R I C H

Oh, I know, both my sisters and Mum teach. We have endless fun debates about it

Patsy

I didn't know I was actually teaching anybody on here when I actually wrote those words, i assumed most would be educated. However 'wot' wotsoever' is used on some people who may need differentiation. Hope you are not having any difficulties with it. If you are, PM me and I'll help you with the correct spelling.

Bali2010

Me too, but with my retired Dad, he was a teacher under Thatcher's regime.

Aviator

Please, put it on here and help others, I would not want to be greedy and hog all your time alone.

Novocastrian

I teach at a Uni so that's different anyway, but the OH is a teacher in the public school system (York region). She gets pissed off at the administrivia, but it's not as bad as the UK I think. Moreover, at least in her school, there are few or no problems with disrespect or with discipline.

Admittedly, Unionville is not Rexdale.

Oink

There is not the fear of the dreaded OSTED inspection. Teachers are fairly well compensated, as for 'respect' from students, it depends where you teach. The big difference is the amount of parental pressure/expectation, and the sense of entitlement is especially prevalent in the more affluent areas. Although not as much as in the US.

Patsy

From work?

I've no idea ...who?

Patsy

no chance of that! i don't have any time!

Oink

That's why its dangerous to discuss 'education' civilians. They've all gone to school, read the newspaper so think their opinion is valid, when its based on biased personal experience, heresy and superstition instead of any empirical research.

Patsy

Others don't seem to be having a problem, with it

Atlantic Xpat

Debate about teaching aside, Oink has the right of it here as far as the OP's enquiry is concerned. I'd simply add that the challenge in obtaining a permanent, full time K-12 teaching position should not be overlooked. You will need an additional source of income to keep body and soul together for the n years it will take to break into the system.

Patsy

Thank you for that Iaink...

Some teachers who have taught for many years do moan, because the bars have certainly been raised when it comes to accountability. Inspections are necessary and indeed welcomed from senior management. Of course we all want personal development, to learn and progress and pass it on to the kids but some government expectations are ridiculously unrealistic and yes, more time is spent on preparation for inspection than being creative and enthusiastic with the kids (ahem or should i say students)which is really quite sad.....

snoopster

Hi Patsy
I'm a teacher, although currently not teaching over here as I'm going through the certification process at the moment (doing a uni course in Canadian studies for 6 months to complete their requirements). I'm not a secondary teacher but a primary/elementary one.

My views (so far from the association I've had with local teachers and schools) are that teachers here in the elementary sector are a mixed bag. Some work extremely hard, just as hard as we're used to in the UK, long hours....weekends....etc. I don't think so many work through their summer vacations in their respective schools bar a few days before school starts again, in fact many work other jobs over the long summer break. Other teachers seem to 'wing it' more without too much fear of accountablility.

I'm currently applying for a full time teaching post starting this coming September, having done other related education work while I'm doing the extra training. I think the extra legislation and OFSTED related standards in the UK have ensured that teachers are less 'hit and miss' in the UK than they are here, however, the teachers I've met here are a little more chilled and less stressed/overworked than in the UK.
Hope that helps a bit.....

dthomas

Hi Patsy:

I'm a HS Eng. teacher in QC. It's a great job - provided you have some self sourced motivation. Job satisfaction for me is important - in my case I see it being derived from (a) personal goals, (b) positive student interaction/student goals, (c) subject interest and importantly, (d) ignoring the school administration/school board for 10 months of the year. In my experience the admin/board are self-serving and superfluous entities that complicate matters too often - I can make 100+ decisions before they act in any situation.

Like the UK, student respect is earned and dearly bought; you should know this by now? That said, school location/organisation does have an impact, esp. concerning rural (rabbit hunters) and urban (chrystal meth dealers/users) schools. I once taught in a poorly organised and managed semi-rural/semi-suburban school where 35% of the kids were complete ****ing assholes; they barely respected each other, let alone their parents, support staff and the teaching staff.

I have a low stress classroom because I purposefully seek to avoid conflicts by denying any asshole kid entrance. Unless they are willing to behave under my terms they aren't welcome. You want to sit "quietly" and mentally jerk off in the corner? Fine, sit there, but don't ask me any favours kid. Stress avoidance is paramount here in Can. as the UK.

In my experience school inspections are practically non-existent, with the exceptions of private or IB schools (no OFSTED).

Of course I fear for the failing student, but I try my hardest to help them succeed; if they don't succeed, well, let the chips fall where they may. The way the current (QC) education system is being moulded makes it much more difficult for kids to "fail' in the classical sense. This situation is also evident in BC and Ont., according to teacher/admin friends in said provinces. We know this is creating problems for post secondary education institutions (e.g. low literacy, low numeracy, delusions of grandeur, sense of entitlement, etc.). I have no idea how such social trends develop, but so be it. The next generation shall be an interesting one (twit-err???).

I find parental support a mixed bag, and it is so easy to pass the buck (back and forth) here, but in this ****ed up world I do my job to the best of my ability. Many of my parent experiences are positive, and I see many parents actively involved in their children's lives/education. I try very hard to problem solve with concerned parents. I honestly do fear for the poor little waifs who lack parental wisdom or presence; ultimately, it's not my problem, and I can't be expected to fill in for crappy parents. It breaks my heart to see troublesome/needy/wanting kids. Yet, I see each kid (x135) in class for 50 minutes per day, and that amounts to squat as far as parenting is concerned.

At the end of the day, I drive home in an all expenses paid company car, with a huge smile on my face, oftentimes laughing, with a big fat paycheque (deposited into my offshore account), barely work on-and-off for less than 200 days (at the expense of the tax-payers, Ha! Ha! Haaaa!; some of them on this forum too!), take free trips (paid by students and taxpayers), boss pimply teenagers around, flick swotty kids in the back of the head in the hallway, read trashy novels/beaver mags/play COD 4 between lessons, hang out with a 75% majority female staff and suffer the envy of all non-teachers. It's just bliss.

P.S. I apologise, wotsoever, to the forum NKVD for my poor spelling, sentence syntax, punctuation faults, lack of professionalism, lack of knowledge, cold-heartedness, un-PCness, boils, spots, bullshit and inadequate etiquette. Not.

P.P.S. BTW, teachers in Quebec are not paid for the summer vacation (i.e. June 25-August 25), nor are they recognised as "professionals" by the Gouvernement du Quebec.

Tom Masters

Hi Patsy

I teach elementary in Ontario. I find it to be less stressful teaching in Canada. You get plenty of prep time, decent pay and much less paperwork. There is not the same amount of accountability here than there is in the UK which is great if you're a hard working teacher. Unfortunately bad teachers easily slip through the net as the unions are strong and make it difficult to get rid of them. Seniority rules rather than ability or qualifications.

I find I do the same amount of work and planning as I did in the UK but it's because I choose to rather than have to so it is more meaningful than prescribed. Also, I have done much more PD here as I work for a large school board that provides plenty of opportunities for PD - much more so than in the UK. Again, alot of that is voluntary.

Respect from students, parent support and job satisfaction depend on individual circumstances and individual teachers but the external government pressures are much less in my opinion.

Chris