BC3 teaching lab to offer hands-on experience
Education students at Butler County Community College will be able to gain hands-on teaching experience before setting foot in a classroom thanks to the development of an interactive lab on campus, according to Annie Lindsay, associate professor in BC3’s education and behavioral sciences division.
The idea of the lab was inspired to address the teacher shortage, Lindsay said, which is “a concern not only across Pennsylvania but also nationwide.”
“Once (teachers) enter the field, they don’t stay in the field for very long,” she said. “We found one of the big reasons (was) they didn’t feel adequately prepared.”
Lindsay said out of the many factors contributing to the shortage of teachers, preparation was one the college could help address.
“We took a look at what we can do in terms of preparing our students so they’re successful when they enter the field and want to stay on,” she said.
Construction on the teaching lab, which is being established with a $200,000 grant from the Paserba family in Butler, is set to begin sometime this fall, with completion of the project planned for the 2025 spring semester, Brian Opitz, executive director of operations at BC3, said after a trustees meeting Wednesday, March 20.
The community college is currently working with DPH Architecture out of Canfield, Ohio, to create bidding documents, Opitz said.
The current classroom used in place of the lab is too small, Lindsay said, and “predetermined,” meaning the configuration of desks, chairs and other supplies is not easily changed. When students invite preschoolers from the college’s learning center to participate in activities, the need for more space becomes evident, she said.
“We needed a space where students could actually ... create environment for learning,” Lindsay said. “That’s how the lab came to be realized.”
Lindsay said the construction of the lab will provide ample space to set up a model classroom for any grade level. Additionally, instead of going to the resource library for classroom materials, students will have them readily available, she said. Interactive whiteboards, such as smart boards, also will be available.
By simulating classroom activities, Lindsay said students will learn how to help children transition from one task to the next and practice integrating different methodologies, such as inquiry-based learning, in class assignments.
The lab will include have a makerspace, where STEM and STEAM activities can be integrated across different subjects.
Throughout all simulated activities, collaboration is heavily emphasized, showing students that future teachers can collaborate across subjects and work together.
“It will be something they’re used to when they get older,” Lindsay said. “We want students not only to succeed but to stay in the field. Collaboration is one of those keys to success. You can’t be an island in teaching.”
