Cause and effect (Why I choose my major) - Essay Example

Education, a Lifelong Ambition Choosing education as a major was a lifetime in the making. Nothing is more important than knowledge and no profession more worthwhile than conveying knowledge. Understanding what has happened in the past and what is happening now, how and why things work and how they react with other things, effective communication skills and effective relationship strategies along with a host of other learning outcomes helps the individual and society as a whole. Without education we cannot, as a community, nation or world progress in a positive, mutually beneficial manner.

I desire to be part of this phenomenon, now as a student and later as a teacher. Being the product of a mother who teaches elementary school, the importance of learning, of being educated and of educating others has been conveyed to me on an everyday and more than just by words alone from the time of my earliest childhood memory. It caused me to look at learning differently than most other students in my age group. Many kids thought of school as a punishment of sorts, something they had to do much like chores or eating their peas.

I didn’t relish every minute of every class, like all teachers or enjoy all homework assignments yet knew of the important component of each. From the boring classes I learned, ultimately, that making class-time interesting or even fun made learning more effective. From the particularly tough classes I learned that every child learns at a different pace and are simply better at some subjects than others. Though it is impossible to fashion a lesson plans that fit the needs of all students, it is possible to make two paths of learning, one for those who pick up the information quickly and one for those who do not.

If the teacher is really interested, has a passion for the job, they can find a method by which to positively affect the most students in the time available. This is what was going through my mind in third or fourth grade as I sat in class. I was destined to teach. Beside my mother, several teachers inspired my desire for a career in education. Some, because they were so disinterested in their chosen profession, motivated me and possibly as much as any other. I could readily see that the students were not only as disinterested as the teacher but their perception that school was punishment was reinforced.

This negative perception was transferred to other classes which diminished the student’s entire educational experience. The damage to their lives is incalculable. If the fire of knowledge acquisition is not lit as a child it is rarely reclaimed as an adult. A bad teacher, or succession of them, can greatly diminish the quality of life of a person. Learning is not the process of filling a bucket full of facts to someday be retrieved when needed. Learning is exhilarating; it’s like a lightning bolt of energy for the mind.

Learning is addictive and contagious too but is lost on those who have not learned how to learn or understand than learning can be fun and is a necessary facet of a fulfilling life. That is the reason for teachers, to convey not just information but a passion for learning. Another important aspect of growing is learning the lessons that sports impart. Setting aside ego to work within the team concept is vital in the business world. Learning that there is always someone out there who is better than you at something, how to fail and keep going anyway despite the odds is a lesson found in few places outside sports, football especially.

Those who play football, who endure the daily grind, know they can endure about anything life sends their way. The combination of knowledge learned from books in the classroom and from hard knocks on the football field cannot be bested for an overall educational experience in my opinion. There can be no greater reward or calling then teaching young minds the thrill of learning in a multifaceted environment. This is why I am certain of my choice to major in Secondary Education, a choice I’ve been certain of seemingly all my life.