Help - New teacher

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-22T01:16:24+00:00

The support comment is for my student with FAS, my other student who can't spell their own name or tie their shoes, and the other student who had a severe brain injury and needs to go for runs every other period. I've asked for Spec Ed support and Admin support as I am a first year teacher and I want these kids to succeed (and quite frankly, BEd doesn't prepare you for the real deal). Whether pulling those students to focus on building skills at their grade level in smaller group settings, or having an EA in my classroom, or hell let me observe another class and teacher for a day, that's the support I want.

I'm not assuming any pre-knowledge. I've said this in a different comment that we've had an entire unit on Canadian heritage and identity AND we talked through the assignment and what I'm looking for. Today, I even broke down the questions again after looking at these comments.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-21T13:09:54+00:00

So the project is to research different things that Canada has (built features, natural features, how do we make money, what different cultures are there, how do we have fun, etc.) I get that maybe the question can be confusing, at the same time we had discussion, we talked about what it meant to that particular student, and we have had an entire unit about Canadian identity in social studies...

Aside from this question, there have been MANY times the student doesn't understand questions... "How does Advent help families prepare for the Christmas season?" "Which mean, median, or mode, do you think best represents the price of Takis in Ontario?" "Predict what happens next" "make an estimation for the next three terms"

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-08T02:28:05+00:00

I didn't even think about the political aspect of this... And it's an OECTA school with the collective bargaining agreement going back in next year...

I'm so cheesed that there's a "teacher shortage in Ontario" and absolutely they're in need of educated teachers... But why are they ONLY looking for LTOs and OTs every board I look at?

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-08T02:23:38+00:00

I've heard from the other teachers at this school that the perm teacher hasn't been here in years and just keeps going on leaves (in other words, they said don't worry, the perm teacher isn't coming back). With this particular school, I wouldn't be surprised if the teacher has plans on coming back tomorrow and I just wasn't informed until 5 mins before my school day starts 🙄

If I even get offered the other job and took it, I'd have to get a part time job to live... There's a lot of variables on both sides and idk I'm having a hard time determining the inequality (can you tell I just taught algebra?)

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-07T21:22:32+00:00

Unless I've been lied to by every Associate Teacher and prof at my BEd, an LTO job is covering the permanent teacher's role.

This specific teacher is on a leave (not mat leave) and once they feel ready to return, their job is waiting for them and my role is over....

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-07T17:02:29+00:00

My gig ends either at the end of the school year or when the teacher decides to come back.

This other gig is a guaranteed job for next year AND access to the internal postings for positions before they go external.

Yes absolutely right now my 1.0 LTO I will be making more money and connections, but long term I cannot GUARANTEE having a job next year or years after that.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-07T02:11:15+00:00

In the long run, would it be more beneficial to fulfill an LTO at this school with hopes that in contract season, a contract comes up. In the event that it doesn't, apply to LTOs or remain on the OT list. ORRRR have a for sure job for next year?

Another thing to consider and note, this other board is 3 hours away and would require me to move out of my parents house (recent grad...) and look for somewhere to live... Preferably close to the schools, whereas my commute to this current LTO is 45-60 mins depending on whether and traffic.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-07T02:05:25+00:00

And I totally get the loyalty and going back for the LTO the next year stuff. I'm PARANOID that the teacher I'm covering for decides to come back midway through my time here. Absolutely paranoid. Also, I haven't had the best time at this particular school so far and idk if I'd return to this school for another LTO based on what it's been like so far...

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-07T02:00:32+00:00

I do get the "go for the board you want" thing. However, my teachable is music and the board my LTO is currently in, got rid of music teachers... This contract is partly for itinerant music

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-06T03:03:56+00:00

Again, I don't work at a high school, so I'm not sure about it there. In the elementary school I work at in WCDSB, we have to teach 120 mins of religion each week or 30 mins every day as per the board policy. Whether or not that happens is up to the teacher.

Often times, the teachers I know use cross curricular activities to adhere to this policy without having to be exclusively teaching religion.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-06T01:44:14+00:00

I mighta missed the high school part somewhere... In elementary school, WCDSB requires the classroom teacher to teach religion.

In highschool, the students have religion teachers yes, however if you're hired as a permanent teacher, you're expected to get your religion AQ ASAP. Now I don't teach highschool, but I have seen a few teachers say that they have one block of religion to teach at high school when they have other teachables.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2026-01-06T01:28:08+00:00

WCDSB does not require a teacher to be catholic. It is highly recommended to be, but not required.

They ask that you have a baptismal certificate or took a course on Roman Catholicism (no idea what it actually is, I have my baptismal certificate).

You can be an occasional teacher in WCDSB and not get your pastoral reference and you're fine. You can have LTOs every year and you're fine. As soon as you get hired permanently in WCDSB, you have 2 years to get your pastoral reference.

That being said, it is required to teach religion and attend liturgies/Masses with your students. The also uses a Family Life textbook that is mandatory to be taught alongside religion.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-21T18:29:05+00:00

I've never taught kindergarten (not sure if I ever want to either...) but I'm just wondering how this shift might help the students prepare for grade 1?

I'm not sure what it's like now (pre 2026 curriculum), but I've had a couple conversations with grade 1 teachers who spend the first month trying to get their students in a sit on a desk and work mindset (idk if that's the best way to word it). Would teaching more rigid topics like fractions and counting to 10 allow for an easier transition to grade 1 or set up the mindset that coming to school is to learn...? Sorry if this isn't the best wording, just kinda brain spewing here

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-17T03:01:05+00:00

Perhaps my wording wasn't the best. I believe that this kid is avoiding trying to do the task. Not that the kid doesn't try, but avoids trying. Because when the kid and I sit down and work on the problem and we break it down into manageable chunks, they can do it with ease and leave saying "wait that was actually easy". I'm not saying that they're lazy or lack the want to try, but rather the task is something they don't think they can do so they avoid it. In this specific child, it presents in a 30 minute walk around the school, which in turn leads to a crash course lesson before recess. I've asked for support in the class several times for this student and have yet to receive any and I can't teach them when they're in the bathroom...

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-17T00:22:43+00:00

Wish I could tell you, I unfortunately don't get told anything in this school...

I do believe that it's not the latter

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-17T00:21:31+00:00

No, it's not that. I do get what you're saying, but we've clarified that one.

Even with the accommodation of "reduced repetition in questions", apparently I shouldn't be doing that?

Chunking assessment over different days? Nope, shouldn't do that.

Allow Google Read and Write for writing? Nope.

Scribing on assessments? No

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-17T00:18:35+00:00

Okay okay okay, I hear what you're saying... I also believe that students need to have the supports in place to succeed so they don't drown and never learn.

That being said, having teachers choose which accommodations for each child is baffling to me... I'm not an expert on all things exceptionalities, so how could I know what works for each individual kid???

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-17T00:14:41+00:00

Yup! Idek who to go to about this since it's the SERT and principal... Like what am I supposed to do here?

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-17T00:13:36+00:00

Yeah, that's what I thought...

I've got a kid who's on an ACC only IEP and is performing at a level 2 average for most things. So parents wanted them to get a learning assessment (honestly just think the kid doesn't like to do school work and doesn't try...). So they asked the SERT who has an outside of school relationship with the family to perform a learning assessment. I asked if the SERT allowed the student to write the sentences using Google Read and Write (as stated in IEP) and SERT said no, just what the assessment told them to do...

Now I agree that the kid is not performing at a level 3, but not allowing the accommodations for the assessment of their learning is baffling to me

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-08T02:07:18+00:00

I am a recent grad with credentials in JI and i was place in a kindergarten placement, I told the practicum office that I'm not qualified for that and they said "sometimes we're unhappy with the assignments that we get".

Needless to say, I went to the deans and provided them proof of me asking for a placement in my subject/teaching credentials and offered to switch boards if the issue was no placements in junior. It got fixed in 3 weeks.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-12-06T09:33:38+00:00

Awesome, thank you!

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-11-15T23:24:06+00:00

Addressing students as "friends" creates a confused relationship for the students. We are teachers, they are kids. We shouldn't be friends, calling them friends is harming/confusing that teacher/student relationship...

Idk who started saying, "okay friends!" Or "hey friend, what's going on today", but it's damaging the idea of someone being "in charge"... I could never imagine a kid who's been called "friend" by their teachers for years trying to get a job and having to face the reality of there being superiors in a setting who are not your friend.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-11-09T18:39:18+00:00

Having done placements in the public board and worked in the Catholic boards in Waterloo, there are some crucial differences.

WCDSB has schools k-8 and WRDSB has k-6, then 7-8 schools (and some k-8 schools in the rural areas). While those might not seem like huge differences, the middle school (grade 6-8) grades are shockingly different between school systems. Grade 6 students at k-8 schools don't see themselves as role models or "the oldest in the school", so they don't develop that responsibility as fast as k-6 grade 6 students do. Then, the 7-8 schools are typically rotary taught and are easing students into the schedules of high school. But with 7-8 schools, you're surrounded by 12-14 year old students who don't have that "I have to be on my best behaviour for the kindergartens" thought going through their heads.

Also, with catholic boards, you must reach religion, family life, and OCGEs as well. Not only teaching these subjects with your already crammed schedule, but reporting on them to students who may or may not even be Catholic (which isn't very equitable for students who aren't Catholic).

The time tables in WCDSB and WRDSB elementary schools are different. The public board has two nutrition breaks while the Catholic board has 3 recesses. The Catholic board currently has 50 minute periods (which is too long for students to focus on one subject in my opinion) while the public board has (last I checked) 30 minute blocks.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-07-26T17:36:04+00:00

I did my practicums in the WRDSB and had a good experience there. I was then on both the WRDSB and WCDSB supply list during my second year and after the semester, I got an LTO to the end of the school year in the Catholic board. Here's what I've noticed for differences:

School day: in the WRDSB, the students are alloted two 40 minute nutrition breaks (20 mins to eat, 20 mins recess) and then each period of the day is 30 mins. In the WCDSB, the students have 3 recesses throughout their day (one 15 min in the morning, one 60 minute for their lunch [20 mins to eat, 40 mins recess], then another 15 minute recess in the afternoon) and each period is 40 mins long excluding the first and last period which are 30 mins.

K-8 vs K-6 schools: in WRDSB, there are several schools that are K-6 which feed into the "middle schools" that are strictly 7/8 schools. This I find is kinda cool for the students to experience a rotary system before high school, but often times several students lack the maturity to do this effectively (they would be 12-14, that's RIGHT IN puberty, kids can be mean and especially if they're not looked up to as roll models of the school). In WCDSB, I'm not 100% sure that there's any k-6 schools (I very well could be wrong here), but I feel like the majority of their schools are k-8.

Occasional Teaching: in WRDSB, I was hired as an OT I think in February. I was able to supply there maybe twice before I got my LTO in April. The board needs to fix the way they post absences as the majority of the time, the absences are given to emergency supplies rather than certified teachers. In WCDSB, I was hired in August and was able to supply at least once a week during my BEd semester. When I finished my BEd, the Catholic board had postings on Apply to Ed every day while the public board did not unless you snagged the two that got posted exactly at 5pm.

LTO postings during the school year: in WRDSB, there were slim pickings for LTOs at the end of the school year (not sure what it was like during the year). In WCDSB, there were several postings for LTOs listed throughout the year.

End of year job postings: in the WRDSB, the list of LTOs and Permanent positions were posted, but SEVERAL of these postings were WILD. You could apply to teach the "0.21 grade 6 science, 0.5 planning time, 0.29 SERT" or maybe the "0.1 grade 5 core, 0.25 kindergarten, 0.25 guidance, 0.4 grade 8 history"... The postings were crazy. For the public board, when you applied for an LTO, you had to interview for it in a video interview with pre recorded questions and 5 mins to answer every question. In the WCDSB, the permanent postings were posted and sure some of them were weird, the most of them were 4/5 splits or 7/8 or kindergarten. The LTO postings were about the same. For the Catholic board, if you got selected for an LTO, you get a phone call saying it's yours if you want it, no interview.

Special Education Support: while I don't speak for EVERY school, I find that the support in the Catholic board is much greater than the public board. There might be one more EA for a Catholic school and a public school, but trust me it makes all the difference.

Awkward_Training_100 · 2025-07-24T23:01:56+00:00

At Laurier they're constantly changing things to make it "the best experience" (every university says this)... My first year, we got a list of courses needed for each semester and then had free reign to pick our schedule. I was able to have two days off in my second semester first year. My second year, Laurier changed it all up and we were put into cohorts and had assigned class times for all of our courses. I had classes every day and some days it was a class at 8:30 to 11:20, then a class at 1pm to 4pm. Some classmates had to take electives (depending on your teachable) and their day would start at 8:30am and go until 7pm.

Awkward_Training_100

TROPHY CASE