r/OntarioTeachers

With the 1 year program I predict there will be a high influx of people interested in taking the accelerated program. In your opinion will there eventually be too many job applicants? I am worried because I applied to start teachers college in september, but this will be the THIRD college program I take, the other two resulted in poor job opportunites and I don't want this one to be a repeat.

I wonder if anyone else is seeing this generally. I notice that in all fields, whether politics, private business or community service, there is a massive disconnect between “the leaders” and “the workers”. It feels like top down admin is just paperwork, barely ever accepting that workers are equals who need to be considered equals in order to buy in.

I am guilty of critical thinking in almost any situation. I literally think about patterns and question almost everything. I feel like this is the basis for intelligence and lately have felt huge push back from leaders at all levels about it.

Any time I question anything, it’s viewed as an affront and not as a suggestion. I’m not one of those people who immediately questions things with no follow through. I work very hard for anyone who treats my suggestions as more than an inconvenience. Lately, I’ve just found myself withdrawing from anyone who wants to read a PowerPoint someone else wrote, or anyone who asks for “other business” with an agenda they refuse to alter.

I guess I might be just jabbing at the wind, but I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed that “leaders” seem like puppets who don’t like critical thinking??

Hi everyone,

I'm a Grade 11 student from York Region who is seriously considering becoming a high school math teacher.

Math is my strongest subject, and I've done well in Waterloo math contests. I'm currently working as a summer camp counselor and have really enjoyed working with students, which is one reason I'm interested in teaching.

My biggest concern is job stability. I've heard that some new teachers spend years supply teaching or working at private schools before getting a permanent position, especially in the GTA.

For Ontario high school teachers, particularly in math:

• How difficult is it to get a permanent position today?
• Is there still a long supply-teaching period for most new teachers?
• If you were starting over today, would you still choose teaching as a career?

Hi, I want to do a math bachelor and then become an I/S teacher for highschool. However as you need a second teachable, I wanted to ask what some of you guys who are math teachers now or want to be ones are doing/did.

Thank for your help:)

I am an ETFO teacher, 15 years, and for the past 7 years I have been switched grades every year all the way to K and everything in between.

Last year I taught grade 1, this year i have a 7/8 split - last time I taught Intermediate was 10 years ago.

I consider myself to be organized, prepared and strong with assessments, but my biggest issue is the planning and creating of lessons. Since I am always moved I am not refining lessons I am rebuilding from scratch every year. I also do not have a teaching partner or teacher in the same grade as I for my prep period so sharing of resources is challenging.

We are not allowed to use any TPT resources, everything that we use has to be research/evidence based resources.

It is also the expectation from Admin that our day plans are basically a script of exactly what we are going to say and do during a lesson. It is common for Ts at my school to have a day plan for math (& other subjects) be close to 4 pages long. Admin regularly check day plans of all staff throughout the year.

I envy teachers who can “leave work at work” and work within their contract hours in their CA but there is absolutely no way I can do this. I’m seasoned enough to know that sometimes work has to be done outside of the school day.

Dreading this upcoming year with the planning for a split (not the marking/assessments) and looking for any suggestions so that I’m not closing my laptop every night at 11pm!

I have been in Québec for more that 20 years. I started teaching in Ontario in 1999, first in a fully private school, then in the secular French system. I moved to Montreal to raise my four kids and complete my accademic training. I have a bachelor in communication, a masters in sociology and a short masters in education. All in french. I wanted to teach at the college level here but there are very little openings. I have been teaching in the public system as a LTO (I think that's how you phrase it in ON) at the primary level since 2018. Problem is, here, to be a certified teacher you need to do their 4 (yes, four) year program in education. I can NEVER get a job as a primary school teacher even though that's all I've ever done all my life. None of my education is considered for equivalencies. I can only bounce from contract to contract and been looked down upon by 25 year old graduates because I am not a "legally certified teacher".

I would LOVE to get a CEGEP teaching contract but I have been applying since I graduated in 2013 and only got one contract for one term in 2014. People who have CEGEP teaching jobs, keep them 'till they DIE!

What is it like in Ontario? If I were to move back to Northern Ontario (where I am originally from), would I be considered a certified teacher? Would my experience be recognised? Would I have to go back and do the two year (or maybe one year) teachers' ed? Would I be able to teach in primary school ? Would I be able to land a full time position or at least a permanent positition in a school? I am tired of the situation here in QC. I have a lot of academic education and a tone of teaching experience but I can never get ahead, never get a position and never be considered a "real" teacher.

I just applied for FSL teaching positions in the York Region Catholic School Board, where my child also attends school. I am Eastern Orthodox, not Catholic. I attached a Letter of Faith in my application and can provide a pastoral letter from my priest but not from a Catholic priest. Would that be an issue? I asked the Principal in my child's school. She is not sure. The Board accepts student of different denominations but I am not sure if that extends to teachers.

Just putting a feeler out there as I’m looking to make a change in a couple of years.

Hello,

I have been hired to teach high school junior science this September and I am looking for some general advice on how to structure my classes/lessons/units.

My background:
- elementary school teacher for 5 years

- experience in high school when I did substitute teaching

- I have a biology undergraduate degree

Are there any high school science teachers out there willing to share what a typical lesson/unit looks like? I am confused how to integrate labs and textbooks since I did none of that in elementary school!

I feel quite intimidated since science seems like a totally different beast compared to more straightforward “paper and pencil and away you go” type of high school subjects.

Bonus: tailored to a French immersion science class

Thank you in advance for any tips!

hello

I want to go to university of York Laurier or Windsor for my BEd but I know my average will end up at 3.0 which is not competitive and my experience is also not that competitive either I have 1 month volunteering in kindergarten and 4 months after school program for primary junior kids and 2 months experience in summer camp with kids with disabilities

I am going to my third year I do have time to try pulling up my gpa but right now it’s 2.7 and also I will be applying in 2028 but I just wanted heads-up and advice what I can do to help my application in 2028

I am a new teacher (just finished my first year, teaching middle school). This year, I chose to teach a summer program our board offers so that I could make a little extra cash. But, I think I might be in over my head. The summer program first of all caters to kids younger than I am used to (grades 2-7) and is for special needs children. I have some experience with younger kids, but special needs is all new to me. The needs are primarily autism and my group consists of 10 kids; some are non verbal and some do use language to communicate.

So, to get some type of structure after a rough first day, I am trying to piece together a schedule for the day that I can also share with 3 EAs who are in the room with me. The idea is that the program should have some academics, but be equal parts if not more fun stuff (it is mainly respite for the parents). We also have limited outdoors time right now due to hot weather warnings in our area.

8:30- 8:45:  Relaxing video on the projector while students enter the class and get settled. As students arrive, they can go to the washroom and then start eating snack. Put list of students present on the board. *Some students have a very long bus ride to arrive at school, hence snack and washroom first thing

8:45 - 9:00:  Read aloud and morning cirlce → any students who are still eating can continue and join when ready

9:00-9:30: Small group activity 1

9:30-9:40: Brain break video

9:40 - 10:10: Small group activity 2 

10:10 - 10:20: Brain break video

10:20 - 10:45: Free play (puzzles, blocks, colouring, fidgets, games, toys) 

10:45 - 11:00: washroom and wash hands. Start eating lunch when done 

11:00 - 11:30: Eat lunch 

11:30- 11:45: Go outside 

11:45 - 12:00: Quiet time (gentle music, lights off/low) to calm down after being outside

12:00 - 12:30: Small group activity 3 

12:30 - 12:45: Washroom and wash hands, start eating snack when done 

12:45 - 1:00: Snack 

1:00-2:00: Free play 

2:00 - 3:00: Movie

3:00: Pack up and go down to bussing

Please give your brutally honest feedback on this -- during our first day, the kids were feeling very bored due to too much free play time.

I’m an Intermediate/Senior Math teacher, starting at an independent school in Toronto in the fall, and to be A4 there, I need “Honours Specialist Teaching Cerfiticate and/or a Masters Degree in Applicable Subject Area.”

According to Brock University, my BA in Math (from a US university) only had 5.5 out of the 9 required full year courses. I have a MA in Teaching, but not Math. But I have taught Math for 24 years, (22.5 of those years in California), pre-Algebra through AP Calculus, including Stats & Analytic Geometry.

Suggestions for the cheapest way to get to A4? (I don’t know the post-HS system here.) I can take intensive online summer courses, and maybe one hybrid course during the school year. Thank you!!

Hello!

I am filling out my EI application for this summer. I got to the question about verbal and/or written offer of employment for the next teaching period.

I recently recieved verbal confirmation about a 0.1 contract for September (I'm an OT currently). I'm just wondering if answering yes on the application will go against receiving EI benefits? Will it effect my application being approved? Should I plan to not receive payments or expect them to be done on September 1st?

Previously, as an OT, I would answer no and would usually keep my EI going throughout September, until the jobs picked up again. Just curious how this 0.1 contract might affect me moving forward. I've heard some people say to answer no, but don't know what type of information EI would receive, considering I have no written confirmation yet about this contract.

Hello all. I'm starting to learn the lingo and have some questions. I am interested in applying to tech Ed for tech design. I have an undergraduate degree and my understanding is, that once I am certified by OCT, I would then be able to take additional ABQs/AQs to become qualified to teach history (my only teachable) and possibly primary?

If this is the case, will I be less likely to work in say, k-8 because I have tech Ed versus a traditional B.ed? I am just looking at how best to diversify myself!

Hey yall if any of you went the surplus meeting for secondary did yall feel like it ended so fast like we couldnt even ask any questions

I teach in a private school in Ontario and we are paid on 10 month contracts. We just received our ROE and I was wondering if that means I'm eligible to apply for EI for the 2 summer months between contracts? Thanks

Lots of entitlement on display.

What I have been wondering is if it's allegedly OK for a kid to miss every Friday to go play in "elite" tournaments it should be ok for a poor kid to take every Friday off to work a job to support their family, right?

Also if I see one more parent refer to their child as a "high performance athlete" I may barf.

Hi has anyone applied for the Algoma District School Board (ADSB)? Can anyone share what kind of questions they asked? I applied for the occasional roster position and I want to get a head start on prepping for the interview and be ready for when they contact me. Thank you everyone!

This is specifically for secondary board surplussed teachers.

Has anyone from the secondary panel been placed since the summer started?

We were advised that we shouldn’t expect any notifications about placement between July 13 and August 24. At this point, it’s clear as day that the vast majority of us will not be placed in time for September.

I don’t think I have ever been more depressed and demotivated in my life before! 😞

Hi everyone! I'm currently a permanent EAL/ESL teacher in another Canadian province with 4 years of teaching experience, and I'm considering relocating to the London, Ontario area. I was wondering if there is currently a high demand for EAL/ESL teachers in your board, and typically how long it takes to obtain a permanent position. I'd really appreciate any insights or advice. Thank you!