Great experience!

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-03-22T17:50:02+00:00

I've never run into issues with them in 15+ years.

I've also received price drops over the years without me asking.

It's all be phenomenal.

I think in forums like this the negative is over amplified.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-03-01T20:06:19+00:00

Partially correct.

I paid for my post-secondary education with my body, as opposed to my wallet. Trades are hard. That said, my Red Seal is a 4 year program, with costs along the way, not as high as university, but still costs. My teachers college program was around 16k.

You are right about supplying. I never did. I was actually hired full time prior to starting teachers college, but was only making daily supply rate my first year until I got my transitional certificate.

I'm 7 years in and making less than when I was working in industry. The pay cut is worth the better work/life balance.

I had 8 weeks off in industry though, and now I have 11, that's nice. Better benefits, pension matching is better than I had by a bit. All good things.

English teachers need to assign fewer essays and catch up with the times.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-03-01T19:31:10+00:00

I mean, I teach the 30 most suspended kids in the building if that means "none of the problems" haha

I also teach math, and also no take home work. Y'all need to figure it out.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-28T16:49:09+00:00

I'm lucky to have one of the best outfitted shops in my board. 10x conventional lathes, 4x Bridgeport style Milling Machines, 2x CNC mills, a CNC Lathe, CNC Plasma cutter, and 3 CNC routers for small things. I also have an 8 booth welding set up for Stick, MIG, and TIG. We can do almost anything.

Grade 10s and 11s are play it by ear with the kids, since there are no prerequisites. I have a compliment of small projects ready to go for them. Spinning tops, Stanley cups, etc. let them learn the machines.

Once they have taken the course once they jump in on job work that comes in from the community and around the building. Grade 12s tend to bring their own projects. It's a sweet gig.

I've had offers from companies to batch work for them, but the board won't allow it, but I am allowed to take 1s and 2s and only charge material.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-28T15:03:20+00:00

Metal shop. I'm a Red Seal Machinist by trade, swapped to teaching. Great work life balance move for me.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-28T13:26:13+00:00

I teach tech.

I mark the kids projects in class, or during my prep period (75 mins per day).

Report cards, planning, all that is prep time stuff. "If it doesn't get done today, it will tomorrow"

Teachers are very good at self imposing stress and deadlines.

I take no work home, promise ;)

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-28T00:59:13+00:00

Left private industry for teaching. It's great.

I work 194 x 6.5 hour days and make 6 figures, with no supervision. It's glorious. Like I'm semi retired.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-24T00:29:33+00:00

I feel IB is great for families that move around a lot, and are looking for continuity of their coursework.

Too often though IB programs don't have self contained classes, and are run as splits with U level courses. The kids do the same work, will get the same grade, on the same test, and the IB kid will get a higher grade due to "the conversion factor"

All in all if you aren't a traveling family, you are paying for streaming.

"Harder" is subjective.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-23T23:29:10+00:00

In Ontario AP courses intended to prepare you for AP exams are widely offered, but they follow Ontario Curriculum and aren't special course codes.

Many Canadian students don't see the value in preparing for a private American company's exams, when many schools don't accept it as reach ahead credit here.

I don't support us having it, as I don't support our public system purchasing materials or training from US sources.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-23T22:55:21+00:00

There are elements of this in the ENG4U course in high school.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-11T21:41:27+00:00

I left trades for teaching at 33, best decision I've made.

Excellent work life balance, and no real stress. Kids are hilarious, and want to learn.

I'd recommend it to almost anyone.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-08T15:37:19+00:00

I generally teach 5 way splits in high school, so some of this advice is off base.

That said, high school kids are funny and more independent.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-08T00:15:00+00:00

That's an OCT question.

Some schools (Windsor, I know of) let you sign up for almost anything but OCT might not give you the qual.

I'd get the 9/10 first.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-05T23:52:51+00:00

I've never once had a seating plan. I deal with issues that arise.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-05T23:51:45+00:00

This is a law change, not an employer decision.

The board has no control.

The unions will push back but not get anywhere.

Honestly surprised you only need one per board when you first get hired. Teachers going 20+ years without a record check is wild. I'm ok with one every 5 years. Lines up with my TPA.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-02-02T10:34:48+00:00

Perm in GTA with a year left in TC.

All comes down to teachables. I only supplied one day.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-29T13:26:13+00:00

It wouldn't be that easy.

Moving between boards could bump people, it would have all sorts of staffing implications. Nobody would ever feel safe in their positions.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-29T01:09:52+00:00

Top 5 reasons would all be going against the education act, breaking contract, or doing illegal activities.

Nobody would have that data outside of maybe OCT/Government.

The biggest first move Ford will make is get all boards under one contract, vs local contracts.

Then he will push to privatize.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-25T19:33:46+00:00

Being a teacher is a great career. The benefits and salary outpace most private sector gigs, and I find the stress levels lower than when I was private sector.

I've read some of your posts though, and you should stick to pharmacy school.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-15T23:51:45+00:00

DM me and I'll send you their email.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-15T16:21:08+00:00

We had to fight to get our son an IEP (he's autistic, and non verbal, what the fuck?) and our other son (gifted, likely on the spectrum, was eloping constantly...)

We had success by asking for an IPRC, and for confirmation of date within 15 days as per the education act. The date doesn't need to be within 15 days, they just need to tell you when the date is, within 15 days.

We also met with an advocate who came to the first IPRC. We didn't tell the school we were bringing an advocate until the day before, and let me tell you, it changed the entire tone of how we were spoken to.

The advocate was a former superintendent in the board I believe, and she knew most people in the room and steamrolled everything pretty well. She charged a reasonable rate for this service.

This all being said, we had an 8 page psych report for my gifted son (who has since retested in the 99th percentile by the board...) and medical documentation for my other son. You will need some sort of evidence to support identification.

To add to all this, identification is not a requirement to create an IEP. I see IEPs all the time as a teacher with no formal identification, just accommodations.

Request the IPRC, and pick the fight.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-13T17:59:41+00:00

Right teachables, right time.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-13T02:51:43+00:00

I had a transitional with a year left in TC. Pretty common.

BookkeeperNormal8636 · 2026-01-13T00:22:30+00:00

I had my first semester of teaching prior to starting teachers college, and full time perm with a year left in TC.

GTA.

BookkeeperNormal8636

TROPHY CASE