Education is a popular major in the U.S. because the colleges and universities in the U.S. teach beyond the teaching skills; they train students to be educational leaders who lead their society to change.
Interdisciplinary Curricula for a Holistic Education
A key characteristic of the American education curriculum is that it integrates various subjects such as psychology, sociology, and technology to education. Through this interdisciplinary curriculum, college students learn effective teaching: psychology helps teachers to deeply understand a student, sociology helps them to create an inclusive environment for students, and technology equips them to develop teaching strategies. For example, Vanderbilt University’s subject Society, School, and Teacher integrate psychology and sociology to education. Stanford University’s Learning Design and technology study and research about educational technology.
Learning Through Active Discussion and Clinical Experience
The U.S. colleges do not only provide lectures about knowledge and methods of education. In the classes, students learn through socratic methods which are primarily led by students and their discussion, not only by a professor. Students also have a project in which they use their knowledge to design a lesson plan for their local community. Moreover, they actually learn and experience how to teach in a school, working as a teacher assistant. At the University of Michigan, undergraduate students observe and teach in a real school from their very first year in the program, and participate in a full-time residency during their senior year.
Competencies for Future Educators
The American educational environment emphasizes critical thinking, communication skill, actual experience, and digital literacy. Critical thinking helps students to become a teacher who casts doubt on current curriculum and enhances it to make it the best for the students. The students learn teaching and communicating skills through internships and experiences at schools, equipping them being a teacher. Digital literacy is also important especially for preparing for future education.
Becoming a Holistic Facilitator
Preparing for a career in education within these environments and programs provides the crucial foundation to become a professional educator, who actively tries to improve current education rather than passively follows others. It develops not only a ‘teacher’ who imparts students academic knowledge, but also a ‘facilitator’ who helps their holistic growth.