CARBONDALE, IL (WSIL) -- School officials continue working to fill needed positions, and the areas in early childhood education are one of their top priorities.
"I think in years past, being a teacher was something a lot of people grew up wanting to be," said Melissa Viernow, director of SIU's Child Development Lab. "It seemed to be a respected field.
But according to Viernow, it's a lack of respect for the profession that has led to many others shying away from the field.
"I think over several years, many teachers don't feel that way anymore," Viernow explained. "Just with the lack of equity with our pay and recognizing there are a lot of challenges that we're dealing with. There are a lot of children and families that need support."
To help attract more people to enroll in the early childhood education field, ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois University announced the use of a $937,000 grant to enrich childhood education and address the teacher shortage issue.
The grant will provide scholarships of up to $31,000 per year to early childhood majors.
The grant will also allow for a 3-day Rooted in Play conference and grants of up to $6,000 for 20 conference attendees to use for early childhood classroom supplies.
Officials at the SIU Child Development Laboratories believe helping educators remember their passion for teaching can be a powerful tool
But that hasn't stopped some from answering the calling when it comes to joining early childhood education. Emily Bajerski moved to ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois from Wisconsin to attend SIU. She recently graduated from there with a degree in child family services and is ready to call the area home.
"They love to be at school and they're always wanting to learn and they're always excited for the day and I love that age group because they truly come in and they're excited to be here. I love that," said Bajerski.
Bajerski moved to southern Illinois from Wisconsin but says education wasn't her first choice when she decided to attend SIU. But after working as a nanny, she said there was no denying her calling.
"I got involved in the community and I was interested in getting involved with ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois and it's home to a lot of foster kids after getting involved, I just loved being around little kids," said Bajerski.
Patty Davis is the lead Pre-K teacher at CDL and a teacher for more than a decade -- and will all the skills kids from birth to second grade learn, she believes early childhood education teachers are essential to a child's development.
"The things your brain learns at this young age, the more you use these particular pathways, the more they become engrained and thinking about the skills they're using when they're young in the classroom and they're practicing things again and again, those are the ways they're going to build those skills and they're going to be lasting skills that last their entire life," Davis explains.
The job has its challenges and Davis is the first to admit it. But it also has its rewards that far outweigh those challenges, especially for those who have a calling.
"One of the things to remember if you’re coming into the profession is you can’t always reason with a 3-year-old and remember you have a lot more life experience," said Davis. "For them, the little things like bringing in a dandelion are major parts of their day and remember."
So for Bajerski, she knows the challenges she’s facing and she’s ready to embrace them with open arms.
"Every day is different and going in with an open mind and being able to go with the flow I think it’s an important part of the job," said Bajerski.
