When I read Vicky's blog, which among other things, mentioned that very few undergrads now choose English as the major, I saw that I had stumbled across a blog topic pour moi.
No, I didn't choose English as my major, but I come very close to wishing that I had.
I did choose geography because I liked it and did well with it.
While I took a few English courses, I didn't opt for many. That was partly because I didn't have timetable room and partly because I didn't do quite as well in English. I didn't do badly, but I could likely pull off an A in geography but only a B in English.
When I got to College of Ed, I circled English as my teachable minor, but because of my lack of courses, when the English instructor interviewed me, she steered me toward the elementary option.
I never taught elementary school, but I did teach some high school English. Eventually.
It turned out that I loved teaching English and always seemed to be competent at it. In point of fact, I probably received more positive feedback from students and even parents in those years than I did for geography. Teaching English just seemed to suit me even though I was not certified in the subject.
I only taught English for six years before I found myself, through my own and possibly misguided choices, teaching geography exclusively again.
While I wouldn't actually say that I regret how my career went, I think that I would have liked it even more if I had both taken and taught more English courses.
But that is in retrospect. I didn't really know it back when I made the decisions that I did.
18 comments:
I did a Science degree and by the last year had more than enough science courses done. I look English and Psychology courses the last year and loved both. I couldn’t teach English though. I just liked to read and enjoyed the classes. Science was my strength as a teacher.
We never seem to know where we're going to end up as we travel through our lives. I think English was always my favorite subject.
It's too bad we need to make these decisions so young. I had a double major in History and Political Science. I ended up in property management and my longest career was breeding, raising and showing horses. The horse world is political! I'm not good at geography.
Great to consider some of our past choices, as well as our paths to where we are today. But they always were the best we could do with what we knew, how we were influenced, and at that particular time. I need to forgive my-former-self who now would change some of those choices. If I knew then... English was my first major when I returned to college after quitting in my 3rd year. I had since then started a family, but my transcript showed more courses that supported an English major. Coming from a small liberal arts college, I had majored in Art before the transfer, and eventually turned my major to art again.
Who's Vicky? I'd like to see her blog.
I wanted to major in English, history, geography, journalism, biology...but settled on Social Studies, to be able to teach in high school. Little did I know that in this state almost all Social Studies teachers were also the football or other sports coach! So I subbed for a year before the library system where I was also working part-time offered me a full time job. Never planned to be a librarian but that's where I ended up and got my Masters. I sure understand your love for English. Funny how our lives twist and turn.
Retrospect! We do get perspective later, don't we friend? Aloha!
I think I would opt for Geography over English. With geography, there is always a chance to work outside. English, has way too many rules that I tend to violate.
I liked lots of subjects. Teaching elementary, you have to have a broad knowledge.
Back in the days in high school, I picked subjects that gave me extra bonus in the university entrance exams.
I think you would have been an excellent teacher of English - or whatever you undertook to teach. You just like to share what you know and do it superbly well.
But ... in the secondary school environment where I taught, English was not the easiest subject because students could not see what the use of it was. Geography, more likely, would have students who opted for it and were interested. English classes had a lot of students who did not want to be there and did not see that there was anything to learn. I had to 'sell' it to get compliance and any effort out of some of the kids. The difference when I taught ESL was huge. These people wanted to learn, asked for help and participated, almost always. You did not have to show them the value of it.
I also ended up teaching English. You have a much better opportunity to have positive relations with kids than in math and sciences.
I wanted so much to teach college English, and worked and worked for the MA degree to be able to do it. I taught for two years, then my life took a total turn and I became an accountant.
Sigh... Geography and math were always my weakest subjects which is probably why I married an engineer who loves both subjects although he actually is one masters paper away from a degree in education as well. I have a masters in elementary education up to 8th grade and a minor in art which I never actually used except to make bulletin boards. LOL
Nice to 'hear' some of your past history, John.
Interesting that you feel that way, AC. I made my choice because I knew it would be pretty easy for me and because I knew I'd be getting married soon and being able to teach seemed like a nice portable career option. (John was in the Marines at the time.) I turned out to enjoy teaching (though I'd really hated the education courses I had to take.)
I majored in English and taught mainly 7-12 for over 20 years. Loved it! Then I began working with teachers and got a Masters; I did that work for 10 years. Loved it too! Despite all my education (both as a consumer and creator), there's no escaping imposter syndrome and how it can shape your career.
I had a teaching competence in English and taught it my first year but after that didn't. The workload of papers was daunting!
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