People claim that elementary education majors have the easiest classes. Sure, we don’t have exams all the time and don’t spend crazy amounts of time memorizing facts for tests and quizzes. However, people do not know is how much time we spend in regional classrooms and the commitment we make when preparing lessons for students. We commit a great deal of time to learn about how children think, how to teach children and much more. El. ed. majors are learning how to teach the future kids of America, so I believe it is one of the most important majors here at Northwestern.
Some of my elementary education classes have included making paper crocodiles, participating in our peers’ lesson plans, looking at bulletin boards created by class members, dancing to YouTube videos, reading children’s books and going on scavenger hunts around campus. Our class periods are very hands-on and allow us to experiment with different ideas we may one day implement in our future classrooms.
Additionally, elementary education students have some of the best professors on campus. Imagine having a class with Professor Vasher. She walks in, and you already know she is going to be rocking a killer outfit. We’ve discussed going to her house and having her show us her wardrobe, which would be a literal dream come true. Besides her gorgeous wardrobe, Professor Vasher is one of the most gracious and kind professors I have ever had.
Imagine having Lila Sybesma, the sweetest person on earth, as a professor. One time before class, Lila walked in when we were playing “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande and she let us continue playing the song to celebrate the Christmas season. When Lila senses that we are tired, exhausted or worn out, she extends kindness and provides a sense of relief to her students in different ways.
One thing that truly makes el. ed. the best major is because of the number of snacks we get throughout our time at Northwestern. Almost every one of my education professors has brought snacks or candy to class. I appreciate this because it fuels our bodies and gives us energy for the rigorous learning ahead. Some favorite snacks were donuts and scotcheroos! Almost every day we have class, professors will bring some type of candy in! It’s honestly so kind of them!
Another reason why el. ed. is the best major on campus is that we get to have many of the same classes with the same people. The reason our major is the best is because the students in it are the most fun, encouraging and supportive. We get to spend our class periods working together, coming up with lesson plans and spending a great deal of time collaborating. One of my favorite examples of being friends with my peers is when the education club held their “Girls’ Night Out” event at Holland House. Some of my esteemed education peers helped me pick out a snazzy outfit that I dearly love.
In all seriousness, the education department does a great job of making students feel valued, known and cared for. I feel as though I am always being encouraged by my peers and professors. Every day we are making each other better teachers and supporting one another. I love how our department helps us dive into what it looks like to integrate faith into teaching. Even if we don’t teach at a Christian school, our professors are always showing us ways that we can replicate Christ’s love to our students. As our department’s motto says, we are here to be “Teachers as Servants”. All this being said, elementary education is the best major on campus!
