- June 2024
Teacher
MSU Child Development and Family Studies Center
Time at MSU/in position: 4 years
Not everyone is cut out for taking caring of multiple infants, but Savannah Blair handles the job like a professional. As a teacher in the infant room at the Child Development and Family Studies Center at Mississippi State University, Blair, along with another teacher provides care for eight babies under 12 months of age.
“The children's development is important, but my most memorable moments come from being able to play one-on-one with them and snuggle,” said Blair.
Between dozens of diaper changes, feedings and naps, Blair incorporates playtime, but there’s more to playing peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake that meets the eye.
“Each task has a purpose to help them conquer their developmental stages. When we tell parents we do art in the infant room, we get some odd looks since they are so young, but it helps them develop fine motor skills,” said Blair.
Like grade-school teachers, infant room teachers write lesson plans for daily activities highlighting the goals and objectives. The children are exposed to music with motions to help them associate words and actions, art to hone their fine motor skills, flash cards of animals or the alphabet, and strolls outside.
“When they are really little, going outside with them makes their eyes widen, and it is so rewarding when those children have the same reaction a few months later to understanding a task asked of them,” said Blair.
The infants stay in Blair’s room for one year before moving up to the next classroom. The babies who were once immobile are now able to control their heads, roll over, sit up, crawl and many can even walk by the time they move up to the next classroom.
“It's easy to get attached, for them and us, and it makes it hard to not change positions to continue to watch them grow,” said Blair. “To watch them move up into the toddler room is hard, but so rewarding to see them succeeding at their next stage of life.”
