Helpful Tips for Success
Entering the teaching profession is a competitive process, especially with over 7500 new Ontario graduates on an annual basis (let alone the other couple of thousand from out of province who seek jobs in Ontario).
How can you make yourself stand out from the competition?
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Use your cover letter and resume to show your unique traits
- Plan on completing Additional Qualification (AQ) courses in Spring and/or Summer 2008 and continuously through your career
-Special Education is extremely valuable and sought after by all schoolboards
-Junior ABQ makes I/S candidates marketbable for grades 4-6 as well
- Showcase your extracurricular interests, especially for Intermediate-Senior divisions
-Activities and clubs are an important part of the school experience
-Your abilities and interests will play a part in your employability
- Make yourself known to administration during your placements
-Introduce yourself to administration early in your placement
-Get involved in school activities for both staff and students
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Digital portfolio / hard copy portfolio
-Your digital portfolio is unique to UOIT teacher candidates -It is a huge selling point to potential employers
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Personal values / philosophy
-Know what type of setting (school or other) best suits you, your teaching philosophy and your
personal values.
-Pay attention to your "gut instinct" throughout your placements, which can give you hints about settings where you're likely to feel more comfortable (big school, small school, urban, suburban, rural, etc)
Advantages of the UOIT Education Program
- Emphasis on technology and the skills you can contribute to the classroom are an incentive and have been already embraced by many principals
- Development of your digital portfolio to portray your skills, experiences and accomplishments, and comfort level with advanced technology skills
