As someone who is a straight 'A' student, is involved in multiple clubs, has multiple leadership positions, and mentors other students, I would expect a little more credit when it comes to my success here at college. But every time my major comes into conversation, all of that is immediately washed away. The moment I tell someone I am an education major, I am no longer a hard-working, intelligent student, but rather "deluded" and "naive" to think I will find success in education. Way too often, I am looked down upon by all except those who are in the same boat as me.

And I'm getting really sick of it.

I'm getting really sick of hearing that I am wasting my time, that I am paying way too much money for my degree. I don't want to hear another person tell me I won't find a job after graduation or that I won't get paid a lot. I appreciate the concern, but I also wish they understood that I am not an education major because I want to be super wealthy when I'm older. I'm an education major because it's what I'm passionate about, it's what I'm good at, and it's what makes me happy.

Stop asking education majors why they want to spend the rest of their lives in school. I will never comprehend why people make school out to be the worst place on Earth. And don't even think about asking why I want to work with kids for the rest of my life. Speaking from past experience as a babysitter, a tutor, and a camp counselor, working with kids is one of the most rewarding things in the world. No matter their age, you get to leave a mark on the child's life, whether you become the teacher that will forever change their life or simply hand them a book that will offer them answers that nothing and no one else could. I look forward to the day that I get to change a life, no matter how big or small the alteration is, because that's something that will remind me just how important the job I am doing is.

Stop telling me I'm too smart to be a teacher, because, not to be rude, but that makes absolutely no sense. The teachers I've had have been some of the most intelligent people I've ever met, not just about their subject matter, but about the world in general. Being a teacher isn't just about mastering a subject and regurgitating that information back to students. It's about mentoring students, guiding them through their courses, answering their questions, offering them the support they need, and preparing them for life after graduation. Personally speaking, it wasn't the classes I took in high school that prepared me for college; it was the teachers who taught them.

And please, please, do not tell me that I am entering a dying career. You're wrong about that, so wrong. No matter what people will critique about our education system, it's not going anywhere. We will continue to need new educators to fill our schools. Sure, they may be taught differently due to our ever changing core guidelines and oh-so infuriating Secretary of Education, but the need is still there and always will be.

So, as I continue on my path towards obtaining my degree in education, stop asking me so many dumb questions. Stop trying to validate your major by belittling mine. Stop interrogating me, and start commending me. Our teachers deserve a lot more credit than they receive and I really wish more people would realize this.