Best Classes for English Education Majors
The hunt continues for the best classes for every major at BYU-Idaho. Educators are essential to growth and development and English Education is a common emphasis for future teachers. But planning the college path of an English Education major varies person to person. Educators need to develop teaching skills as well as understanding. In order to plan a college path, we’ve found the courses that teach required skills through interesting or useful content. Whether you’re looking for fun classes or planning for your major, Explore Rexburg has you covered. Here’s our take on the best classes for your major.
Understanding the English Education Major
Do you have a passion for literature and learning? Do you feel energized in social situations? If so, you may have what it takes to be a teacher. It goes without saying that a majority of people have a warped perception of education as a profession. The truth is, becoming a teacher involves discipline and an intense commitment to a heavy course load. Not only do education majors have to take several courses involving psychology, communication and teaching theory and practice. Future educators have to study the subject they want to specialize in teaching as well. Which means if a student wishes to become an English teacher, they have to take core education courses as well as a majority of the core English available.
In order to become an educator students must have the passion and discipline to carry out their coursework. If that doesn’t sound like you, I’d suggest you study elsewhere. But If you have the desire to learn and help others, here are the best classes to take as an English education major.
ED 304: Ed Psych & Human Development – Brother Williams
Brother Williams has an unconventional method of teaching (like Mr. Miyagi, Karate Kid style). This class has no due dates, no assigned readings and is mostly student driven. The goal of this class isn’t for you to memorize the names of different educational theories or practices. You’re in this class to develop a real application of the 100 principles of human development. He brings in examples and has students learn through hands-on creation of their own lesson plans. You need to be intrinsically motivated to succeed. Brother Williams provides you with reading materials to choose from and develop your understanding. It’ll be difficult, but worth it.
ENG 251: Fundamentals of Literary Interpretation – Anne Papworth
Sister Papworth teaches one of the early core English classes. Papworth is passionate and concise in her teaching. She always tries to make the class interesting and relatable. In her class, students practice basic literary interpretation through assigned readings. The course requires students to devote several hours a week to reading, so don’t expect to sail through without effort. Sister Papworth encourages students to find how the readings apply to different subjects. The unique interpretations they make, let them see how different text could guide students in different situations. The skill you learn will help you guide students to make their own conclusions.
ENG 301: Advanced Writing & Research – Jim Richards
Brother Richards teaches several classes for the English department, however ENG 301 is the most commonly required course. This course is great for English or English Education majors because of the sheer volume of writing required. Students write an essay every week, then edit other student’s work. You can only get better at writing through writing. And in this class, students practice more difficult aspects of writing. Brother Richards expects high quality work and students to follow a strict assignment schedule. His course follows a strict structure, but brother Richards will give students additional guidance and help through the course if they ask. Get the most out of this class by completing assignments before the due date then asking brother Richards to check your work during office hours. He’ll give you some great advice on how you can bring your writing to the next level.
Check out the BYU-Idaho course catalog for more in-depth descriptions of what each course offers.