blahblahla

Hello,

Looking for some advice on teacher training.

I have a first class honours degree in history, a masters and a PhD (also in history). I would like to train as a history teacher at secondary level with the possibility of later working in adult education or at a college. I currently live in Scotland but am applying for permanent residency for Canada (my partner lives in Quebec). I’m trying to work out if it’s possible for me to train as a teacher and gain a qualification that will be recognised both in Scotland and Canada - Quebec specifically, but potentially other provinces too. Is it completely unreasonable to hope that this might be possible? It seems from my reading the PGDE is recognised in Canada, but may not be enough to actually gain a job in practice given that it’s a shorter and less involved course. And if I train in Quebec, would my qualification be recognised if I returned to the UK?

Thanks!

carcajou

Where in Quebec does your partner live, and how good is your French?

Outside of Montreal, and a few parts of L'Estrie and the Outaouais, you will struggle massively to find English-medium teaching jobs.

Within Montreal, only a few neighbourhoods like Westmount are English-speaking majorities. Montreal is overwhelmingly a Francophone city, and the rest of the province (with the exceptions mentioned above, and a very small part of Gaspe) is even moreso. Think 90%+ Francophone while Montreal is about 70%.

If your French isn't native or near-native - is there a reason why your partner is restricted to Quebec?

Siouxie

Hello and welcome to BE!

Do have a read of our wiki and some of the threads on teaching in Canada - https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Teaching_in_Canada It's a hard nut to crack and it could take years before you were able to secure a permanent position, so do be aware it's not going to be an easy road...

For Quebec:

Internationally trained teacher requirements: Results

To find a Uni with accredited teacher training courses: Comité d'agrément des programmes de formation à l'enseignement

As carcajou said though - unless you are near fluent, you will struggle to a) get on the course and b) gain a teaching position.

blahblahla

Thanks everyone. I’m not necessarily planning on staying in Quebec (or rather, Montreal) long term, but it would be useful if I could train there. It seems like there’s an English language teaching qualification you can study for at McGill. I guess I’m wondering if it’d be better to study in Canada or Scotland if I want my qualification to be transferable.

The other career options I was considering were teaching in a CEGEP, or studying for a TEFL. Are there opportunities for teaching English in Quebec/Montreal? And is it difficult to get a job in a CEGEP? I have several years’ experience of teaching undergraduates in a British university as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.

carcajou

If you want to teach first in Canada, do it there, because they will give you an English-medium prac placement in Montreal and you can use that to build your network to hopefully land a job.

Ring whoever evaluates internationally trained teacher qualifications in Scotland and ask them what Canadian teachers need to do to gain registration. People with Canadian qualifications don't usually face many dramas. Though sometimes teachers with British qualifications can, depending on where they go.

Not sure how fruitful TEFL will be. There is no shortage of local English teachers in Montreal.

Be mindful that the workload for high school teachers is insane. It is not a 9-3 job with long summers off. You will be doing 50-60 hour workweeks and probably doing some work on the weekends too.

scilly

I'm not sure if you mean you want to eventually move from Quebec to other parts of Canada, but you should be aware of some facts of life for teachers, just in case

In general ...... teaching assistants in universities are graduate students within the department. There are also often positions available for semi-permanent/temporary positions teaching students. All those will be for a term or session. Some universities will offer benefits (health plans, etc) to people in these positions, others do not. You will never be sure that you have a position for the next year, term or session, and you will not be paid during the summer.

School teaching is a whole other world. Most Canadian-trained teachers do not get a permanent position immediately on graduation with their B.Ed or BA/BSc with a diploma in Education. It is far more common for them to have to go on the Teacher On Call (TOC) list, and a lot often stay on that list for years. It can be even harder for a foreign-trained teacher to get accreditation by the College/Association of Teachers in the province of interest and then get on and off the TOC list.

Note that a TOC person usually gets paid the going for a permanent teacher but no benefits are paid.

Lilipuddlian

If you have a Phd please look @ Bishops U in Sherbrooke, Quebec. English university, I have an English PhD friend working here (also history degree(s).

Atlantic Xpat

Two data points on this, both for Newfoundland but may give some flavour:

1) Mrs AX. Canadian. Canadian teaching degree. 5 Years experience in UK. (No issue finding a job in the UK as a Canadian trained teacher). Took her 6 years or so of substitute ("TOC") work, plus a second degree in Special Ed (always the plan) to get a permanent, tenured position. A bulk of that substitute time was actually on contracts of variable length, up to a year. No guarantee in July that she would have a position in September.

Now she is a permanent, tenured teacher with seniority. (In teaching, seniority is all as in most unionised professions). Well paid but stressful work.

2) Former poster of these parts. UK teaching degree. Also did Special Ed here in St John's. Was unable after oh, 5 years or so, to get the faintest sniff of a permanent position. Some substitute work (for Mrs AX in particular, illustrating the need for networking!) but spent most of her time as an ABA therapist which doesn't pay much above minimum wage. Eventually returned to Scotland to a teaching position. Hasn't looked back, professionally, since.

scilly

To add personal experience from BC re teaching .........

a family member with a Canadian degree and diploma in education taught in England for 2 years immediately after graduation, no problem getting a position. Returned to BC and was then on a TOC list for all but 2 of the next 15 years before finally getting a permanent position. She did move to at least 3 School Districts in BC during that time, all in an attempt to get a permanent position with 1 move resulting in the 2 year permanent, but each move put her to the bottom of the TOC list again. The final move was back to her home town where she was on the TOC list for about 5 years before getting a permanent position 18 months ago.


This is not a new situation by any stretch ........

......... a friend went to Canada House and BC House in London before emigrating in 1970. The information from both places was "no need to get a job before you go. There are plenty of teaching positions in BC."

The friend went to the BC College of Teachers the day after arriving here only to be told "If we had known you were coming, we'd have told you not to bother. No Jobs."

As it turned out that friend was extremely lucky ............ 2 days later a principal at a school in a very remote part of the province had a teacher inform him that s/he was not returning when term started in 4 days time. Panic call to the BC College, with the result that friend was offered the position.

Lucky because of the speed ........... but also because there are a number of school boards in the province, each of which hires its own teachers. Friend would never have dreamt of going on the TOC in every school district!

comet555

Speaking as a high school teacher, why the desire to teach high school as opposed to college or university? If you went the route of teaching college or university I can't see any big issues with credentials if you have your PhD. When I graduated with a teaching degree I taught at a college for a while teaching high school level course (upgrading). It was definitely not a requirement to have teaching credentials and most didn't, having a masters degree or higher was the norm at the college.

Comparing the two teaching environments I would say college level or higher would definitely be less stressful as you wouldn't have kids behaviours to manage. Working with high school kids can be super rewarding and I love it but some grades/classes can be a challenge too. Given that you already have the credentials to teach university it seems the easier route to go. Teaching high school requires an Education degree and student teaching experience. Just something to think about!

Siouxie

This is for BC but there's some useful links on the page
https://pwp.vpl.ca/siic/guides/adult-educators/

scilly

It certainly would be easier to get a job at a university or college with the PHd, but without an education diploma or degree ................ if there are vacancies, and that can be the big stumbling block

Some departments might have only 1 position for a specialist in a certain area ......... and then it becomes "waiting for a dead man's shoes", especially as I believe there is NO retirement age for university faculty most provinces. There certainly is not in BC.

A faculty member can not be forced to retire, though he can be eased out at 70. Many continue teaching (and teaching efficiently) into their late 70s.