Wondering what to do after the MFA? If you’ve loved being a TA (and/or a New Shoots Mentor), qualifying as a K-12 teacher can be a great next step. Keep reading to find out how your experience as a TA will be helpful in a K-12 setting and to learn more about how to go about qualifying as a teacher.
Whether you’re teaching four-year-olds, 14-year-olds, or undergraduates, a lot of the same skills come into play. Here are a few things you’ve likely learned as a CRWR TA that will easily transfer to working with younger students:
Assessment: This is a HUGE component of teaching at any level. The assessment practices you’ve learned through TAing—navigating rubrics, giving descriptive feedback, and evaluating students’ work according to established performance standards—are just as relevant when you teach Grade 12 or Grade 2.
Classroom management: If you’ve had the opportunity to TA a seminar, you’ve learned how to hold the group’s attention, give clear instructions, and exercise flexibility when things don’t go as planned—skills you will continue to refine if you ever find yourself standing in front of a room of squirrely Grade 1s when the SmartBoard isn’t working, a fire drill is expected at any moment, and someone has a nosebleed.
Navigating interpersonal conflict: In the CRWR classroom, where people often feel vulnerable sharing deeply personal and/or political work, emotions sometimes run high. Your role as a TA is to help students navigate the conflicts that inevitably arise in a way that makes everyone feel heard. This skill will come into play when your Primary students return from recess with tears streaming down their faces, when a high school student concerned about university acceptance approaches you with a worried expression and their graded paper in hand, or when the time comes to have a tough conversation with a parent about their child’s performance or behaviour in class. You’ve got this!
It’s also important to be aware of the requirements to become a K-12 teacher. The application process differs province-to-province—here are some tips on preparing for a K-12 teaching career in British Columbia.
Academic requirements: To teach in the K-12 system in BC, you will need to complete a B.Ed., which is a one- to two-year program.
For aspiring elementary teachers, there are quite a few prerequisites—you need to have taken undergraduate-level classes in English, Math, a laboratory Science, Canadian History or Geography, and another Canadian Studies class. Look into the requirements early to make sure you’ll have all the coursework you need.
If you’d like to teach high school, you’ll need to have quite a few credits in the specific subject areas you plan to teach. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it’s important to do the research—don’t just assume that you have the credits you need.
Experience: This is key. Try to get as much experience as you can working with students in groups (vs. one-on-one) since group management is a huge aspect of teaching. There are so many ways to get this experience—summer camps, Scouts and Girl Guides, the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, the public library, community centres, sports teams … the list goes on.
It’s also a good idea to get experience volunteering in a school—teachers love extra hands, and spending time in a classroom will give you a clearer perspective on what the day-to-day of teaching will be like. You probably remember your own experience in school, but things can feel very different on the other side of the classroom. Also, many people love children but aren’t necessarily prepared to spend six hours a day, five days a week, managing thirty kids. There are many ways to work with children, so try to get a real sense of whether teaching is for you before you commit to another degree.
If you have any further questions about this topic, feel free to reach out!