My journey into the Bachelor of Education (BEd) program began over a decade ago. Unhappy with the industry I was working in I decided to enroll in courses at Langara College to do general upgrades. While undertaking required courses my love for history was re-ignited by an eccentric professor who clearly loved his job. It was at Langara that I began to toy with the idea of becoming an educator. Upon being accepted into the University of British Columbia I immediately began working towards completing the required courses to get into the BEd program. After graduating in 2014 with my Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree I took time off to focus on other ventures. I was burnt out from school and felt unsure of my path moving forward.
During my time off I started volunteering with Pathways to Education, a program that supports students on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The work was daunting at first. Students were from low income families and were often dealing with a number of issues that far exceeded my training to that point. Although a learning curve, I was heavily supported by a great staff and fellow volunteers. By the end of the first week I knew that working with youth in an educational setting was something that I was passionate about. Within three months of volunteering I had applied at UBC for the2017 intake for the Bachelor of Education program.
The program thus far has been beneficial in preparing me for the career I seek after graduation. Having the ability to collaborate with fellow teacher candidates of all disciplines has greatly expanded my scope of understanding when it comes to education. My experience during the 10 week practicum teaching Socials 8, 9, 10 and 11 was very positive. Having fellow teacher candidates to share the experience with has created lasting bonds built on mutual respect and strong academic collaboration that transcends past subject areas and focuses on the student bodies ability to understand and retain the information presented.