Student Support Services

In addition to support and services available in your home unit for the duration of your studies at the University of Toronto, as a Concurrent Teacher Candidate, during your enrolment in the Concurrent BEd program components, you have access to a range of support services at OISE, which include:

School-University Partnerships Office

The School University Partnerships Office (SUPO) plays a central role in the development and support of the Teacher Education Practicum Course for both the Concurrent and Consecutive program. The primary goal of SUPO is to build and maintain effective partnerships with schools, boards and community groups, and to work collaboratively with these groups to support all aspects and levels of education. SUPO is also involved in supporting all stakeholders involved with these field experiences: Teacher Candidates, Associate Teachers, OISE Faculty and Partner School Principals. More information about SUPO, as well as about Practicum can be found on the SUPO website.

Teacher Employment Preparation Centre

The Teacher Employment Preparation (TEP) Centre at OISE can assist you with professional development and preparation for employment. The TEP Centre has resources on teaching opportunities in Canada, the USA and outside of North America; including the most recent facts on school board hiring procedures; hiring forecasts; names and addresses for every Canadian school board; and a complete listing of independent and alternative schools.

The Centre manages a list serve for job opportunities, deadlines and important information, and provides assistance with the job search process, resume writing and job search techniques.

The professional development support consists of the following services:

Professional Development
Workshops targeted towards Concurrent Education Students on Professionalism
Job Opportunities and Links
Résumé Counselling
Professional Associations
Links to Teacher Organizations
Certification Across Canada

Professional Learning

Teachers strive to be current in their professional knowledge and recognize its relationship to practice (OCT, 2008).

There are many opportunities available to you to pursue your special interests and engage in professional learning and development over the course of your program. For example, in addition to a number of professional learning opportunities, programs and services offered by the University of Toronto Student Life, there are various workshops and conferences offered by the TEP Centre at OISE.

As a Concurrent Teacher Candidate, you are invited to attend TEP Centre Conferences each year such as Professional Preparation Conference, Safe Schools Conference and Educational Activism: Social Justice in Classrooms, Schools, and Communities Conference.

Academic & Cultural Support Centre

The Academic and Cultural Support Centre (ACSC) is part of the support services offered to students at OISE. The Centre offers one-to-one consultations through face-to-face, e-mail or phone appointments regarding:

Academic Writing: planning, organizing, writing and revising academic papers such as essays, theses, dissertations, manuscripts for publication, funding applications, lesson plans, portfolios, personal journal entries, etc.
English Language Proficiency Improvement: grammar, oral communication, listening, reading, pronunciation, etc.
Mathematics Concept Development: providing Math support for BEd Teacher Candidates.
Oral Presentations: in-class presentations, conference presentations, lesson delivery, etc.
Résumés , Cover Letters and Interviewing Skills
Insights into the Culture of K-12 Schools in Canada
Strategies for Success in teacher preparation at OISE: time management, goal setting, dealing with culture shock, etc.
E-portfolio and Language Portfolio Support for 3rd and 4th year Concurrent Education Students: providing support for creating e-Portfolios and language portfolios as well as reflective writing.
Support in Learning How to Tutor for 3rd and 4th year Concurrent Education Students: providing support in learning how to tutor an English Language Learner or a student with special needs.

In addition, the ACSC offers workshops by various advisors according to their areas of expertise throughout the year.

Education Commons & OISE Library

In partnership with academic programs and research initiatives, the Education Commons (EC) provides access to library services, online learning environments, academic computing support, AV equipment loans and other resources to meet the information and technology needs of the OISE community.

The OISE Library has an extensive collection of materials related to the field of education. This includes a wide range of journals, curriculum materials, textbooks and multimedia resources.

In preparation for the Professional Semester in 2010/11, the library is actively acquiring books in order to increase their resources for a greater number of students. The Library will be organizing workshops for the students, as well as tours of the Library.

As a Concurrent Teacher Candidate, you are able to check out Curriculum Resource materials starting in your 1st year of enrolment in the program.

Financial Assistance & Awards

As a Concurrent Education Student you have access to financial assistance and awards offered in your home unit (FPEH, FMUS, UTM, UTSC, SMC, or VIC) throughout the duration of your studies in the program.