Sometimes you see someone and just know that they have a certain career. Someone who is friendly and charismatic might get the reaction: "You should be a public speaker!" or "Working with people seems like something you would like." While it's bad to generalize, there are often similarities between people involved in the same career fields.
As an education major, I can tell you some things are very, very true.
1.) We never seem to have enough money.
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Please stop talking about it.
Obviously, we have done our research, we know other teachers, and we are shockingly okay/resigned with this. Between all the books, classes, and supplies for ourselves we have to purchase, there is also the cost after you leave college.
As teachers, we might be called to purchase things for our classes and students from our own wallet.
2.) We secretly bleed caffeine.
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With methods classes back to back for several hours and many classes in the morning, waking up is essential.
Caffeine is our life blood. And if you enter the program not drinking coffee, you will certainly leave it having a taste for coffee.
3.) We don't dress up unless we have to.
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With years and years of dressing up in our future, it's rare to see us dressed up. We tend to stay in sweatpants, baggy college hoodies, and tennis shoes unless we are required to dress up.
4.) It still takes incentive for us to talk in class.
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Everyone hates talking in class, even education majors who make a living speaking in front of a class. It's a lot of different talking in front of small children than your peers who judge you. I mean, kids judge you... but as a teacher, you don't really care.
5.) It still takes an incentive to get us to class.
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Now don't get me wrong, we really enjoy our classes! They are relevant, interesting, and fun! However, we also love sleep.
Sleep is everything.
We get sad when we can't be taking group naps. On the regular, we ask to take group naps in class. Sleep is important and we fully recognize this importance. And we always want more of it.
6.) Doing crafts and projects during class is common place.
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Our classes go over a variety of things: children's psychology, teaching philosophies, etc. Our favorite is when it starts getting into practical knowledge. For us, that means having practical demonstrations in class. Making a boat sail with bicycle pumps? Do it in class! Make a "breakoutEDU" type activity for your class? Nope, you gonna do it yourself.
7.) You find yourself practicing your best "teacher voice" or "teacher look" to your friends.
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When you get really annoyed or are trying to explain something, you find yourself using your future "teacher voice." You see a friend doing something stupid? Stare them down. Make them feel your watching eyes and judging stare. Practice makes more practice and all that.
But seriously, I've found myself trying to explain things to friends and they look at me like "Wow, you are such a teacher."
8.) People always say "Your classes must be so easy~~"
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Okay, I hate this. So much. You can't quantify how difficult something is based on apparent difficulty. Some people find math easy. Others may have a huge issue with speaking in public. The thing with education majors is that we have to know enough about every subject to teach children to love it. We become experts in math, English, art, music, physics: whatever it is we are teaching.
Maybe it's easy, but you try corralling 27 hyped up 7th graders and you can tell me it's easy after I pick you up off the floor.
9.) Your classmates are bomb.
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You probably have taken so many of the same classes with these people. You know them well enough to call them friends, be invited to weddings, and celebrate successes. Having these connections is vital. And granted, there may be more people you dislike than like, but you at least know that even those people have similar experiences, tastes, and morals as you do.
Another great thing about this career: you get somebody from every background. I would never have been friends with these people in high school. I have friends that are jocks, nerds, hippies, and everyone in between. It's amazing.
10.) You could never imagine doing anything else.
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And no matter what crap you get from anybody, whether they doubt you or call you crazy, your favorite place to be is surrounded by kids and learning with them.
