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Teacher Education
Teacher Education
If you’ve ever had a bad teacher, I’m sure you can understand why it makes perfect sense to teach people how to teach teachers so that they can teach better. Teaching, like any profession, has its own body of knowledge, including research, methods, and theory. And contrary to popular belief, the ability to speak English doesn’t mean you’re ready to go out and teach it, much less to children. Teaching is hard work, and that work is made more efficacious by a major in Teacher Education. It is the invisible muscle behind the strength of any great teacher. As a Teacher Education major you will explore several fields, including psychology, as well as immerse yourself in different methods and styles of teaching. And at the end of the day you will learn to be a lean, mean teaching machine, ready to take on those students who may be more like you than you would care to admit.
Preparation
The best preparation for a Teacher Education major and a career as a teacher is a strong background in the liberal arts, particularly in English and history, since you will need strong critical reading and writing skills at your disposal.
Teaching English as a Second Language
Teaching English as a Second LanguageThe English language is one of the most widely used in the world. For immigrants arriving in America, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Canada, it’s an aspect of assimilation and adaptation to a new culture; for others, it’s a necessary skill for entering the global business world. As English continues to becomes the lingua franca of the world, the demand for well trained professionals who can teach it as a second language will continue to increase. As any teacher can tell you, though, knowing how to do something does not mean you can teach it. Teaching requires trained professionals who know their field inside and out, including the different theoretical approaches to its instruction. A major in Teaching English as a Second Language will equip you with the tools you will need to become a successful teacher, including training and knowledge of different cultures, teaching methods, and of course, hands-on teaching experience.
Preparation
A strong grasp of the English language is essential for anyone who wants to teach it, so make sure you indulge yourself in as many humanities courses as you can. In addition, you can start volunteering as an ESL assistant teacher where you will get hands-on experience teaching to foreign students.
Technical Writing
Technical WritingThis may sound like something you would only do as an English major, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Many schools treat Technical Writing as a unique discipline, often more closely linked to a communications or business major rather than English. Technical Writing students master the craft of writing for specific markets and industries. The business and scientific worlds, in addition to needing scientists and businessmen, also need people who can effectively translate their jargon into layman’s terms. How does aggregate demand shape a market based on a Keynesian economic theory? And how can CO2 chemical emissions deplete the ozone layer? Technical Writers are invaluable because they make the news of the business and scientific communities accessible to the rest of us. Drawing on some of the classic tenets of English, such as sentence structure and organization, technical writing goes one step further. With many universities offering Technical Writing laboratories complete with state of the art hardware, Technical Writing bridges the gap between literature and business.
Preparation
In addition to reading and writing extensively, get a little editing experience under your belt. High school newspapers and internships are a great way to get hands-on experience. The more you know about a specific field, such as medicine or computer technology, the faster you’ll be able to put your writing skills to use. Classes in English and history requiring lots of closely critiqued essays will prove their worth in college.
Technology Education
Technology EducationTechnology Education isn’t very mysterious—the major delivers just what its name promises. You’ll learn about major technological systems, such as those dealing with production, communication, and transportation. You’ll study various computer programs, like Computer Aided Design (CAD), and apply those programs to real-life situations. One of the most satisfying parts of a Technology Education major is its instant applicability to the real world. Technology Education majors spend their time both studying technological systems and designing their own. In your courses you might plan and build a computer-controlled device or design a web site. You might try your hand at digital electronics or create a new transportation vehicle. Your studies will give you the tools to do all this and more—the world is your oyster. Besides the obvious rewards of becoming knowledgeable about technology, Technology Education majors have the added benefit of learning to work well in teams, think innovatively, and enjoy a variety of satisfying careers in education and business.
Preparation
Computer courses of all kinds will be your best preparation for a major in Technology Education. Becoming acquainted with various computer programs, software packages, etc., will give you a good foundation for the new information you’ll gather from your college courses.
Textile Engineering
Textile EngineeringThe textile industry is one of the largest in America, producing everything from the fabric used in the clothes you wear to the plastic in IV tubes. As you can imagine, an industry so vital and important to our society needs well trained engineers to help carry the field forward. As a textile engineer that someone can be you. From research and development to management issues, Textile Engineering majors have a wide array of options into which they can plug themselves. The engineering behind the textile industry is cutting edge, so be prepared for some intense and exciting research opportunities ahead of you. In addition to research, many schools also offer you the opportunity to combine engineering and business courses to give you an added edge as you prepare to enter the job market.
Preparation
Math, baby, especially algebra, trigonometry, calculus. Physics and chemistry are important secondary subjects you should strive to master.
Theatre
TheatreTheatre is an artistic expression in which actors and actresses perform in front of a live audience. But Theatre majors do more than just act on stage-your college experience will involve productions, of course, but your role in those productions will vary widely. Theatre majors get experience in stage management, directing, stage lighting, costuming, set design, and script writing. As actors and actresses, you’ll study movement, voice, and dance. And as with any art form, you’ll learn how we got where we are today by exploring the history and theory of Theatre, and a great deal of literature. At most schools, in the course of four years you’ll be asked to choose a concentration. Choices usually include musical theatre, production, stage management, and scriptwriting, but concentrations vary by school-be sure your area of interest is offered. It’s important to realize that a Theatre major is not an automatic ticket to Broadway. Theatre is a competitive field-the image of the actor/waiter is both a cliché and a reality. Only a very few people will end up supporting themselves from Theatre alone, and many choose to work at jobs such as waiting tables or temping while they wait for auditions and opportunities. However, those with a true passion for Theatre are willing to make these sacrifices.
Preparation
If you’re considering a Theatre major, by all means get involved with your high school drama club. Usually, high school productions are managed mainly by students, giving you the opportunity to explore various musical and dramatic productions both on stage and off. Music and English courses will be useful. And read as much as you can. Get to know Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller, for example, to name just a few of the great writers for the stage.
Theology
Theology“Theology,” writes theologian Patrick Granfield in the introduction to his book, Theologians at Work, “is the questing, probing, and searching of the Word of God; it is a rational effort, guided by faith, that attempts to penetrate the message of God.” You might think that Theology is the study of the Christian faith alone. Not so. Although liguisitically “Theology” is Western-rooted (the Greek theos means “god”), the term can be applied to the study of all world religions. As a Theology major, you’ll explore how, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “the believer understands his faith” or how “a religion’s practitioners understand their religion.” You’ll examine the ways in which these believers and practitioners define, defend, and verify various elements of their religious doctrine. You’ll attempt to find a place for religious beliefs among the realms of science, history, and logic. “Theology deals with great words,” writes Granfield, words like “love,” “fatherhood,” “motherhood,” “justice,” and others that describe issues of universal importance no matter what one’s religion is. Your Theology major will involve you in an array of other disciplines, including history, philosophy, literature, international studies, anthropology, cosmology, ethics, science, and languages. This field of study is so variegated, in fact, that the Encyclopedia Britannica considers it “a microcosmic image of the university.”
Preparation
If you go to a parochial high school, you’re in luck—chances are, some sort of Theology or religion courses will be part of the curriculum. But since Theology involves such a wide variety of disciplines, you’d be wise to explore courses in history, philosophy, literature, ethics, science, and languages.
Tourism
TourismWorld events, the economy, tastes and trends, and the technology of travel—all of these and more have an effect on global tourism. And despite a decline in American travel in recent years, the website peopleandplanet.net reports, “By some measure, tourism may already be the world’s largest industry, with annual revenue approaching $500 billion.” A major in tourism will get you a foot in the door to this ever-booming industry. And the sky’s the limit—quite literally—on where you go from there. Tourism majors aim to discover the world’s top destinations and how best to encourage people to visit them. From the dreamy, steamy islands of the South Pacific to Sweden’s Icehotel, you’ll learn how to make guests feel welcome and enjoy a safe and memorable stay. A tourism major covers the whole spectrum of travel—you’ll study everything from the booking of flights to facilitating operations at a resort hotel. You’ll use the tourism industry’s most prevalent electronic databases and discover how to navigate other travel-related computer programs and systems. Count on learning how to market and sell travel destinations and products, including how to promote tourism in new places and how to sustain interest in classic tourist destinations. In addition, you’ll examine how Internet technology is affecting the Tourism industry and how to use this technology most advantageously. Your tourism major should also touch on the effect tourism has on the environment—and how certain aspects of the industry are working to minimize those effects. Tourism is more global than ever, and this major will explore the role it plays in the world—how it affects cities and countries both economically and culturally. You’ll learn where the industry has been and where it might go in the future. (Is a moon resort really viable? You’ll be able to tell us.) Before you graduate, you should be a pro at giving knowledgeable and friendly customer service and managing all aspects of the travel experience. After college, you’ll have the skills you need to pursue a career for an airline, a travel agency, or many other sorts of travel service organization. Tourism is an interdisciplinary major, and your course work will draw from accounting, marketing, communication, and other business courses, as well as courses in geography and specific elements of tourism.
Preparation
Since you’ll be taking courses in a wide variety of fields for your tourism major, the best way to prepare is to take classes in many different areas in high school. Math, science, and the humanities are all important. People who work in tourism must be excellent communicators, so any classes that improve your writing, public speaking, and reading skills will be especially valuable. Try to become familiar with the world we live in. Take a course in geography, or pore over maps. Tourism is a major economic force in even the smallest towns, so you might investigate how tourism is at work in your own community.
Toxicology
ToxicologyA skull and crossbones might be a suitable symbol for this major. (That’s one way to explain that tattoo . . . .) Toxicology basically tackles issues involved with various types of poisons. According to the University of Arizona, toxicology is “the study of how chemical and physical agents adversely affect living organisms.” If you choose to major in toxicology, you’ll learn about these chemical and physical agents—where they lurk in the environment, how humans are exposed to them, and the problems they create in different arenas, like the clinical, industrial, and legal fields. This includes the study of how these agents enter the body, what happens to them once they’re inside, and how they can damage cells, tissues, and organs. You’ll also learn how toxicants pose a threat to our animal friends, along with examining poisons found in plants and foods, such as pesticides, food additives, and waste from industry. You’ll learn how to test food and water for unhealthy or dangerous levels of toxicants, and you’ll gain the skills necessary to counteract their effects or eliminate them altogether. Toxicology is an important field for obvious reasons, and advancements can be rapid. Your course work might involve studying what sorts of environmental agents lead to cancer, or the effects these agents have on the neurosystem. You might engage in a study of chemical genomics and examine how toxicants affect gene expression—a hot topic these days. Or you might immerse yourself in drug research and development. Your studies will go beyond the toxic agents themselves, of course. You’ll study safety procedures necessary to implement and adhere to during research, and you’ll learn how to collect and analyze data from the experiments you perform. Legal aspects of chemical use by industries and individuals will also be hashed out. And you’ll gain experience with research through laboratory work and, perhaps, an internship.
Preparation
Toxicology is a science-intensive field, so your focus in high school should be on taking as many challenging science courses as possible. Biology, chemistry, and physics are all invaluable, especially if they have laboratory components. And since all scientists must be able to pass their ideas along to others clearly and effectively, you should take humanities courses that will improve your communication skills.
Turfgrass Science
Turfgrass ScienceTurfgrass Science is an interdisciplinary major that involves the use of grasses and plants to improve and beautify the environment. It combines business and management theory with the down-to-earth study of grasses, soils, ornamental plants, and all those pesky critters that affect lawns and fairways far and wide. If you decide to major in Turfgrass Science, you’ll take courses in – among other things – biology, chemistry, business management, plant pathology, entomology, and soil and water science. During summers, it’s a good bet that you’ll gain good on-the-job experience and mandatory internships with landscape and lawn care companies, golf courses, and departments of parks and recreation. You’ll probably make pretty righteous cash over the summers as well, which is a pretty nice perk. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared for careers in the landscape industry, producing and maintaining plants and grasses for recreational, aesthetic, and environmental uses. You’ll know your way around golf courses, professional and big-time college athletic fields, sod farms, and every other landscape-related industry. You’ll be able to find employment with lawn care companies, parks, agri-chemical firms, cemeteries, and environmental consulting firms.
Preparation
You’ll need a strong foundation in the basic sciences. If you are planning to major in Turfgrass Science in college, you should take courses in biology, chemistry, algebra, and trigonometry. And don’t forget about art. You want to develop an adequate understanding of design elements. Everything that you can learn about climate, soil, water, and plants will be helpful as well.