Parallel Major

  1. List your Parallel Major. Your Parallel Major must be an undergraduate degree offered here at ODU. 
    • Social work
    • Human Development
    • Industrial technology
    • Early Childhood/Elementary Education

The major I choose: Early Childhood/Elementary Education

  1. Why did you choose this as your Parallel Major? What interests you about this major?

I choose this as my parallel major because as a teacher you should not be able to only just teach but be able to inspire. I want to inspire so many children that would walk through the doors of my classroom. Young children, especially, need role models and leaders in order for them to have positive outcomes in their personal lives.  What interests me is that teachers basically have a set schedule when it comes to working, and that they are able to balance school and personal life very well.

  1. List some interesting facts about this major.
    1. Teachers spend an average of 50 hours a week on teaching duties.
    2. Nearly 50% of teachers resign within the first five years.
    3. 1.5 million teachers are employed each year.
    4. There are many different types of teachers. Such as specialist teachers, and secondary and primary teachers. 
  2. Research at least one career that you can do with this major and provide information on that career.

Guidance counselor – it requires 60 credit hours, and a 600 hour internship. You have to complete classes like advanced counseling techniques, lifespan development, social and cultural diversity, and professional orientation and ethics.

  1. Create a plan for pursuing this major
  2. Additional classes required (if applicable) (Use DegreeWorks “What If” analysis)
    1. Foundation of education
    2. Educational application of computers
    3. Classroom management/discipline
    4. Student diverse learning needs
    5. Fundamentals of human growth and development
  3. How could you gain professional experiences to learn more about this area of study?

To gain professional experience for this area of study you could do a teaching internship during the summer, you can volunteer at a local school or help with community activities.

  1. ODU List the advisor for this major (if Parallel Major is outside of the College of Health Sciences). Directory of Advisors website

Advisor for this major is: Ms. Nola Nicholson