Meet Our Children’s Courtyard Staff – Ms. Bec, School Age Teacher

Meet Ms. Bec, lead school-age teacher and S.T.A.R. Coordinator at The Children’s Courtyard in Frederick, CO! She has been a part of the school for almost two years and has about 10 years of experience in teaching little ones. Read our Q&A to learn more about this wonderful member of our team!

Why did you decide on a career in early education?

Honestly, it was my sister-in-law. She had worked in early childhood education all her life and when my brother met her, she stared getting me interested in the positon by talking to me about it. When she had my niece, I just fell in love with kids. My sister-in-law was the one that really made me excited about it.

How is it rewarding?

You really get to see the kids grow up and you really become invested not only in their lives, but also in their families. The great relationships you build, the trust, the camaraderie, the families…you become a part of these kids’ lives. You’re one of the foundational stones in their learning and education.

Summer camp is taking place right now – can you share some of the fun field trips you take your students on?

We’ve been to a farm, we got to talk about agriculture, planting, what kinds of different soils different plants need, what you need to take care of your plants. They also had tractors so the kids got to play on tractors. They re-potted plants for themselves that they got to take home. We’ve been to a sports complex where we were given access to one of the baseball fields. Instead of baseball we played a huge game of kickball which helped them understand team sports and not being a poor winner and not being a poor loser. We’re getting ready in a couple days to go to a gymnastics studio, so the kids will experience different kinds of tumbling mats and trampolines and foam pits and balancing bars and beams. Just another opportunity for them to get exercise and work on their balancing and teamwork skills.

Why do you feel early childhood education programs are so important?

Because of the social and academic foundations they build. I have an only child who is above and beyond in academics and is above and beyond in her social skills because of preschool. I think it opens up the doors for kids to learn teamwork and who they are as an individual far faster than somebody who was never exposed to this kind of setting.

You mentioned being the S.T.A.R. Coordinator – what does that entail?

It’s a fun job! It’s my job to keep the morale up as best as I can. I get the opportunity to find fun days and fun reasons to wear your favorite hat or support your favorite sports team. I also take the opportunity to single out certain teachers who go above and beyond and need to be recognized for the way they work in the classroom or the way they work with other staff members. It’s getting to support them where they need it.

If your students could describe you in one word, what would it be?

Silly! I try to always tell jokes and to laugh with the kids and to make crazy noises or find opportunities to sing with them or dance with them. I think when you work with kids at this age, you have to be a kid yourself. If you’re too serious, you’re going to miss out on opportunities to play with these kids at their level.