Here is an excerpt from our initial Google Classroom announcements. It lays out all of the major facts about ECE.

Welcome! Just wanted to give you guys some information, so we can go ahead and be efficient about life! Please read...spoiler alert: the word "hiney" comes up. You don't want to miss that.

ECE 1 is a 2 credit class, and it lasts both 1st and 2nd period (3 hour class)

NO, you do not just play with kids for 3 hours. We must first learn about the children, then you will be able to complete a RIGOROUS internship in a preschool.

The internship includes many visits from me. You will be checked up on- A LOT. Years of experience has shown me that even the good ones can't be trusted sometimes. If you are doing the right thing, you have nothing to worry about :)

This class is run very much like a college class. You will be expected to do your work without constant reminders.

Likewise, you may not see me every single day, so if you have questions, it is YOUR responsibility to communicate with me.

You have to be able to get to and from your internship. If you drive, you have it covered! If you do not drive, you can arrange transportation, for example: a parent can drop you off at your internship site (all of them are between West and Downtown Hendersonville), and you can ride back with another student from the same site. If this can't be worked out, then you should wait to take this class until you can drive.

In your internship, you will be expected to BE A TEACHER (minus the getting paid part) including teaching lessons.

No phone usage is allowed in class or at the internship, except for taking required pictures.

You will be expected to digitally sign in to your internship every day. There is no way to cheat on this. Attendance is a daily grade. You can thank your predecessors for that.

There will be between 5 and 10 assignments to be completed each week while at your internship.

There is a required TB Test, which is a prick of your skin (not a shot). It's not that bad, I even get one with you, because I work with the children with you, too.

At the end of the semester, there will be an e-portfolio. It seems to be a little stressful, but students feel very accomplished and proud once it is finished.

If you are a good student, and you are taking this class for the right reasons, you will do FINE!!! If you are looking to take this class as an easy A or to get to be off campus, think again, because it will truly bite you in the hiney.

I look forward to teaching GREAT, HARD WORKING, MINI TEACHERS!! This class is a lot of fun if you actually want to maybe be a teacher one day.

Love, Willis

p.s.-

For this class, you will need a 1-2" binder and roughly 10 dividers

If you have a laptop, that will come in very handy for your internship. If you do not, maybe this is the time you beg your parents for a cheap Chromebook. If you don't have one, no worries. The majority of you will not.

You will want to invest in NICE teachery clothes for your internship. Hole-LESS jeans are allowed. No low-cut shirts will be allowed. Shorts will never be allowed. Dresses will be allowed, but you may want to think twice about wearing a dress and getting down on the floor 20 times a day.