I’ve had many circumstances where I am constantly bashed for my major. I never understood why education majors are so looked down upon. Where would anyone be if there were no teachers? It’s a scary thought. No matter how much I try to instill the importance of teachers to my peers, many do not understand. Here are some of the most common comments I get when I tell people I’m an education major.
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“So you must be on the lookout for a rich husband at school, right?” or “Oh so you’re going to marry rich?”
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No, I’m not. As the iconic Cher once said “I am a rich man!” I’m at school to learn how to teach children. I am at school to learn classroom management and different methods of teaching for different learning styles. I am not there to look for a rich husband because I don’t need to be provided for and it is frankly pretty sexist to assume I won’t be successful and happy without a rich husband.
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“Awww, you’re gonna be such a great mom since you’ll have mommy hours!”
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What? I’m 20 years old. I am not thinking about what kind of mother I’ll be. Being a teacher does not equal being a mom. Yes, I am more than willing to care for and love children. I have six nieces and one nephew. I am capable of caring and loving children, but my career is separate from my family life. My job is to teach children and be a role model. I am not to be their guardian. It’s also extremely harmful to just assume I even want to be a mom. My hours are also most definitely not “mommy hours” since I will be having to grade and prep on a lot of my own time.
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“Ugh, you’re so lucky to be taking the easy way out.”
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EASY?!?!? Okay, I get it, education is viewed as not difficult and some majors are more difficult, but c’mon. My major hits roughly 100 credit hours and a lot of my peers are not seeing what I do in a classroom. Please tell me all the Danielson competencies and how to properly create an IEP. Education is far from easy.
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To my male colleague AFTER saying #3 to me: “Oh my, you’re in education?! That’s so noble of you! Your students must love you” and a bunch of other praises I have yet to hear.
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Can’t lie I am happy that at least someone is recognized positively for being an education major. However, I’m lost on why they are getting praised for doing the same thing I am. Education is very female dominated, but that doesn’t mean that females are less noble for pursuing this career path. For me, it’s seen as the easy way out; for him, it’s seen as a heroic contribution to society.
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“Ugh, I could NEVER do that. You’re a saint!”
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Teaching isn’t for everyone, I’m well aware. However, do not be telling me that I’m a saint for this. Fight for teachers instead! Teachers are underappreciated and underpaid. Call out your friends who bash teachers for no reason. Thank a teacher you had or have. Put pressure on elected officials for better teacher pay!
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These are all things I hear far too often as an education major. I am beyond ecstatic to begin my career, but the constant bashing needs to stop. Being a teacher is much more than it seems. It is not the path for everyone. It is not easy. It doesn’t mean I’ll be a mom. It doesn’t mean I’ll marry rich. It means I’ll be enriching young minds and hoping to create a better environment for students.