Some people are simply born to teach. These natural educators should pursue majors that fit their teaching style as well as their favorite subject. A person who loves music and wants to be a teacher should choose music education as their major, not architecture or pharmaceuticals. Being true to yourself and what you love will make you an effective educator. This article is for those of you who want to know more about the different types of education majors available to you in an online college.
Early Childhood Education
The early childhood education major is for people who want to teach young children the building blocks of everything they will learn in future years. If you are interested in providing a strong foundation for the youth of today, this major would be a great way to get involved. Learning how to teach children the most basic of skills can be a rewarding experience.
Secondary Education
Everything beyond elementary school is considered secondary education. You might choose this type of major because you prefer to teach more challenging subjects, or simply because you feel you get along better with older children. Keep in mind that students who are in middle school are going through many changes, and may not treat you with the kind of respect and awe you would likely receive from elementary aged children. This also tends to be a problem in high school, so if you think you are tough enough and can deal with the attitudes and disrespect that come with teaching secondary grades, then this is the major for you.
K-12 Major
If you are unable to decide which grade you would prefer to teach, get an overall K-12 education by choosing an all-encompassing major. This gives you the option of being certified to work in any grade, at just about any school. Having choices is very good in the current economy situation, as you would be able to accept just about any job offer in education.
Music Education
People who choose to be music education teachers are a very special breed. They must have a passion for music of all kinds, because they will have to take classes for every type of instrument and voice. They must also be willing to break down what they know into smaller bites for their students. This is true of all majors, really, but with music majors, they have the option of choosing music performance as their major as well. Those who decide on being music educators set aside their love of performing to teach students how to play an instrument or sing a song. The difference between performance and education is that, in the beginning, the students are not being taught how to be musical because they are not quite able to comprehend that in beginning band, choir, or orchestra. Only when they have performed for several years will they come to an understanding of what it means to play with musicality.
Other Education Majors
There are several other types of education majors, especially in the realm of elective classes like art and theatre, but these are the main avenues you can take. Elective classes are especially important to academics because it has been proven that students who are involved in music or other extracurricular activities tend to do better in school.