This is my second year studying elementary education, and I have come to realize that it can be really easy to pick us future teachers out of a crowd. We tend to exhibit certain qualities that other majors don't, so in case you were wondering, here are seven tell-tale signs:
1. School Supplies
"Are those crayons at the bottom of your backpack?" "Yep"
It's not uncommon for us to be doing projects that involve construction paper, markers, and glue, so if you ever see some colored paper poking out of someone's backpack, it's very likely that they're an education major.
2. Children's books
If you were to walk into our university library, you'd probably find me in the children's section. For elementary and early childhood majors especially, we have to read these books for class. Sometimes we may have to write a lesson or activity to go with a certain book, and other time, I'll be honest, I'm just in the mood for some "Green Eggs and Ham."
3. Creekside
Okay, so this one is specific to Judson, but if you see someone hanging around Creekside, it's more than likely they are an education major. Creekside South is the name of the education building on our campus, and we have pretty much all our classes there. Sure, you see random people hanging around sometimes, but when I have classes there all day, I just don't see a reason to leave.
4. Teacher clothes
"Raise your arms and touch your toes, if anything shows go change your clothes."
Many of us are currently enrolled in practicums, which means we are in a classroom a couple days out of the week, so we have to dress professionally. However, being in a classroom means you not only have to be professional, but you have to be comfortable because you're working with kids. For teachers, comfort is not a pencil skirt, so you will likely see us in trouser pants and a crew neck sweater because if anything is showing, you better believe we'll end up in the principal's office.
5. Chairs
I don't know when I started doing this, but it has become a habit. Teachers like the chair to be pushed in because God forbid someone might trip and fall and you don't want their blood on your hands. There have been multiple times when my friends and I have gotten up to leave the cafeteria after a meal, and I'm lagging behind because I stopped to push in everyone's chair. They'll thank me later.
6. Apples
Apples are our power food. I know it seems really stereotypical and maybe even old-fashioned to bring your teacher an apple, but I would welcome it. I have been eating a lot of apples lately, and they have been helping me morph into a teacher. It's a little known secret that apples make us stronger, and give us our super powers.
7. Teacher voice
Every teacher has a teacher voice. This is the tone of voice that they use when saying something like "sit down everyone" or "it's time to be quiet." If someone talks to you in a voice that is firm yet gentle, they are probably an education major. Also, if they are talking to you like this, you must be doing something to annoy them, and that needs to stop.
