Monday, February 6, 2012

Topic of the Week: Childhood or Adolescent Education?


As Education majors, we had to make an important decision about the age level we hope to someday teach. For this week's topic, let's discuss your choice; Are you an Adolescent or Childhood Education Major?

Of course, there are positives and negatives that come with teaching both age groups (which even further divide into different grades!) Some enjoy working with younger children and teaching a wide array of subjects, while others prefer to instruct a specific subject of expertise to older students. What influenced your choice

Are you an Adolescent or Childhood Education Major? What is your concentration? What do you find appealing about teaching your chosen age group? 

22 comments:

  1. Well I am an Adolescent Social Studies Major. I have always been drawn to Social Studies and I think it gives a lot of freedom with how you teach it and doing things so much more than lecture. I want to work with early High School students because I feel that is a time where you can make a really strong impact and you also get to see them around the school until the graduate and form a strong bond with students who desire to do so. - Michael Fallon

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  2. I agree, Mike. High school is definitely a good place to make an impact. I'm an Adolescent English major (sorta), and what I'm loving as I'm student teaching is the flexibility in the curriculum. The school lets us choose what we read in class, with the exception of an assigned Shakespeare text per year. The focus is on getting the kids to read, rather than on what they read. I think it works well.

    But the main reason I chose Adolescent Ed is because I'm good at English, and really bad at math. I wouldn't want my poor foundations in the fundamentals of math to affect my students! So, I stick to what I'm good at, which is reading and writing.

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    1. We're so glad to hear of your positive student teaching experience. Flexibility in the curriculum can certainly be a wonderful thing; it allows you to teach the topics you are truly passionate about. We also agree that getting kids to read should be top priority! The importance of reading in general can often get lost in a rigid and overly structured curriculum.

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  3. This is actually quite a tough decision to make, but I am very happy with my choice of adolescent education. I teach a fifth grade religion class once a week and have a lot of fun, but I feel my real expertise is interacting with high school students. There is something about the age group that I absolutely love; it's a time when kids mentally mature significantly and create identities for themselves. I am also enjoying the opportunity to teach a subject I am so passionate about - reading and writing. Being able to deeply analyze my favorite works of literature with students is very appealing about adolescent education.

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  4. I agree with you all, but I chose to major in early childhood education. I chose childhood over adolescent for many reasons. I enjoy being around children for their humor, they are respectful still, and they are more likely to respond to positive manipulatives such as routines and seating charts. Children enjoy structure, where as adolescents are in their rebelling stages. Although I am not an expert in math or science, I enjoy teaching them to the younger grades because you can make it fun using props or songs. I am currently student teaching fourth grade and the lessons are fun, while easy enough that I don't have to brush up on my trigonometry. These children make me laugh everyday and I feel good knowing that I can make a difference in their education at such a young age!

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    1. You are absolutely right; you CAN make a difference, and that's what a great teacher does! We enjoyed hearing your reasons for choosing childhood over adolescent, and agree that you definitely make some good reasons for doing so! Good luck with your student teaching.

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  5. I am a Childhood Education major and I wouldn't change it at all. I've always wanted to teach in the younger age group because I tend to love to see them grow throughout the year. I've worked in an after school for a few years and I've seen some of my students improve a lot throughout the years and I love that feeling. It's also the age where they need the most help developing and learning about themselves and what they're capable of and I find that so fun and enjoyable to experience with the kids. I also want to add that they're just so adorable and I also seem to love teaching because of that. Little kids make my day and brighten up my mood every time I see them, no matter how annoying they can get. I am also a Math Concentration because I dreaded English and Literature. So, Math seemed to be the best subject for me and I actually did enjoy it throughout my middle and high school years!

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    1. Seeing students improve truly is a wonderful feeling. We are so glad to hear about the power students have to brighten your day.

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  6. I am an adolescent education major with a concentration in Spanish. I love the idea of teaching older kids and having a relaxed feeling with older students that is not always there with younger kids. I know that this relaxed feeling is not always present, and I must remember that I am the teacher and in control of the classroom, but at the same time I want the students to realize I was once in their shoes and I can relate to them. There are times when I have thought about being a childhood education major, because very few male teachers are childhood education, so it would be easier for me to find a job, but I don't want things the easy way. I wish that I could find a way to teach both childhood and adolescent education. When push comes to shove, I think that my personality really works better with the older kids though, so I feel I will do better with the high school students.

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    1. Great! Good to hear you'd prefer to do what you love (and what you're good at!) rather than doing things the easy way.

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  7. We can argue til we're blue in the face about what age group is better. But it all comes down to preference. Personally, I am not as quick on my feet and way too emotional to work with the high school group. Plus, I am a sucker for little kids! I've been working at a daycare and after school center for three years now. I love it, I can't tell you how enjoyable it is to go in to work every day and be greeted by smiles and little faces that ADORE you!
    I am currently Student teaching in a fourth grade classroom. Kids nowadays are more mature and act much older than they really are. It is entertaining to say the least. But what I have realized is how "at home" I feel. Being in front of the classroom and talking to them, helping them. Teaching conversions today, wasn't the easiest topic for a few, and just going over it and the "OHHH I got it!" that came after, it just warms your heart. Even just walking around the room, "Ms. Handras, Ms. Handras," makes you feel important, and cool! I got 30 "Good bye Ms. Handras" at dismissal today. Can it get any better?

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    1. It sounds like you're having such a wonderful experience, Eleni. So glad to hear how receptive the kids are to you and how much you're enjoying yourself. And to answer your question: nope, it cannot get any better!

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  8. I am a adolescent ed. major with a concentration in social studies. I think the most appealing part of teaching upper level students is that it is possible to talk with them and have good, insightful conversation with the class. Obviously, a teacher cannot devote the entire period to discussion but there are always events in history that provoke discourse and conflicting viewpoints which ought to be talked about. Additionally, high school students typically have the bare academic essentials (that I don't have to teach); they can read and write. How well they can read and write is a different story but improvement of writing skills is an important aspect for any English or history teacher. -Michael Lipari

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    1. Yes, improving students' writing skills is a critical part of teaching high school. It is also important to understand that some students are largely unable to read and write even at the high school level. All teachers must promote literacy in their classroom, no matter what the subject area. Thank you for your reply!

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  9. As an undergraduate, I was an Adolescent Education major with a Social Studies concentration.

    I always knew I wanted to teach high school children. The curriculum is more content-specific, as opposed to teaching different subjects throughout the day. I could devote majority of the time discussing the specific topic that the class is learning. It also provides an opportunity for discussions and debates at the higher level.

    To make sure childhood education wasn't for me, I completed ASL in my first semester in an elementary school. When we moved to the carpet for story time, one of the students raised their hand and exclaimed, "SHE'S LOOKING AT ME!!" While high school may have more complicated issues with each other, I knew at that moment that childhood education definitely wasn't for me.

    After teaching in both ninth and tenth grade, I find that I can relate to my high school students through the formal and informal conversations that I have had with them. I have always had a knack for teaching high school students. Plus, I have six nieces and nephews that I love dearly, but I would rather just hang out with them than teach their age groups.

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    1. Thank you for sharing! We loved your story about your experiences with Childhood Education. It's great to hear you decided to try it out, weighing all options before crossing anything off your list. Even better, you now have the advantage of experiencing both adolescent and childhood education classrooms.

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  10. Ever since I was a little girl in preschool, I knew I wanted to become a teacher. Over the years I played with all different ideas of what type of teacher I wanted to be. I've thought about elementary, high school, art, music, special ed, ESL, and more. However, I always came back to elementary school- mostly because that's where my love of learning began. Also, I love the thought of being able to teach all the subjects and give the child the tools they need to survive later on in life. I believe if you don't catch a child early, it is extremely difficult to make them love learning when they are older. I can't wait to have a chance to be a teacher and possibly be the person that inspires that student to fall in love with learning and sets the foundations for a great human being.

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    1. We can't wait to hear how you enable your students to fall in love with learning. You're absolutely right- it is critical to teach children the vital life skills they need during childhood to ensure they become successful adults.

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  11. I am a Elementary Education major with a concentration in Psychology. Due to previous experiences in my life, I decided that I wanted to teach kids from an early age. Lets just say that my brother didn't make the best choices. They say that a kid learns what is right and wrong by the age of 8. I want to be the teacher that helps those kids learn right from wrong so that they do not walk down the same path my brother did. Every child deserves to have a positive role model in their life and hopefully I can be a role model for my students. Also I love working with kids because everyday you learn something new about your students.

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    1. While your brother's situation is an unfortunate one, we are glad to hear that it has opened your eyes to a world where so many students do not have positive role models. Without supportive, encouraging adults, it can be impossible for children to believe in themselves. Cameron, we wish you the best of luck on your journey as a future educator. We are confident that you have the ability to enable your students to learn, grow, and flourish into successful adults.

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  12. Hello,
    Everyone has a point in which their story begins. Mine began back when I was about 5 and all I did around the house was play "pretend teacher". From chalkboards to desks and stickers and crafts, I had it all. I always pictured myself in a teacher setting and what it would be like. I never really thought I would decided on it but I did. As soon as I hit high school I knew that one day I wanted to be in charge of taking attendance and grading papers. Specifically, I am an Adolescent Education major with a concentration in Math. Everyone always says "Oh my goodness, MATH? Good luck" But to me its the complete opposite. I enjoy every single aspect of creating equations and variable expressions. With previous experiences of observation, ASL, and the America Reads team I have learned so much more on classroom management, how to mentor, and even how to open up to kids. I've been able to show kids different strategies and methods on solving problems. Both adolescent and childhood have there benefits and doubts but at the end of the day your part of the solution to what ever problem or struggle that may occur. The best part of the day is knowing that the student you helped out today will remember you for your efforts tomorrow.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your story with us. It is great to hear you are not discouraged by the often negative comments of others. Math can certainly be exciting and stimulating for students if taught by the skilled, passionate teacher. Good luck!

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