Lately, I’ve been chatting with a few people about my current major and almost all of these conversations have ended in “bless your heart.” After people respond with that statement, it makes me feel almost uncomfortable, kind of like no one out there wants to deal with middle school or high school students. What I’m here to explain is why exactly I chose Secondary Education as my major, aside from the fact the medical field wasn’t for me.
To start off, middle school and high school students aren’t all that bad. Yes, they can be challenging at times, but overall their age group isn't horrific. It's all about how willing you are to work with them. In fact, most students just want to know that they are supported by at least one person. This can be one of the causes as to why these students are difficult at times. For me personally, there were many times in my life where I wanted to feel supported, aside from my family and friend support. I wanted to feel more support from my teachers outside of the classroom. I want to become that one person for my future students. I want my them to feel that they have support from their teachers in and out of the school.
Another reason why I chose Secondary Education is because as much as I adore little kids, I don’t think I could be stuck in a classroom all day with them. I'm the type of person who needs to have more intelligent conversations throughout the day. Yes, I still adore little children and will go straight to my baby voice once I see a cute child, but I just feel that I will enjoy seeing different students each day.
Furthermore, middle school and high school can make or break a student's future. Students are trying to figure out where they fit in and what they want to do with their life. To me, teachers have a great influence over their students and can depict those who need a bit more guidance. I changed my mind on what I wanted to become in the future so many times while in school. Because I personally struggled, I want to make a difference in the lives of my future students, letting them know that they will always have help and support whenever they need it.
There are so many other reasons that helped me come to the conclusion of becoming a Secondary Education major. Without the support from my past teachers and current professors, I wouldn't have even considered loving my current major as much as I currently do. Yes, middle and high school students are difficult to teach sometimes, most of them just need to know that someone is there for them. Overall, I want to build key relationships with my future students and help guide them into their future endeavors. W.E.B. DuBois stated, "Education must not simply teach work- it must teach life."
