live and learn

I really wish that I hadn't picked a major when I was 18. The only thing on my mind was getting out of high school and living somewhat independently. When it came to my field of study, I just thought, hey, education seems easy, let's go with that! Not only was I wrong about the apparent ease of the discipline, but I was also completely unaware of what I actually wanted to study. I look back on the three years of school I've finished and can only pinpoint a few classes that impacted me. The rest of my days were filled with ridiculous gen eds and poorly structured education courses. Why was it not until the second semester of my 3rd year that I was finally teaching in a classroom? As an education major, I thought this might come much sooner.

This is not to suggest that I am unhappy with the profession I am entering. My discontent lies mainly with the courses I've taken. They have taught me absolutely nothing about myself or the world around me. I'm pretty sure that all I've done is made hundreds of lesson plans that I'll never use. Don't get me wrong, I have learned some useful information about teaching. But I haven't been given a chance to apply that information. I'm going to be tossed in front of a classroom in a year and I don't know the first thing about how the curriculum works. It's ridiculous.

I do look forward to working with the kids. I'm really hoping for a job teaching 7th or 8th grade language arts. And I'm sure that I'll find it to be an excellent and rewarding experience. I simply regret that I did not pursue my best interests while I was here. If I were wealthy, I'd stay in school for a while longer and study literature or philosophy. It's frightening that a little bit of money is holding me back from studying those things I have passion for. What a strange life this is.