Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers available today, and all those who walk it’s hallowed halls — who seek to help the leaders of tomorrow understand and question the world they live in — feel in at least some small way the enormous responsibility that sits on their shoulders. That being said, teaching is also one of the most competitive careers bogged down with an archaic hiring system, hidden within a labyrinth of hiring criteria, defined by the age old mantra ‘it’s who you know, not what you know’, and dripping with bias, contempt and hypocrisy. Sadly, there is no single problem with the teaching profession in the province of Ontario; it is hampered by a laundry list of small problems that cause the system to grind to a halt.
It is my goal to document and explore these problems, perceived or otherwise, and attempt to start a conversation to either categorically disprove my observations of a system in failure, or to suggest ways in which we can improve the hiring process in Ontario.
2 responses so far ↓
sengdroma // May 12, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I found teaching teenagers in the end very depressing. I taught in the UK ages 16 -19, education at that age is free and many see it as something to do if they are bored and a way of shutting their parents up.
I would turn up but half the class did not, I would turn up and no one would, I would turn up and home work was not done. There was no respect. The Gym class I taught was slightly different they were a great bunch, but the tutor group ……
I felt I was banging my head against a brick and wall and like many teachers before me have said – there is no respect and you have no authority to discipline at all. The kids know this and play the system.
I am now a supply teacher in Ontario and love it. The age range is only 2 years to 5 though. Mmm wonder if that is where the difference is…
Nadim // June 4, 2008 at 9:39 am
You hit the nail on the head. Skipping class is prevalent, no marks can be docked for late or missed days. The red tape protects the students. It is impossible to hold a student back between grades 1-8 if the parent wishes their student advance despite them doing no work.
Students are in for a nasty surprise when they enter the job market and sleep in on the job