Career Options for Teacher Education

It is important to understand that employers hire people, not degrees. The skills and knowledge you develop as a result of your education, as well as in your work and community activities, have the greatest impact on hiring decisions. Listed below are some key skills and knowledge you will acquire as a result of your university education and your focus on Teacher Education.

Specific Knowledge Skills
Valuable Transferable Skills
Some Career Options for Teacher Education Graduates 
Potential Employers
Websites

Specific Knowledge Skills

• Knowledge of and preparedness to teach the Ministry of Education curriculum for Ontario
• Ability to use instruction and assessment practices that reflect current research on the process of learning
• Skills to act collaboratively with educational colleagues to improve student learning and school practices
• Ability to use evidence to make decisions related to continually improving the learning of students, your teaching practice, and your school
• Awareness of learning and other disabilities as well as psycho-social concerns of children
• Knowledge of procedures, policies and regulations of a school board or educational institution
• Ability to develop learning materials, plan lessons, create instructional presentations and communicate within an educational environment
• Capability to deal effectively with children and adults, resolve or mediate conflicts and promote healthy relationships
• Ability to conceptualize, conduct and facilitate group dynamics
• Ability to instruct and explain ideas clearly with alignment to learning objectives
• Knowledge of classroom management, management of individual student behaviour and discipline skills
• Ability to support a reflective inquiry approach to issues in teaching and the learning experience
• Ability to clearly explain concepts in a variety of ways, ability to adapt learning presentations and materials to individual needs, ability to lead a group of people to accomplish a predetermined goal

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Valuable Transferable Skills

Information-gathering and Communication Skills

• The skills required to identify and access a wide range of relevant information and resources
• The ability to compile and organize facts and information and to comprehend and apply new and/or unfamiliar information to different situations and settings
• Skills in preparing interesting, creative and informative presentations which target diverse audiences
• The ability to develop effective reports, presentations and materials using current technology

Thinking, Planning and Organizational Skills

• The ability to learn, understand and interpret information and apply knowledge to new situations
• The ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and effectively plan/manage time, data and resources
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to make well-reasoned decisions, think creatively and search for, identify and consider all sides of an issue
• Skills to effectively analyze and interpret a wide range of information and data to discuss, support and/or reject ideas, opinions, reports, theories and proposals

Teamwork and Management Skills

• Skills enabling you to work effectively as part of a team by identifying your role and contributing, through leading, teaching, motivating and/or encouraging others, to the success of the team
• An understanding of how to successfully identify, plan and contribute to the goals of a project
• The ability to oversee, supervise and/or contribute to a project from beginning to end including determining outcomes, planning details, making decisions, assigning roles and completing tasks

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Some Career Options for  Teacher Education Graduates

(Additional qualification, education, training or experience may be required)

For more career options and job descriptions, visit the following sites:

Career Cruising - www.careercruising.com. Please contact the Career Centre at 519.884.0710 ext. 4495 or careercentre@wlu.ca for the username and password.
Career Insider (Vault) - Access through the library website at www.wlu.ca/library. Click ’Find Articles and More’, click ’Databases by Title (A-Z)’ and then ’C’ - Career Insider (Vault). You need to access this resource from a Laurier computer or through the library’s remote access service.
National Occupational Classification - www.hrsdc.gc.ca/noc  

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Potential Employers

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Websites

Teaching in Canada
Education Canada
Jobs in Education 
Apply to Education 
Canadian Teachers’ Federation 
Ontario College of Teachers 
Ontario Ministry of Education 
Aboriginal Canada Portal 

Teaching in Private Schools
Canadian Association of Independent Schools 
Independent Schools Network 
The Association of Boarding Schools 
Network of International Christian Schools 

Teaching in the United States
Academic Employment Network 
The Education and Career Centre
Council of Great City Schools 
National Center for Educational Careers 
Teach for America 
Visiting International Faculty Program 

Teaching Overseas in International Schools
International Schools Services 
Overseas Placement Services for Educators (University of Northern Iowa) 
International Knowledge Networks 
International Supply Teachers 
The International Educator 

International Development Agencies
Canadian Council for International Co-operation 
Canadian Bureau for International Education 
CIDA 

General Information Websites for Overseas Teaching
WorldTeach
Overseas Jobs Express
Teaching Jobs Overseas
The Big Guide to Living and Working Overseas

Teaching English as a Second Language
Teaching English as a Second Language CEC Network
TESL Canada 
TESOL

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Teaching as a Career Choice in Ontario

Labour Market:
The Ontario College of Teachers conducts a survey of new teachers each year. For more information on current market conditions read the most recent Transition to Teaching Report.

Salary Information:
Teacher salaries in Ontario are generally based on a combination of years of post-secondary education and years of experience. In Ontario, teachers’ salaries are determined by each board through negotiation with the local teachers’ federations. The salaries range from approximately $42,000 to $84,000 annually. The increase occurs over a 10 - 13 year period as teachers gain additional qualifications and experience.

For information on salaries and working conditions for public elementary teachers across all Ontario Boards of Education, visit the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. 


For information on salaries and working conditions for public secondary teachers across all Ontario Boards of Education, visit the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation report on ’Working in Ontario’.

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