For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a teacher. I’m not really sure where it came from but throughout the years my desire to become an educator has been strengthened. I never thought that the journey would be easy, but I also didn’t think that it would be this hard. Here are ten reasons being an Education major is harder than it looks.
1. Finding Your Education
I don't mean finding what school you want to go to, I mean what type of education you want to teach. You may know that you want to teach, but finding out exactly what grade and/or subject may be difficult since there are just so many options. There's Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Special Ed and then there are the combinations of these options. Oh, and let's not forget about the subject majors, bringing me to my next point.
2. Double Majoring
When you’re an education major you automatically have to double with a subject major like English or Science…as if having one major wasn’t difficult enough. You have to meticulously schedule classes in both areas in order to make sure you’re meeting the requirements for both majors, in a reasonable amount of time. Many students end up not being able to graduate in four years (which is totally alright) because of this double-major policy. There is an upside though, and it's not having to worry about falling short of the required number of credits to graduate.
3. Lesson Planning
Pinterest makes it looks so fun and
4. Testing
Every state has a required certification exam that education majors must take and pass in order to become teachers. Luckily for some people testing isn’t much of a problem; however, for others it can be a nightmare. The most passionate education majors can be the worst test takers and fail the state exam. I’ve seen the result of students who take and fail the Praxis, the teaching certification exam in New Jersey. It breaks my heart to see my peers try so hard and not reach their goals. But it also inspires me to see those same peers use their passion for education to keep them going.
"If at first you don't succeed, Try, try, try again."
William Edward Hickson
5. Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines
On top of your typical college deadlines are all the deadlines you have to meet as an Ed. major. You have to take core and certification tests by certain times, and there's also the entire application process for your substitute's license. There are also deadlines for applying for your observation and student teaching semesters. Some schools may be more lenient than others, but you never really want to (or should) miss any of those deadlines.
6. Student Teaching
The semester you spend student teaching is just as stressful as any other semester, if not more. You are put under a microscope by your advisor and the teacher you're working under. Let's not forget to mention the fifteen or so students whose education is now (partially) your responsibility. This may not be overwhelming for everybody, but it is for some.
7. Discouraging Mentors/Advisors/Cooperating Teachers
It’s so important to have a good, strong support system when you’re in college. That support not only comes from your friends and family, but also from your professors, and the administration meant to help you on to your career path. That being said, when someone who is literally paid to help you achieve your dream tries to discourage you from it, you may start to second guess yourself. In those moments, remember that no one has the right to make you doubt yourself so keep your chin up and prove them wrong.
8. Feeling Like You’ll Fail
It’s terrifying to realize that you may not be cut out for the dream you’ve worked towards since you were a child. There’s also the lingering thought that even if you do make it, you might just totally suck at being the teacher you’ve always wanted to be. You think "what if I’m not patient enough, or smart enough, or trusting enough". You get stuck in between this ugly space of fearing that you won’t even get the chance to be a teacher, or fearing that you’ll be a terrible one. Both fears are completely valid, but the only reason I think the latter is scarier is because if you’re a bad teacher you don’t just fail yourself, but you fail your students.
9. The Job Market
As annoying as it is to constantly hear people say that there aren’t jobs for teachers, it’s semi-true. I only say that it’s "semi-true" because it’s really dependent on what you type of education you’re aiming for.
10. People Saying It's Easy
Are words even needed for this one?
There are so many more reasons why being an education major is hard, but I truly believe that in the end it will all be worth it because as future educators we will inspire students to do more than we ever thought we could.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
Nelson Mandela
