For many college students, an undergraduate degree is simply a stepping stone to their much bigger and brighter dreams. Business majors long for the days when they throw away the books and fully embrace their leadership capabilities. History majors dread upcoming senior-level classes and desperately wish they could burrow holes in specific time periods in history, rather than receiving an all-encompassing overview. Theater majors desire to break free from rigorous academic standards and find their own voices.
English majors…Well, the common joke is that a major in English is one of the worst commitments a college student can make. “There are no jobs for English majors,” the media mockingly claims. “Why are you wasting your college education?” asks students who are going into medical or law school.
Then comes the most hideous question of all; stated condescendingly, “What are you going to do? Teach?” Perhaps one of the greatest misconceptions of our society is the famous saying: “Those who can’t, teach.”
Now, I’m in no way saying that the only career path for English majors is teaching. A great number of my friends are English majors as well, and they know that teaching is not their gift. However, as a future English teacher who is surrounded daily by inspiring men and women who devote their entire lives to helping others, I can assure you that teaching is not for the faint of heart. Nor is teaching simply a backup plan for those people whose other dreams faded into nothingness.
Let me say that again: Teaching should NEVER be a backup plan. If you are not led to be a teacher, if you do not have the patience or endurance to teach children, or if you are unwilling to give up your social life, do not consider teaching. Please.
Students deserve committed teachers who want to watch the light of knowledge enter their pupils’ eyes. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that the best part about teaching is when struggling students understand a difficult concept and they finally get it.
Instead of putting teachers down for students’ average grades or poor listening skills, take a moment to consider everything that teachers do on a daily basis. Not only do they faithfully come in early and stay late to help struggling students, but teachers do not expect to be thanked for their hard work and dedication. While you may be going to school in order to succeed in a simple 9-5 job, teachers are putting in fifteen hour days planning lessons, meeting with parents, handling administration issues and training up the next generation of thinkers.
Whenever I tell people that I am going to be a high school English teacher, the first look I get is one of amazement. However, the amazement is not due to the esteemed position teachers have in our society, but rather a look that one would give to a person who was insane. “Do you know what you’re getting into?” they ask. “Of course,” I respond, smiling, “But I’m going to do it anyway.”
College is a time to cultivate our passions, whatever they may be – not to put others down for their talents and chosen vocations.
College is the time when all of our hard work, studying and dedication pay off, and we see our “silly” majors grow wings and become fulfilling careers.