When asked by a friend or family member what our major is, we always reply with "Education! I want to be a teacher." with nothing less than a smile on our face because someone actually showed interest. But in turn, what we receive is a lecture about everything they believe we don't already know about teachers.
1. "Teachers don't get paid NEAR enough!!"
Why, yes, us education majors do know this. We know this because we've heard it a million and one times before. What you may not know is, we aren't becoming a teacher for the money (surprising, I know). We don't care about the money because our passion isn't relying on how much we earn in a year. Our passion is teaching.
2. "You're going to have to deal with children all day."
No, really? I chose an Education major because I wanted to be around elders. No. We know that we're going to be around children all day, and we're just wondering how that's a bad thing? To get to teach and watch a child's face light up whenever they finally understand a topic is what we dream about! We do understand that children will not always cooperate, and will give us attitude more days than not. However, the feeling we'll get whenever that same child with the attitude answers a question in class (correctly!), makes it all worth while.
3. "Oh.......... *smiles generously*"
Just because we aren't majoring in business, bio-chem, or psychology, doesn't mean we are any less of a person. We may not be spending all day in a lab or figuring out mathematical equations, but we are just as smart and hardworking as the next person. Not only do we have to understand a subject (or two), but we have to understand it well enough to teach it to our students. We don't sit in front of a professor all day and receive a lecture. We collaborate with each other, have class discussions (every day, I may add), and we make presentations to pass, instead of memorizing material to pass a test.
Next time a friend or family member of yours tells you that they're an Education major, don't lecture them, because I can guarantee you that it's nothing they haven't heard before. We're not an Education major to please or suit you. We chose Education because teaching is our undeniable passion.
