HAMILTON, Ohio. — A traditional college classroom with desks and chairs at Miami University's regional Hamilton campus has been transformed into a fully functioning teacher education studio, and the educators behind it say it was a dream they once thought would never happen.
The new space is designed for students in the Regional Primary Education Cohort, known as RPEC. This program allows primary education majors to complete their entire degree at the regional campus. The studio gives those students hands-on experience before they become Pre-K through 5th grade teachers.
"We really wanted them to feel like teachers, and I really think this space does that for them. I mean, they have every opportunity to, you know, just to have very engaging learning activities based on the fact that we have the materials, right? You know, at our fingertips," Amie Earls, an associate lecturer at Miami University, said.
Earls and Jennifer Mysona, a senior lecturer and lead department advisor, co-developed the studio over roughly six months, describing the process as a "mad dash" but one they enjoyed. What began as a conversation with their department chair turned into a fully realized space supported by the university.
"I'm lucky to get to work with such a wonderful colleague, and we just share the same vision, and kind of thought this was going to be like a that'll never happen thing, and then we just approached our department chair about it, and Miami just really supported it and kind of just let us run with it," Earls said.
Funding came from a combination of grant money, departmental support, and technology services, which helped purchase furniture, a view board, and other classroom resources. Some materials were also contributed by the instructors themselves from their personal collections.
The studio is stocked with literacy tools, science of reading instruction materials, and hands-on resources like sand trays, all designed to mirror what students will encounter in real elementary school classrooms. The space also reflects the complementary expertise both instructors bring to the program.
WATCH: This studio replaced a traditional college classroom to give future pre-K through 5th grade teachers an authentic classroom environment
"She has the science experience. I have the literacy experience. So we've tried to make this space sort of like a cohesive place where they can get ideas and understanding and feel like a fifth-grade teacher, but they can also, you know, interact with materials and feel like a kindergarten teacher," Earls said.
The studio is not designed to bring younger children in. Instead, it gives college students a place to explore and practice their craft before heading into the field. Students in the RPEC program participate in shadow days at partner school districts, including Monroe and Lebanon, where they spend a morning in an elementary classroom of their choice. The studio is intended to serve as a launching point for that experience.
Science of reading instruction, now mandated in Ohio for elementary schools and higher education programs, is a central component of what students learn in the space. Miami University went through a state audit process as part of that mandate and earned a high score.
For students in the program, the studio is already making an impression.
"I grew up with severe ADHD, so it was harder for me to retain information from, like, a textbook, and I feel like I could implement that into my future classrooms. And having it just so that it's easier for students to understand," Olivia Tipton said.
Another student said the environment itself is part of what makes the experience valuable.
"I do think that this is beneficial because you know it's nice to be in a room with a lot of like-minded people who can help solve problems like that," Dylan Regan said.
Students also spoke about why they chose education and what they hope to carry into their own future classrooms.
"Seeing people so disconnected now, and having the ability to influence a younger generation to be more hands-on, to have fun, to be kind of out of their phones and be more in the world, I think having the ability to kind of influence that is a really big thing for me," Cameron Pfeiffer said.
"Really give us the perspective of our students, not just the perspective of us being teachers," Ava Alward said.
One student connected the studio directly to their personal motivation for entering the field.
"This is something I definitely want to use in my future classroom. And I think if we didn't have the professors we have, the people who care about this program, there's a chance we may not have been told about this," Elisa Jennings said.
Earls and Mysona said they hope other universities will adopt similar lab classrooms. They also said the program remains open to community support, including donations that could expand resources in math, science, literacy, and social studies.
The RPEC program offers students the ability to complete their degree close to home, with smaller class sizes and a lower tuition rate than the main campus.
Earls said the heart behind the studio goes beyond curriculum.
"I really love my students like they're my own kids, and I hope that they feel that when they walk into this space from Jen and me because we want them to be able to go back out when they have their own kindergarten classroom or their own third grade classroom and just remember what that feels like, and create that sense of belonging in their own classroom," Earls said.
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