You know you’re an Education Major when…..

By: Emily Oshinskie '14

6:53am seems a little early for the average college student, but during this Term 3 that has been the time that my alarm goes off. So you’re thinking…well, maybe she’s a morning person, she likes to get up early, go for a jog, read the paper, savor the Cappuccino instead of gulping down some caffeinated liquid that burns the average American’s throat….well, not exactly. (However, the more I wake up before the majority of campus, the more I am turning into a morning person….well, I like the perks of being one of the first three people to delight in the freshest pineapple in the dining hall). Since I am an Education Major, I have been spending 4 hours Monday through Friday at a local middle school to observe classes and see if teaching is right for me. Fieldwork is kind of like Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” approach to training for education majors at Elmira College. So far, so good. As far as I can tell, I’m on the right path….I’m still debating whether to teach middle or elementary school, but it’s a work in progress.

Every morning my two friends and I enjoy some oatmeal and contemplate the adventures of the day. When we return back to campus, we sprint to the dining hall since we are famished from the four hours each of us has spent interacting with Kindergarteners, 1st graders or 6th graders. I have been placed in a Tech Ed class with 6th graders and I will occasionally observe a 6th grade English class. This Monday, I am at the 2 week mark and I have already learned so much about teaching and the American School System. It is an exhausting experience, but honestly, one of the most worthwhile opportunities I’ve had over my freshman year. Yes, I want to go to bed at like 9:30pm every night-which also unusual for a college student- I am absolutely loving working with these 6th graders. Even though we have weekly seminars to discuss our observations in the classroom, my learning time is those 240 minutes that I spend assisting 6th graders navigate technology programs and listening to non-fiction book report presentations. When some intelligent individual stated that “experience is the best teacher”-they weren’t kidding!