Sarah Wilde
McKay Student Ambassador
Special Education (Severe Emphasis)
A lot of people think that the classes in the education majors prepare you for a career of read-alouds, shoe tying, and band-aids with kids running all over. You tell them you're an education major and they immediately start praising you and going on about how that's something they could never do. When you look at it like that, who would want to? Not only do people often have the wrong idea about what teaching is, but they don't realize all that a major in education really prepares you for! Here are some things we learn as education majors that help prepare us for other aspects of our lives beyond college!
Being an Education Major Strengthens Your Writing Skills
Remember when you applied to BYU and you had to write all those essays as a part of the application? A good essay was the difference between getting into your dream school and having to go with plan B. While your writing skills may not determine something this important again, (unless you go to grad school that is), good writing will always make you look more intelligent and trustworthy. You will be more successful in every part of your life if you can write well.
In education, language matters! Whether you're making lesson plans, doing a multicultural report, or analyzing teaching styles, you're always writing! It is important to know your audience; are you writing for your professor or first graders? A major in education helps you to explore and have experience with all types of writing.
Writing isn't just important in education. Articulation in speech and in writing is crucial for success in every field. Whether you're writing professionally or just sending a text message, being able to choose the right words to get your message across is a good skill to have.
Education Majors Learn How to Collaborate
There are a lot of group projects in the education major classes, because teaching is a team effort. Throughout the program, students have to work with their peers and professors in class, and with mentor teachers and students during practicum. Learning how to work and collaborate as a team is critical for almost everything in education, and everywhere else.
Is there any part of life where you don't need to collaborate? Maybe you don't need a second opinion for what you eat for breakfast, but the plans you have after breakfast often involve other people. Anything you do with other people involves getting along and working together. Whether you're making plans with your family, working out an issue with your landlord, or even working on a committee in your ward, you will always need to collaborate on some level.
Collaboration often looks like working as a team to reach a certain goal. In education, it often looks like a team working together to help a child to meet their academic or social goals. Sometimes, different people on the team think that things should go certain ways, and they aren't listening to other people's opinions.
Growing up, having brothers with special needs showed me the importance of collaboration between teachers and families. One time, I watched two of my brother's teachers conflict about how to meet his needs. He was struggling during a class transition. Instead of listening to each other's concerns, the functional skills teacher began telling the seminary teacher all the things she needed to change without knowing the full story. Feelings were hurt and it became a personal battle instead of what was best for my brother. As his sister and peer tutor, I watched both sides. I also saw my mom, a crucial part of the collaborative team, talk with both teachers to work out differences. We eventually found a happy medium where my brother could best thrive.
By witnessing this experience, I learned that the most important thing is the common end goal. In this case, it was my brother's desires and comfort at school. It is easy to get distracted by differences, especially when someone else in the group refuses to compromise. Having patience and Christ-like love can make all the difference!
Being Culturally Aware as an Education Major!
Every education major requires their students to take a class about multicultural education. Because many children in the US are from other countries, what works for one student may not work for another. If you enjoyed your multicultural education class, (EL ED 203, CPSE 480, or SC ED 353) you can get a minor specifically for teaching multicultural students! All students are children of God, so it is crucial that we learn how to care for and teach each one of them, regardless of their background.
I grew up in a small farming community. While there was a Hispanic population there, I didn't know much about their culture. I knew nothing about any other ethnic, religious, or minority group. Coming to BYU and taking education classes has made me realize how different we all are! Every culture is beautiful. The more we understand about each other's cultures, the better we will be able to work together and the easier it is to make friends!
Writing, collaboration, and cultural awareness are all so important in every part of your life! With these skills, you will be a more productive employee, be more confident in your church callings, be a more supportive parent, and perform better in all of your roles. Next time someone starts going on about you being an education major, just smile and remember that it means so much more than they think it does.
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