Odds are, you have at least one friends who is an education major if you go to a college that has the department. You've probably heard them whine about lesson plans or student teaching, or having to wake up at the crack of dawn for what seems like no apparent reason. You've seen their excitement when they get to sit in a classroom, buy office supplies, or help teach someone their content. However, there's a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to what an Education Major goes through in his or her time in college.
1. We decorate everything like it's the first day of kindergarten.
First day of class? Draw a picture. Writing a lesson plan? Draw a diagram. Setting up your future classroom? Draw something related to your content. Draw what you think of when you hear the word "assessment." Just. Draw. Everything.
2. We often struggle to find "going out" clothes because our closets are full of teacher clothes.
We have all at some point pondered on whether that nice shirt looks just a bit too teacher-y. So many slacks, so little scandal.
3. Looked at other grade-level teachers with both envy and disgust.
Elementary thinks early childhood has it easy, early childhood thinks secondary is a breeze, secondary wonders why elementary even needs to be certified, middle school hates everyone... I mean you're lying if you haven't considered which grade level would be the "easiest" even though they're all pretty dang heavy.
4. We get our background checks done more than convicted criminals on parole.
Every single thing requires a background check. Breathing near a school is appropriate grounds to check your record.
5. We relish the idea of working with a demographic that most avoid like the plague.
We were the God-awful "millennials," who knows what our students will be. I'm sure they will be every bit as awful and irrelevant as we are.
6. Speaking of plagues, we have had every shot/test/precaution done to us that a medical office can do.
Why are there so many tests and shots and things we have to visit a doctor for? Tuberculosis hasn't been relevant for over half a century, but yet for some reason we still must get tested (multiple times) for an obscure disease.
7. We get really riled up when people talk about our low paycheck- but not for the reasons others do.
We aren't mad because we are poor- we are mad because you think we care if we are poor. It's true when they say teachers don't do it for the money.
8. Our sleep schedules often reflect that of your elderly grandparents.
Partying with the homies is a joke. Between field experience, student teaching, tons of edu classes and content classes- bed by 11pm is a must.
9. We mentally critique our professors based on what they're teaching us...about teaching.
Okay, so someone is teaching us how to teach. That doesn't mean that we can't watch them teach and see those exact inadequacies that they pointed out in their lesson. And it will drive you crazy until you graduate...then your peers will take over the job.
10. When your friend group is studying for a test, we are probably hating our lives while cutting and pasting or writing for a creative (or God forbid, collaborative) project.
Test? What is a test? No, we have powerpoints and posters and worksheets and research papers and literally any alternative to a test one can think of. Because a test would be too simple.
11. Summer and winter breaks don't end once we graduate.
The visible perks are few, but glorious. We get to kick it in the summer while all you 9-5ers are still clocking in and missing out on the glorious weather.
12. We like school enough to be there for the rest of our career.
We are crazy. We know. No need to tell us. But hey, we never have to grow up if we never quit school, right?
