Teachers, what do you do when you know that a student used AI to cheat on a quiz/test, but you just can’t prove it? Like, you know the student’s level is way below grade level and they have been known to use/attempt to use ai in the past. However,this time around, you just didn’t catch them in the moment. Do you still give them the grade?
Just moved to Calgary from BC this summer and started with the CBE this fall. I am astounded by the hours upon hours of extra paperwork and documentation we are expected to do. Especially as an English teacher, it is absolutely atrocious. At least in the CBE, there are no dedicated resource teachers to do (or even assist) with IPPs. There are also no dedicated EAL teachers. So we’re expected to ALL of the EAL benchmarking and annotation of the working files ourselves. It boggles my mind. I’ve barely marked any assignments for my students or spent any considerable time making my lessons better so far this year because I’ve spent every moment of free time on paperwork. Whoever is making these decisions within the CBE, they have absolutely zero fucking clue what life is like for teachers. It’s all busy work that takes away from things that actually matter.
This system is so, so broken. How can this be sustainable? It makes me angry for those of you who fought to strike last year, only to be in the same spot one year later. How do we make this better??
Anyone teaching this unit before who has feature film recommendations or teaching resource websites you found helpful for structuring this unit? Thanks.
Hi everyone,
I'm a “recent graduate” from teachers college and finished my program in summer 2025 for ENG/HIS I/S. Since getting OCT certified I haven’t been able to even find a single opportunity to break into my career and it's gotten really demoralizing.
When I graduated I/S Occasional Teaching boards were closed so I did some AQ’s and got my P/J as well. By the time I was finished those occasional positions had closed in nearly every board within commuting distance (1-1.5H).
I’ve been attending job fairs that all the major school boards end up pulling away from and those who do stay refuse to take resumes if you don’t have teachables in french or tech.
I’ve been tracking Apply2ED with alerts and applying for literally every LTO I am qualified for (basically anything that isn't french/math/science) and have never even gotten an interview. I've talked with teachers and checked my resume and references and while they aren't perfect they are fine and shouldn't be the cause.
I'm struggling to see how I didn’t just waste 6 years of my life chasing this career when I’ve spent the past year working for $18H wage in retail. I am worried my references and practicum history is becoming too old at this point and my window to become a teacher is closing. I’ve paid for my OCT membership twice and renewed my VSC countless times at this point and have yet to make a cent being a licensed teacher. I also have a decent background in teaching and have worked in the private field for a year during my undergrad as well as have had my own tutoring side hustle.
I am not able to move outside of the Southern Ontario region due to family issues which I know is many people's solution to this market and I'm kind of stuck on what to do next.
*For context I’m located in YRDSB region and have been aiming for that school board as well as TDSB as well as Peel and Durham
Maybe I’m overreacting… I know there are many reasons traditional school settings don’t work for students. But this post in my local community FB page really rubbed me the wrong way. Would you ever respond to this?
Like you’re looking for a collective of teachers that specialize in each school subject, provide educational resources, and correct assignments? Ma’am you are describing public schools.
I talked with a guy yesterday who is teaching ESL in Northern Alberta. He just finished his education degree and is doing his first year of teaching at 51 years old. He worked in the oil industry prior to becoming a teacher. He summed it up perfectly: "I have never done so much work for so little in my entire life".
I asked him why he would make the change so late in life, and his wife wanted him to do it (she is also a teacher). It didn't make a ton of sense to me, but it was refreshing to see a real-life instance of "the shoe being on the other foot".
Via parent email to myself and my admin. Are people seriously this ignorant? No reply is necessary, but can’t believe the way some people think.
After six years of teaching in a remote, northern community, I scored a job at an outreach school in a major urban centre. At the time, I thought of it as a huge win, and in some ways, I still do. There’s no marking or planning to take home. No major behaviour issues to manage. There are no minor issues for that matter. My colleagues are universally awesome, and they have my complete respect.
The catch? The job is boring AF.
Most of my day is purely administrative. 90% of the time, I’m sitting behind a desk tracking progress. My interactions with students mostly consist of me bugging them about missing assignments, not actually teaching. When I do get to work with kids, I feel less like a teacher and more like a Service Canada rep explaining how to fill out a passport application. That’s just what module-based learning is: endless paperwork and fill-in-the-blank exercises.
When I talk to other teachers about this, they insist I’m lucky to have such an easy gig, and maybe they’re right. But I got into teaching because I genuinely love the craft and feel passionate about it. I’m really worried that if I stay here too long, my classroom management skills will wither, and I’ll forget how to design assessments that actually get kids excited.
I have a continuous contract, so I’m pretty sure I want to request a transfer to a standard classroom next year.
Is there something obvious I’m missing or underestimating here? Has anyone else been in a similar boat? Call me out if I'm being naive.
There was a time when there wasn’t enough TTOC’s to fill positions and non-enrolling teachers had to cover.
Now, the tide has turned and TTOC work is not as abundant—and scarce for some depending on subject area.
Do you think this is the new norm? That TTOCing is not sustainable on its own to make a living or do you think that things will go back to the days when TTOC’s got enough work?
Hi everyone!
I’m teaching a high school interior design course for the first time here in Canada, and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the software options and apps available.
We don't have access to paid professional CAD programs like AutoCAD, so I'm looking for tried-and-true free, web-based options that let students easily switch between 2D floor planning and 3D walkthroughs.
Since both my students and I are fairly new to this, I need something with a gentle learning curve that runs smoothly in a standard web browser.
A few quick questions:
What free tools have actually worked well in your practice (or classroom) or beginner projects?
Are there any free programs you'd recommend avoiding due to paywalls/export limits?
Thanks so much in advance for your help and recommendations!
Hi everyone! I’ll be graduating from Western’s B.Ed. program at the end of December. I’m in the Junior/Intermediate stream, with Music as my teachable, and I currently have my OCT Transitional Certificate.
I live in London, but I’m planning to move to North York next month. I’ve already applied to six boards: TCDSB, YCDSB, DCDSB, DPCDSB, HWCDSB, and HWDSB. I recently had an interview with HWDSB and am waiting to hear back.
My goal is to start with daily supply teaching. I’ve seen posts about people struggling to get onto OT lists in the GTA, so I’m wondering:
How difficult is it to get onto an elementary OT list and find regular supply work around North York?
How does this compare with London, particularly TVDSB and LDCSB?
I’m willing to drive outside the GTA, including farther north. Would boards such as Simcoe County or Simcoe Muskoka Catholic be realistic options?
I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has recently been hired or supplies in these areas. I’m trying to understand my options and what to expect before moving.
Thank you!