of education, being a part of our professional learning community planted a solid foundation and seeds that will continue to impact the children of our world.