Yalily

Hello everyone,

I think those already teaching in Canada are the ones who can help me the most.
I am still waiting for an answer to our application but i suppose is never to soon to ask these questions.

I am currently working as a KG2 (Foundation 2) class teacher in a school that follows the British Curriculum in the UAE. I am not a qualified teacher but here they are VERY flexible about this. I know it is not the same in other countries especially in Canada! but... I would love to continue working in this field either as a Kindergarten teacher or as an Elementary Teacher Assistant... I would like to study once I get to Canada, I've search some universities and community colleges but I am not sure about the information... so my questions are:

- What do I need to study to become a teacher in Canada? I have 3 other degrees (Hospitality Management, Advertising, Market Research, all three are two-years degrees)
- How long does it take to complete a program to qualify you as a teacher (elementary or kindergarten school teacher)?
- What do I need to study to become a teacher's assistant? How long does it take?

I am 38 years old and I need to work as soon as possible once I get to Canada... so the lenght of time required to complete the program is a major factor here... I could work doing something else while I finish school but I hope to be able to continue to work in the education field.

I thank you in advance for your time and info

chan_konabe

Yes, you're right - the certification process to become a teacher in Canada can be very stringent. Education in Canada is a provincial, not federal, responsibility so every province will have its own certification requirements. Speaking specifically of BC, as I'm a teacher there, there are two ways to get a bachelor of education degree and become certified to teach in elementary schools:

1) A five-year undergraduate program - the first two years are spent taking general electives and education program entry requirements. The next three years are spent taking education courses, doing practicums and taking other elective courses.

2) A post-degree program - this is for students who already have an undergraduate degree (ex, a bachelor of arts degree or a bachelor of science degree). Students will also need to make sure that they have met the entry requirements to this program (I'll list them below). The programs are usually 12-months in length, but they can be longer. They're like a condensed version of the final three years of the five-year program.

In order to be accepted into a teacher training program in BC, you'll need to meet the pre-requisites. Generally speaking, they are:

- a Canadian Studies course (ex, Canadian History)
- a Math course (ex, Calculus)
- a laboratory science course (ex, Chemistry or a course where laboratory time is required)
- a university level English course.

This might be a problem. Even if you graduate from one of the programs, you won't start working full-time immediately. It's almost guaranteed that you'll have to spent a year or two doing part-time supply work as a Teacher-On-Call.

Yalily

Dear chan, thanks so much for the info... I also heard about something called 'mature students programs' for people like me who have children and have worked in the field... I am willing to study... I love school... I just hope I am able to do it... you know having to work and deal with 3 kids under 7 and all! Thanks again!

chan_konabe

This is the unofficial title of the post-degree program. I did one myself years ago. Whereas the majority of people who choose the five-year program are young university students in their early twenties, there is a greater diversity of ages in the post-degree program. We had people in our cohort in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. Some were fresh university graduates while others had their Ph.D's! This made the class discussions very interesting.

There were many people like yourself who had busy lives outside of classes. The post-degree programs are essentially a condensed version of the five-year program. As a result, the workload can be quite heavy. Some people battled through it. Others decided to move their studies from full-time status to part-time status. This lightened their workloads, but extended the amount of time they had to remain at university. You can ask more about this option when you decide on a university.

Best of luck! If you have any more questions, just ask. I'm glad to help!

Yalily

Thank you so much... and yes, I'll keep you in mind for any future questions... you have been very helpful.