Photo by Braylen Garren
Junior Daisy Ontiveros feeds a robotic baby. In Child Development, students learn skills that will prepare them to raise children, among other things.
Baby boom
Welcome to Room 55
The bell rings. It’s time to take a seat and turn the focus away from cellphones and conversations to Mrs.Oldham.
She’s ready to teach. It’s her passion. It’s evident in the smile she has on her face everyday, in her genuine concern she shows for all her students, in the way she makes sure that each and every student is understanding and engaging in the material.
Maurice Oldham, the child development instructor at Texas High, loves what she does. She’s passionate about her love for teaching and helping kids. In Room 55, she passes on her wisdom and advice to students to teach them how to love and care for kids in the future.
“Child Development is a laboratory course designed to learn about the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of children ages infant to school-aged children,” Oldham said.
In this class, students learn about several different theorists who have contributed to the development of children, like Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson. They will use this knowledge to learn about how to interact with children.
Students will even get the opportunity to put their knowledge to use and interact with children, as students of this class take trips to Dunbar Elementary School to play games and spend time with kids there throughout the year.
The information that students will learn in this course has many real-life applications.
“[I think kids should take child development] to help them understand children if they are going to be parents and to recognize normal vs. abnormal development if they are going to work with children or go into the medical field,” Oldham said.
One of Oldham’s previous students, Ka’Leah Williams, has found that the class has prepared her for a future in the healthcare industry, especially pediatrics.
“This class has definitely benefited me and gave me an introduction to psychology and pediatrics, which is what I want to do in the future,” Williams said. “[Child Development] allowed me to further the aspects of my career and what I want to become.”
Child Development is offered as a regular or dual credit course for sophomores, juniors and seniors.
“My favorite part about the class was firstly Mrs.Oldham because she is one of my favorite teachers because of her drive to teach us about the material,” Williams said.
For those who enjoy learning about psychology and why people act the way they do, child development is an introduction into the study of psychology.
“I think people should take this class because it allows you to see and explain why people act how they do,” Williams said.