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Becoming a Teacher
 

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ABOUT OISE
Located in Toronto, OISE is an international leader in the teaching and study of issues that matter in education...More from the CONSECUTIVE PROGRAMS VIEWBOOK

OISE'S INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Our goal is to prepare teacher candidates to become highly effective and skilled professional teachers...More from the CONSECUTIVE PROGRAMS VIEWBOOK

ANN LOPEZ, Lecturer
"As the school population becomes more diverse, preparing teachers to respond to this reality takes on great importance"...More from the CONSECUTIVE VIEWBOOK

MYLES, B.Ed 2010-11, Global Education Cohort
"When I started at OISE I was a student in the truest sense and now, in that same sense, I am a teacher"...See Myles in his I AM AN OISE TEACHER VIDEO

Four Pathways to Becoming a Teacher at OISE

What is "initial teacher education"?

The term "initial teacher education" describes a program of professional education taken in order to be eligible to become certified to teach in elementary or secondary school. The programs offered by OISE are specifically structured to meet the requirements of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) (the licensing authority for teachers in Ontario).

The term "initial" highlights the fact that the professional education of teachers is an ongoing process. The professional education acquired in an "initial teacher education program" should be viewed as a starting point and a foundation on which to build.
 

We offer four initial teacher education program pathways to becoming a teacher:

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ABOUT OISE

OISE provides an exciting context in which to learn and to teach.

Our goal is to prepare teacher candidates to become highly effective and skilled professional teachers who continue to learn and develop their expertise through inquiry and reflective practice.

At OISE, you will:

• Be a part of our transformative and globally-renowned education research community
• Learn with celebrated faculty and instructors
• Have access to a wide array of personal support and employment services and resources from our OISE Student Services
• See below for more about OISE and the University of Toronto.
   

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Meet Our Students

Alnoor Karim
Bachelor of Education 2010-11, Intermediate/Senior, Education and Work Cohort

"I selected OISE as it has a reputation for being a world renowned Faculty of Education that provides a robust teacher training program – based on my experience, it has certainly lived up to, and exceeded, those expectations.

In addition to equipping OISE Teacher Candidates with pedagogical theory, OISE supports its Teacher Candidates through obtaining employment, whether locally or abroad. Take advantage of OISE’s Employment/Interview Handbooks, Resume Workshops, networking opportunities with different school boards (in December), and many other services that the School-University Partnership Office (SUPO) provides.

Through OISE, I was better able to understand how I, as an educator, could impact change in our youth so that they can become active members of a democratic society."

Jamie Giannou
Bachelor of Education, 2010-11, Junior/Intermediate, Regional Option

"I choose OISE because of its great reputation. The Bachelor of Education program offers a variety of workshops, seminars, and hands-on opportunities for teacher candidates. We also worked closely with highly regarded instructors who were willing to spend time mentoring their students outside of the classroom. It is obvious that the instructors love their work. It is inspiring to watch and learn from them.

I also enjoyed working closely with my fellow Junior/Intermediate classmates. We were a tight knit group. Our classroom discussions were always lively and engaging. Despite my initial fear of teaching math, I managed to plough through. This was thanks, in no small part, to my fellow teacher candidates who also openly voiced their fear. Together, we worked hard and supported each other."

Jody McMillan
Technological Education Apprenticeship Program 2011-12, Technological Design

"The Technological Education Apprenticeship program at OISE has allowed me the opportunity to become qualified to teach a subject that I am passionate about. It is a great pleasure to be surrounded by supportive peers and teachers to prepare me with the foundation for a successful teaching career."

Judith Miller
Bachelor of Education 2010-11, Intermediate/Senior, Education and Work Cohort

"U of T has a great reputation and is world renowned!

I loved that my professors were accessible.

I learned that I don't have to be mainstream or compromise my position to make a difference. At OISE my voice was heard!"

Natasha Valz
Bachelor of Education 2008-09, Primary/Junior, Inner City Option

"OISE has a great reputation in the teaching community. Because of their work and research in education, many people are aware of the school and the name. I had heard good things about University of Toronto and wanted to ensure that I went to a university that was well known for having a good teaching program. I was also really attracted to the city of Toronto. It's a great city to live in as a student because there is always something interesting to do and see and of course so many interesting places to eat. I remember walking about 3 blocks east down Bloor Street from OISE during our lunch break and running into Tim Robbins and Jessica Biel coming out of a hotel when they were in town for the Toronto International Film Festival. So COOL!

I loved that OISE further splits their students into cohorts based on what area of education you want to focus on. I was particularly drawn to the Inner City Option which was my first choice. I thought it was a great opportunity to focus on teaching in the areas that were most desperate for good teachers as I thought that this would be where I could do the most good. Having grown up in the suburbs where schools were not very diverse, I wanted the opportunity to gain experience teaching in these kinds of schools. It turned out to be the right choice for me and a very positive experience in the end because I was able to learn so much about teaching to diversity and creating lessons that promoted equality and social justice/awareness.

My education has given me skills that are transferable the world over. I first found out about the opportunity to teach in England from the huge end of year job fair that was held on campus at OISE. I now live in London, England where I work as a full time teacher in a Year 3 class (equivalent to Grade 2 at home) in an inner city school. I love it here and I’m having the time of my life while learning many skills and strategies to better myself as a teacher. The majority of schools in need of teachers here in London are inner city. There are many Canadian and other foreign teachers here and I often hear many of them expressing that they are having difficulty teaching in the communities we work in. I have never really found it that different from past experience and have always felt prepare to work in London schools. While I know that this is partly because I completed 2 out of 3 practicums in these kinds of schools, I feel that OISE’s overall program really set me up for success. One of the most important aspects of the program was that we were able to complete three blocks of full time practice teaching which offered a huge amount of well rounded classroom experience; which is unlike some programs where you teach for only two days a week. We were also able to attend seminars on topics such as differentiation and behaviour management which were offered several times each term. All of these things and more contributed to a well rounded program that I realize more and more each day has really prepared me for a successful career."

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Anthony Leung
Concurrent Teacher Education Program, U of T Scarborough – Mathematical & Physical Sciences

"The program offers several practical opportunities in teaching and allows us to acquire insights about teaching through sharing our experiences with other students in the program so that we can grow as individuals and become effective teachers for future generations.

Saba Mir
MA in Child Study & Education

"The theoretical knowledge and practical experiences I gained provided me with the background and confidence I needed to both teach my very own class and to pursue graduate studies."

Information for High School Students

It is never too early to start thinking about career options. 

• If you think that you would like to complete a first (undergraduate) degree before concentrating on becoming a teacher, read Advance Planning Guide for High School Students Interested in Teaching
   

• If you think that you would like to enter a skilled trade before eventually becoming a high school Technological Education teacher, read the Advance Planning Guide for High School Teachers Interested in Teaching Technological Education Subjects
   

• If you think think that you would like to complete your undergraduate degree AND your teacher education degree in a combined program, visit Concurrent Teacher Education website

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Information for International Students

OISE welcomes applications from international students.

If you would like to become a certified teacher in only one year, you should explore what the  Consecutive Bachelor of Education Program has to offer. Our program leads to a recommendation for teacher certification with the Ontario College of Teachers. Return home after only one year, as a Canadian qualified teacher with a Bachelor of education degree from the University of Toronto!

Read more in Information for International Students.

More About OISE and the University of Toronto

Admissions Contacts

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