Conference prepares pre-service teachers for profession
Special to OISE
December 16, 2011
More than 1000 teacher candidates concluded a three-day Professional Preparation Conference as part of their program experience at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto today. The conference focused on interview preparation, professional support and industry networking and concluded with an information and career fair.
The conference was organized by Amy Lobo, supervisor, Co-Curricular Programming and Teacher Employment in OISE’s Student Services, with collaborative support from OISE’s Student Teachers’ Union. Student Teachers’ Union president, Dong-Ling Chen spoke of the most significant learning outcomes from the event: "The sessions’ focus on various issues that teachers face in the working world, such as parental-teacher relationships and programs for at-risk students, amongst others. These sessions provide us with the essential tools we need to formally begin teaching once qualified."
Some of the most popular sessions of the conference included:
- Fostering Positive Relationships with Parents
- Children’s Aid: Duty to Report
- The Politics of Education
- Teen Suicide and Mental Health Issues
- Community Interventions for at Risk Students: Pathways to Education.
More than 60 exhibitors and recruiters who attended the event came from local and international organizations including: The Canadian International School of Hong Kong, Conference of Independent Schools, Maple Leaf International School in Trinidad West Indies, Engage Education Canada, and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.