The Student Experience
Early Childhood Education and Special Education
Freshman Year: Hanah Smith
The best thing about my first semester Introduction to Early Childhood Education class was the school visits. I was able to go out into the Newport community and get firsthand classroom experience. I also loved being able to write out lesson plans and learn how they comply with the state requirements. Overall the class was absolutely wonderful and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in early childhood education.
Sophomore Year: Caroline Larson
Visiting Head Start as part of the sophomore year curriculum was truly an eye-opening experience and it was the highlight of my week getting to spend time with the kids. Interacting with students and teachers has really confirmed for me that this is what I want to do - the kids take a special place in your heart and it has been amazing working with teachers who care so much about their students. Salve Regina’s education program provides its students with so much hands-on experience in the classroom throughout all four years - this was something few other programs offer. Working with both my advisor and the study abroad office, I was easily able to set up my semester abroad in Ireland.
Junior Year: Kelly Broshears
I chose Salve Regina because of the outstanding early childhood education program. When touring campus, I entered the early childhood education classroom and was floored by how many amazing resources we had. I loved the setup because it reminded me of a kindergarten classroom. Over the past three years, I have learned so much about teaching. Junior year has given me hands-on experience working with children in the classroom and implementing lessons with the students. I was even given the chance to work one-on-one with a second-grade student to improve reading fluency. I really feel that Salve Regina has prepared me for being a teacher because it provides real life teaching experiences instead of just focusing on a textbook.
Senior Year: Madison Dabakian
When I think back to my four years at Salve Regina, senior year will be the pivotal moment where I transitioned from a student to an educator. The courses during my underclassman years prepared me well to make the next step in my career. During student teaching and senior partnership at Aquidneck Elementary School, I made tremendous growth as a teacher. My professors and clinical educators were extremely encouraging, supportive, and went above and beyond to help me learn and practice the best ways to teach young children. I came to Salve Regina knowing they had a strong education department but I received more than I ever anticipated.