Day in the Life of an Education Major

You’re looking for your future major—but let’s be honest, you don’t know what half of them actually entail. This series fills you in on what these majors mean at a liberal arts college, so you can decide for yourself what’s most interesting to you. Here’s what an education major looks like from the perspective of an actual student.

There are many different ways to be an education major.

• Want to be a middle school or high school teacher? You will major in your preferred subject (for example, English, history, or biology) and minor in secondary education.
• Is teaching elementary school your goal? You will major in elementary education and select an academic or special endorsement.

In this post, you’ll learn about Megan’s experience as an elementary education major with a reading endorsement, as well as a psychology minor. POV: You’re an elementary education major.

8 a.m. Granola Bar and Class

Megan working in her 4th-grade practicum classroom.

When I wake up, I get ready and go straight to Elementary Literacy Methods. I usually have granola bars in my room, so I’ll take one and eat it on my way to class.

For our methods classes, we get to write lesson plans, use curriculum standards, and practice teaching in front of our peers. While our classmates are teaching, we act like elementary school students so they can practice their classroom management skills.

To become a licensed teacher, you also need a certain amount of hours of classroom experience. In Elementary Literacy Methods, we build toward this requirement by working in a real classroom for a few hours every week. This semester, I’m teaching in a 4th-grade classroom, which is so rewarding.

Education majors spend a lot of time building our educator portfolios. In fact, to become a licensed teacher, we need to complete three portfolios: introductory, developing, and advanced. With field experiences throughout all four years of my undergraduate education, I have plenty to write about as I work on my portfolios.

During my senior year, I will have two seven-week student teaching placements. I’ll spend this time working with a current teacher and improving my teaching skills. I will be student teaching in Norway next fall — a unique opportunity because of Luther’s connections abroad.

9:15 a.m. Smoothie and Psychology

After class, I stop at the campus cafe, Nordic Brew, and get a muffin and a strawberry smoothie. Then, I go to Social Psychology, which is all about why people think, feel, and behave the way they do. The class has a lot of lectures and note taking, so I have to make sure to pay attention. I’m taking this course for my psychology minor. I really liked psychology in high school, so I’m excited to be able to continue learning about it at Luther. Also, I feel like it will be very helpful working in education.

10:15 a.m. Assignments and Studying

During my time between classes, I try to get some work done for the week. I like to go to either Oneota or Preus Library, where I usually read for my psychology class and create many lesson plans for my education classes. Sometimes, we get to do group projects in my education classes, where we combine our ideas and come up with interesting new lessons.

11 a.m. Back to Class

Integrating Art Methods class doing a rhythm activity.

After my study break, I go back to class. I am taking Integrating Art Methods, which is an interesting class where we learn how to integrate music, art, and wellness into our elementary classrooms. We even got to work with homeschooled students and plan lessons and educational activities for them. It’s so cool to work with kids from a different background that aren’t as used to the traditional classroom setting

12:15 p.m. Lunch with Friends

I usually go to either Oneota or the Caf for lunch, depending on where my friends are eating that day or what I’m feeling like.

1:30 p.m. Intro to Chemistry

At Luther College, we have the benefit of getting a liberal arts education. It gives us the opportunity to take classes outside of our major and become more well rounded. For my lab requirement, I’m taking Intro to Chemistry for Non Majors. It’s a really difficult class and I have to study a lot, but it was cool to get out of my comfort zone and learn something completely different from my major. It’s also a good change of pace in my day.

2:45 p.m. Work Study

After my last class of the day, I go to my work study job in the Admissions Office. I work a few hours each week, where I give tours to prospective students, create schedules, or chat with prospective students on their way to meet our faculty. I love working in admissions because I get to connect with a lot of prospective students and bond over our shared interests. I also get an opportunity to share why I love Luther!

4 p.m. Orchestra

I play the violin in the Luther College Symphony Orchestra. We meet three times a week for an hour and a half. Being a string player in Orchestra means a lot more than just going to rehearsal though. Outside of rehearsal, I go to weekly lessons, seminars, and sectionals.

The orchestra gets to go on a tour every year. Throughout my four years at Luther, I have gone on weekend tours in the Midwest, longer national trips, and even a month-long international trip to Vienna. During my freshman year, we went to Texas for ten days. We played a bunch of concerts at churches and schools on the way to and from Texas. We also spent the night with the community members involved in those churches and schools, which led to a lot of interesting stories. We spent a few days in Dallas, watched a cattle drive at the Fort Worth Stock Yards, and did a lot of cowboy-themed shopping.

Next year, we’re spending J-Term in Vienna. We get to spend the whole month of January learning about the culture and rehearsing and then we will play a few concerts in the area. I haven’t studied abroad before, so I’m excited to experience a new country with other people involved in music!

5:30 p.m. Dinner

After orchestra rehearsal, my friends and I go to dinner in the Caf. We sit and eat, chat, and catch up on our days for at least an hour most days. On Thursdays, the orchestra has a spot at the end of the cafeteria where lots of us will sit and chat about rehearsal or classes. It’s a good opportunity to socialize with friends or meet new people!

7 p.m. Sectionals

Showing their sense of humor, the first violin section dressed up as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for Halloween.

For orchestra, we have required weekly sectionals led by our section leader, where we work through demanding passages as a group. The first violins are very close, so it ends up being a lot of fun playing and hanging out as a group. After sectionals, we usually end up standing around and talking for a while. I like our sectionals because we get to bond with other people in our section and learn the music on a deeper level.

8 p.m. Leadership Meeting

I am the president of Luther College Aspiring Educators. The leadership team meets nearly every week to discuss events for education majors and minors. We try to provide a positive environment for future educators and underclassmen, where people feel comfortable asking questions and socializing. We usually plan events and study breaks throughout the year so we can get to know other educators and have some fun! My favorite event we planned is an end of year pizza party. We get to hang out, eat pizza and snacks, and do crafts and coloring.

9 p.m. Relax and Unwind

After my day is over, I like to chat with my roommate and decompress. Sometimes we listen to music, crochet, paint, or hang out and people watch in the Towers social lounge, Brunsdale.

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