One of the ever-present aspects of college life is people asking what your major is. I dread this question because of the varied responses I get from people. Most of the time they're not good responses. Teaching has become a mediocre profession that nobody believes in anymore. Everyone knows the saying "Those who can't do, teach." I hate this saying with a passion. I have had someone say this to me after I told them I was pursuing education.

The truth is, some teachers shouldn't be teachers but there are those that are meant to be teachers. Teachers are the first people you look up to besides family members. Teachers are the uninvolved mentors of kids that really need it. Teachers inspire people to better themselves. When adults are asked who inspired them as kids, the answer will most likely be a teacher. At a young age, we're taught to respect and admire teachers, so when did that get lost?

As a secondary education major, I hear all kinds of comments about becoming a teacher. Not all of them are bad and there are some kindhearted people that truly believe in teaching. Here are some of the comments that you hear if you're a secondary education major.

1. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

This is the comment that I hate the most. It is something that I chose voluntarily because I genuinely want to teach for the rest of my life. Why would you choose to become a doctor or a carpenter? It's the same idea. There's nothing wrong with choosing to be a teacher.

2. "Elementary is so much easier."

Yes, I know elementary would be easier. I don't like little kids. Most secondary ed majors don't have the patience for little kids. We'd much rather work with older kids that we can have an intelligent conversation with that doesn't involve improper English or crayons.

3. "You're going to have an awful salary."

Not everything is about money. If I was worried about money, I'd choose a job that earned more money. I know we live in a world that revolves around money, but some people choose not to live like that.

4. "Good for you."

This is usually in an almost sarcastic tone. People believe they're being genuine, but you can tell they don't think it's a good idea and are judging you greatly for it. Sometimes they just don't know how to respond to you.

5. "I could never do that."

This almost always follows the "good for you" response. People say this as if it's some sort of consolation, like because they can't do it it's great that you're doing it. It's almost like a backhanded compliment. Take it as you will.

6. "You're going to take care of a bunch of kids that aren't your own?"

This was one of the weirdest comments I heard because I had never thought of it like that. Yes, they won't be my own kids, but they are someone's kids and still deserve to be taken care of. No, I will not be taking care of them in a parental sense, but I will be making sure they learn something and pass my class.

7. "That's not that hard"

Like the quote says, teachers have it hard and most people don't see that. People think that teachers are in it for the weekends and summers off, but it's not that. Weekends are filled with making lesson plans and grading assignments. Teachers pack a year's worth of work at a normal job in nine or ten months of work time. So they deserve the summers off. Don't say it's not hard if you've never tried it.

8. "You're going to change kid's lives."

Teachers are some of the greatest influences on young minds. Teachers are with them for almost 40 hours a week. They not only teach, but also guide students. They are advisers and mentors to students when they need them.

9. "You're going to love your job."

In the end, it doesn't matter what other people think. If you love what you're doing then you're going down the right path. Ignore what the haters say about education because they don't know what it's really about.

There is a lot of negativity surrounding education that makes life as a secondary education major hard. But you just have to weed through the negative comments to find the positive comments that make your decision worthwhile. Teachers are the unsung heroes of the modern world and soon enough they will be recognized.