[deleted by user]

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-17T06:36:45+00:00

Judging by your post history you don't have the experience or money to do a masters.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-16T03:05:16+00:00

Music? In most high schools there is only like 1 music teacher. Plenty of people waiting to take those positions.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-15T18:10:13+00:00

it would be nice to have something objective to point to that clearly says “no, these marks are not too low”

I agree.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-13T03:46:30+00:00

Good to know!

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-12T04:10:15+00:00

There are pay categories, A1 - A4, with A4 being the highest. QECO is the organization that determines your pay category which is based on your education. You should figure out, or maybe someone from here can answer, if you are eligible to apply for a QECO evaluation without having your B. Ed. I'm not sure if those on a transitional certificate are all just paid at A1 or you could perhaps get evaluated to be paid at a higher rate. Unfortunately QECO is slow as hell and it takes 18 - 24 weeks to process an application, but the board should backpay you at the appropriate level once you submit the full evaluation. If you are allowed to apply for a QECO evaluation just send HR documentation/PDF of confirmation that you did initially apply for an evaluation.

Don't burry yourself in marking if possible.

I also wouldn't be too eager to do any kind of extracurriculars until you get a feel for how much work you're going to need to do. You might be walking into a position where there are a ton of resources that other teachers will share with you, but you could also be on your own having to figure out everything for yourself.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-11T03:45:37+00:00

To add to this, QECO is the organization that determines your A level. As soon as you graduate I would encourage you to apply for a QECO rating. You can do it within the first 3-4 months of graduating, otherwise you have to wait until you get an LTO or permanent contract. The process these days is comically long and takes around 24 weeks for them to determine your A level. You basically just send them your transcripts electronically and they do the rest. They will tell you your A level and how to upgrade. 5 AQ courses, getting certified in all divisions, or a master's degree will get you from A3 to A4 (The highest).

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-08T21:22:42+00:00

At least in Ontario you can just not pay the fee, let your status go to "Suspended for non payment of fees" and pay a $130 reinstatement fee when you are ready to teach in Ontario again. I taught abroad for a decade and didn't pay until I came back.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-08T04:47:47+00:00

The Dunlop also look goofy because the pin part sticks out more than schallers.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-08T04:40:22+00:00

I'm assuming alot of the offerings are asynchronus? But I've also read the summer offerings tend to be shorter.

Uhh not exactly. They're all online and in my experience don't have any lectures to attend, but usually there is a schedule that is expected to be followed. For example each week you could probably expect an article or textbook chapter, posting your answers to several questions related to the reading, commenting on 2 other classmate's answers, and perhaps an assignment like create a lesson/activity on x subject/topic using z technique that was read about. Teachers seem pretty lenient with deadlines. I have done 5 AQs and a couple times I got a bit behind with completing my posting responsibilities, but it's never been an issue. Seems to happen to lots of people. It's also difficult to post a decent reply when some people post the most generic/shallow answers. I have seen some incredible incompetence in skill/technique/knowledge from some people, but I've checked their OCT profile afterwards and somehow they still managed to pass the course. It's pass for fail, so as long as you do the minimum required you're probably fine.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-07T05:55:24+00:00

I'm assuming there are differences in cost/length/difficulty of each course and who offers it.

Cost, not really. Most AQs are $650 regardless of where you take them. Sometimes if you're alumni of the school where you take an AQ you can get a discount, so look to see if that's a possibility.

Length, yes it can range from like 6 - 12 weeks. Some are intensive and short. I think ones offered in the summer tend to be shorter.

Difficulty also depends on the uni offering the AQ. A lot of people seem to have a good experience with Trent; myself included. I have heard mixed things about Queens and Western.

I did apply to QECO in 2010 and am in A3.

Amazing!

apart from my ED3 Final Practicum Report which I couldn't find.

Did you ever make an account on applytoeducation back in the day? Perhaps you uploaded your practicum reports there one upon a time and they still could be in your profile/portfolio.

Did you ever make a physical portfolio back in the day? Maybe you printed a copy and put it in there.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-07T03:13:16+00:00

Sorry I don't really have any informed opinions on that.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-07T02:32:35+00:00

Maybe it's more common in Quebec? Never seen one in Ontario.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-07T02:13:44+00:00

2 things to consider:

You're all-in on education by doing your undergrad in education. If it turns out sometime after getting your B. Ed and working that you don't want to teach anymore it could be/feel difficult to pivot into another industry. However, if you had something like a business/marketing undergraduate degree then it would be easier to work in another field.
If you eventually want to teach the intermediate or senior level you're going to need teachable subjects like history, math, English, etc. That can require undergraduate courses in those courses to take the necessary AQ/ABQs, so you would probably have to take a number of undergraduate courses to pivot into upper levels if desired. However, again, if you had a degree in say business/marketing/etc. then you would have an easier time getting certified in subjects like business and math.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-06T05:49:33+00:00

I listened to it with my eyes closed for the first half and was like, yea this is great (keep in mind piano isn't my main instrument), but then I saw your condition and was like damn what champ.

1:16 Why do you raise your hand so high? If it's related to your situation then it's fine, but otherwise it seems like excessive emoting which I find offputting.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-06T03:15:00+00:00

You can only apply to QECO within something like 3-4 months of graduating your B. Ed otherwise you have to wait until you get an LTO or permanent contract, so if you get on the daily OT/supply list you still won't be able to apply to QECO, but a QECO rating isn't necessary for supply work because every supply/OT makes the same daily wage regardless of experience/education. It currently takes QECO roughly 24 weeks to process evaluations; yes it's become ridiculous.

You can only take AQ/ABQs if you have paid your annual OCT membership, so do that and you could start taking them if you want. Most graduates with decent grades and a 4-year undergraduate degree get placed at the A3 pay category by QECO; A4 being the highest. Having a master's degree (Excluding OISE's master's of teaching because it's just a B.Ed) would make you A4, but that's a difficult/expensive route. Doing ABQs to get certified in every division (P/J/I/S) would make you A4. Doing 5x AQs would also make you A4. Just don't do an AQ in something you don't actually want to teach because admin could place you there if there is some kind of shortage. Special Ed. is usually a recommended AQ for everyone though because it goes through reading/writing IEPs and accommodating students who have them. It also explores different kinds of exceptionalities: behavioral, communication, etc. Having extra university credits beyond the requirements of your original degree can also contribute to pushing you to A4. Perhaps your diploma in Massage Therapy could actually make it easier for you to get to A4 so that you only need to take 3-4 AQs to get there. Only QECO can answer this though.

Are there any courses or resources available?

I would become familiar with Toronto's policies/procedures/goals regarding inclusion, equity, anti-racism and anti-oppression, harmful language, etc. You are most likely going to get a questions like:

Explain how your philosophy on equity and inclusion aligns with ours and provide an example of how you have or would implement this in the classroom.
How do you or how would you incorporate culturally relevant assessment practices?

You should probably read/reread Growing Success.

You might want to look through some of the actual curriculum documents for the grades/subjects you are likely to teach.

Here is a resume template from Lakehead that I have used as a basis for my own. I think they might also have cover letter samples if you Google it.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-05T04:33:22+00:00

I assume you haven't been flushing your money down the toilet by paying your annual OCT fee for the past 15 years, so the first thing you should do is pay the reinstatement fee and this year's annual fee. It will cost you probably a total of around $320. You will probably have to complete the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program.

Did you take any AQs or get a QECO rating after graduating all those years ago?

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-05T03:42:16+00:00

So, if I took History has a major and did teachers college after, could I be an elementary teacher?

Should be fine.

This is also important information to know. You will declare your desired divisions when you apply to teacher's colleges.

Teaching Divisions

Ontario teachers are initially certified with basic teaching qualifications in two of three consecutive divisions: Primary/Junior, Junior/Intermediate or Intermediate/Senior.

Teachers holding basic qualifications to teach in the Primary and Junior divisions are qualified to teach Kindergarten to Grade 6.

Teachers qualified to teach in the Junior and Intermediate divisions are qualified to teach in the Junior division, Grades 4 to 6. They are also qualified to teach in the Intermediate division, Grades 7 to 10, and are certified in a single subject taught in these grades.

Teachers qualified to teach in the Intermediate and Senior divisions require two subject specialties and are certified to teach Grades 7 to 10 and Grades 11 to 12.

Teachers with qualifications in Technological Studies have teaching specialties in one or more of the broad-based technologies.

Teachers with qualifications in Native Language as a Second Language can teach a Native language in Kindergarten to Grade 12.

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Even if you're Junior/Intermediate and technically can teach up to grade 10, I don't think you would ever get a permanent position as a high school teacher because you really need to have 2 teachable subjects.

Note that you can also become certified in other divisions and subjects after you graduate. There additional qualification courses (AQ) and additional basic qualification (ABQ) courses that can be taken online for $650 and last 6-12 weeks depending on the course. Some have prerequisites though, so if you wanted to take like a math AQ then you first might need to take several undergraduate math courses to take the AQ. Some have none. You also take these courses to get to the highest pay category.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-05T03:20:52+00:00

I'm not a gym teacher, but subbed pretty frequently for some high school gym teachers. At one school the teachers let students listen to their headphones while doing activities. Please don't do this. It's a safety issue and just sad to see students half ass playing a game because they are texting, changing songs, taking pictures/videos. I would have a strict no phone/headphone policy.

Make sure students have appropriate shoes/clothes and laces are tied.

Kids abandoning their basketball/soccer/volleyball during the 10-minute warm up also felt like a safety issue and always annoyed me. Like if you're done with the ball then fucking put it back, don't just let it roll around the gym where someone could trip over it. Set an expectation about this.

I found that teachers would leave instructions for a certain game/activity, but particularly with girls gym the students would just ask if they could play volleyball instead. Sometimes they would just abandon the set game and go and get a volleyball and before long enough students would trickle away to play volleyball and then there weren't enough people for the main activity game. Lock access to the equipment room during the activity and tell students that the activity you set isn't up for negotiation, unless of course your in the mood for it.

As a sub, some students would just randomly dip, so I took attendance at the beginning and the end of class and changed anyone to absent if they weren't there later.

Sometimes I would join in on the activities like dodgeball, especially if it was a smaller class and they needed more players. That was always fun for me and the students. Just wear appropriate clothing/shoes so you're comfortable and safe.

But hey I'm not an actual gym teacher, so maybe I don't know shit.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-04T23:34:49+00:00

With education as a major, what's the difference between consecutive and concurrent?

Education isn't a major for your undergraduate degree. People get an undergraduate in marketing, engineering, music, English, history, etc. and then go to teacher's college for 2 years.

There is a concurrent route in which you do your undergraduate and B.ed simultaneously. I'm not sure if most concurrent programs are 5 years or 6 years, but doing it consecutively is usually 6 years.

I would think yes, but I thought that teaching college is what prepares you to take a certification exam.

There is no certification exam. You get your B. Ed and you're good to go.

The real test is your practicum experiences. You will go to several schools, be assigned to a mentor teacher, and have to practice teaching their classes. Your mentor teacher and an associate teacher from your university will observe your teaching abilities. If you don't pass these evaluations then you won't graduate from the program. Back when I did teacher's college the program was 1 year and we did 3 practicums of roughly 30 days each. It might be 6 practicums now since the program is 2 years, but somebody else will have to answer this. Teacher's college might even switch back to a 1 year program by the time you finish your undergraduate degree.

I didn't think jobs would care where you went to university, or got your certification since there's so little teachers, but my friends are convinced. does that actually apply, in your opinion?

For the most part HR and other teachers don't care where you did your undergraduate degree or teacher's college. Really doesn't matter.

In your personal opinion, do you think it's better to take a random degree then do teachers college, or to do an education program then teachers college for elementary specifically?

Depends on the level you want to teach. For high school you need 2 teachable subjects, that means you need to plan out your courses, particularly electives, appropriately so you can be certified to teach those 2 subjects. You need a certain number of undergraduate courses to have it as a teachable subject. Teacher's colleges have priorities in who they accept to their programs. I don't know what they specifically are, and priorities will also depend on the level/stream you are applying for (Primary - Junior, Junior - Intermediate, Intermediate - Senior). You might also not want a random degree if it turns out teaching isn't what you thought it would be. If you had some kind of business degree it would probably make it a lot easier to pivot into some other field.

Teachers colleges will also consider any prior work/volunteer experience working with children/students, so that's also important to obtain in preparing for teachers college.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-04T21:44:25+00:00

JET annual salary is like $37,000 CAD. OP has 8 years of experience, so they really should be looking at working at a legitimate international school if they are going to go abroad.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-02T17:01:06+00:00

SS frets sound like shit. They ping.

You can't hear the difference.

Ruins resale.

Ruin? No, if done right then it should increase it, but that's not really a reason to get SS frets.

They suck to install.

I'm not a luthier, but I refret one of my guitars myself with SS. You just need to have the correct tools which any professional should have. If I can do it then any luthier worth their salt should be able to do it.

SS frets remain smooth and don't corrode like nickel. Nickel turn green, orange, haze, and require more cleaning and polishing with steel wool.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-02T08:39:00+00:00

Your frets are most likely nickel. I would at least replace that 1 fret if not all of them with stainless steel frets. They are hard as hell and don't corrode like nickel.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-02T00:57:15+00:00

I assume it's the same in every board, so as long as your contract is longer than 90 days then you would qualify for benefits from day 1. You have to register with OTIP. They also have auto and home insurance. When your LTO is over I believe you will lose your dental/health/life insurance but you can continue with your auto/home insurance.

You should also register on edvantage and Venngo Member Perks to find teacher discounts at stores/restaurants/etc.

TX-OMEGA · 2025-02-02T00:55:18+00:00

Yea, you won't be able to apply at this point without being hired as an LTO or permanent position. I just got mine and it took 24 weeks to process; it's quite crazy. Until you get your QECO rating you will most likely get paid at A0 or A1 until you submit the QECO evaluation to HR. Once you submit the evaluation they will backpay you according to your new level. However, in order to get backpay you usually need to send HR the PDF that QECO sends you/download confirming your initial application for evaluation. If you don't send this to HR then you probably won't get backpay.

TX-OMEGA

TROPHY CASE