scotara

Hi,
We are starting our process and have loads of questions but I need to know what it is like trying to get a teaching post in Canada? Can I secure a job before we get there or do I need to get in and register to teach. We are thinking of BC but are not sure where in the Vancouver area we would like to be exactly. Any areas to avoid and any nice but affordable areas? What are the schools like state or private? We hope you guys can help get us going!

JonboyE

Public school teaching is a unionized profession in BC and is very difficult to break into - its a closed shop and the union look after their own.

It might be easier to look at private schools.

destinationnovascotia

Hi and welcome to BE.

I am not a teacher but I have read many discussions on here before so you might want to do a search.

There is a section that will help you with your other questions and help you search. Just click on the WIKI tab at the top of this page then click on Canada.

There is loads of good info on there including a section for "newcomers to the forum" and one on "schooling".

I know that there are a few teachers who post on here and I am sure that they will give you answers to any specific questions.

Good luck

Judy in Calgary

Hi there, scotara, and welcome to BE.

After you have secured accreditation, it's common to work as a substitute teacher first. Your progression may look like this:

Year One - Get short stints of temporary work, e.g., when a permanent, fulltime teacher is sick.

Year Two - Get longer temporary assignments, e.g., when a permanent, fulltime teacher is on maternity leave.

Year Three - Get a permanent, fulltime post, but in a school that may not be conveniently located with respect to your house.

Year Four - Get a permanent, fulltime post at a conveniently located school.

That has been the typical path for my Canadian teacher friends when they have returned to teaching after taking off a few years to raise young children. That has been in Calgary, mind, but I gather the process is somewhat similar in many other parts of Canada.

Remote communities may find it harder to find teachers and therefore may be less fussy. But, as far as I can tell, you are not interested in a remote community.

No.

Yes.

Here is a list of Teachers' Organizations in Canada. I think you will find out about registration as a teacher in BC if you follow the links to BC College of Teachers and BC Teachers' Federation.

BC is the size of France and Germany combined. I have nothing against Vancouver, and in fact like it very much, but it is not the only place in the province.

If you're still set on Vancouver, the Wiki article on Vancouver may help. Also look at the Multiple Listing Service website, which features at least 95% of the properties that are on the market in Canada. If you're looking for a real estate salesperson in Vancouver, you might consider contacting Frank and Sue Gerryts, who are British expats, who are members of this forum, and who operate Relocation 2 BC. You also may want to participate in the Brits2Vancouver forum, which is a wealth of information on Vancouver.

The BE Wiki article on Canadian Schooling may be of some use, although it's written from students' and parents' points of view rather than from a teacher's point of view.

Suggest you read the Wiki entitled Newcomers to the forum. You said you were "starting your process." I don't know if you understand how long the "process" takes. The Newcomers article that I mentioned has links to other articles that compare Canada and Australia (a relevant point because people often can get into Australia more quickly than they can get into Canada), provide information on the immigration process, and discuss job hunting in Canada (albeit the job hunting information is geared towards the private sector more than it is towards the public sector).

Hope that helps.

chan_konabe

The advice above is excellent. I especially like the part about Vancouver not being the only place in BC where one could possibly live. There are so many other beautiful (and more affordable) areas of the province where you can get all of the same conveniences of living in Vancouver.

If you'd like to hear some more advice from personal experience, please ask me. I'm an elementary school teacher and I've taught in Victoria and Vancouver, but I'm now living in in northern BC.