Auburn College of Education faculty lead summer program to prepare students for early childhood classrooms

In Auburn’s College of Education, the Early Childhood Summer Enrichment Program offers more than just a learning experience for children aged 4 to 8. It also provides hands-on practice for Early Childhood Education majors, led by Associate Professor Sean Durham and Clinical Lecturer Lindsay Griffies.

“The Summer Enrichment Program was started by passionate faculty members over 30 years ago because undergraduate students needed opportunities to practice research-based, high-quality teaching techniques that aren’t commonly found in local public schools,” Durham said. “The focus isn’t so much about how adults teach children, but about how children’s minds begin to work in fascinating ways when they are allowed to explore, wonder and ask questions within an inspiring and stimulating environment.”

Durham, Griffies and their students spend many hours in the early weeks of summer working to build an understanding of a social constructivist philosophy of early learning, one that starts with an image of the child as strong, competent and eager to engage in the present moment.

“Our summer program has a play- and science-based curriculum that offers high-quality, developmentally appropriate learning experiences,” Griffies said. “It also provides our College of Education students with an opportunity to complete their pre-K internship, which is required for our Early Childhood Education program.”

Students were responsible for creating and implementing engaging learning experiences that are play-based and involve hands-on activities and projects.

“We are given a lot of independence in the program,” said Early Education major Lilly Robinson. “We had a lot of support from our professors, but the freedom allowed us to lean into the children’s interests and really see how play is integral to learning.”

The experience serves as the students’ pre-K internship, where they learn how to create lessons, observe children and document their learning.

“Documentation of learning shapes the way we set up the classroom in the future and allows us to learn more about our students,” added Morgan Von Canon, another Early Education student. “I really enjoyed this part of the program, especially collaborating with my fellow teachers to hear about their different perspectives.”

The program also provides an opportunity for students to learn how to develop healthy and positive relationships with children and their families.

“During the program, I try to maintain an interpersonal, professional environment with our students where they feel free to try new things and construct their own understandings as they plan experiences and work with children,” Durham said.

Students valued the leadership offered by Durham, who has offered the program for 14 years, and Griffies, who has been assisting with operations for four years.

“Dr. Durham is really great at encouraging us to take charge and try new things in the classroom, and he is a great resource for guidance and support,” Robinson said. “And Mrs. Griffies has great advice for building strong relationships with students, parents and peers. They are both great mentors to have.”

The program ran for six weeks over the summer and was hosted in the Doepke Family Early Learning Laboratory in the College of Education Building.

“Children learn through play-based lessons, and it is our job to educate the whole child in the areas of academics, socialization and emotional processing,” Griffies said. “It is a wonderful experience for children in the community as well as our college students. Everyone is having fun and learning at the same time.”

By leaning into the program’s philosophy that play is integral to learning, students gain hands-on experience and mentorship that allow them to grow as educators while the children explore and learn.

“The Summer Enrichment Program is about bringing together the theory and research that students experience in their coursework into real-life classroom experiences,” Durham added. “A key tenet of our Early Education program is that children learn through play. We see play as a biological necessity if we want to keep children’s minds working instead of shutting down. So, play has been at the heart of the program, and our documentation of six weeks of play shows vividly this intellectual work of children that has originated in play.”