Teaching in Canadian private schools (university, installer, education)
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I would like to teach math and/or physics at a private school in Canada, but I don't have a teaching certificate. I do, however, have a Ph.D. degree (in electrical engineering), as well as industry experience. I know that in the US, a teaching certificate is not required to teach in private schools.
Do I need a teaching certificate to teach at a private school in Canada?
Ideally, I would like to transition into teaching without having to take additional teaching courses, mentorship, etc.
No offense, but what would you say to someone who wanted to "transition" into electrical engineering without having to take any courses in electrical engineering. What about your doctor, maybe she was a microbiologist and just "transitioned" into medicine without any additional courses. Teaching is a profession...they don't go to school for 4 years because they're just killing time. The fact that I can read doesn't qualify me to teach a child to read. The fact that you have a PhD in electrical engineering doesn't qualify you to teach highschool students math and physics. Teaching has an enormous body of knowledge with its own theories, methodologies and body of research. As for private schools - I hope that people paying thousands of dollars for their children's education can be assured that they are taught by individuals with a university degree and experience in education.
Why not apply to teach at the university level...your PhD is a perfect fit for that.
Gee, I certainly struck a chord in you. Perhaps "transition" wasn't the most appropriate word to use. I certainly didn't mean to imply that teaching does not require training. I understand that it is a profession. It is a profession that I have experience in at the university level. Not that it's relevant to my original question, but to answer yours, I would like to teach at the high school level so that I can interact more closely with students, helping them develop their intellect, as well as their character. As for qualifications, I would argue that a Ph.D. in electrical engineering DOES qualify me to teach math and physics since I have taken many courses on the subjects, many more, in fact, than most teachers that teach the subjects in high school. Again, not that I should have to defend myself, but I do study teaching methodoligies and strongly believe that the traditional lecture format is ineffective. This has been proven, for example, at McMaster medical school, which teaches primarily through problem-based learning. The ability to incorporate more effective teaching strategies is further motivation to teach at a private high school, as opposed to a public high school.
You obviously feel strongly about teaching. I'm happy to see such passion, but let's not attack one another. My motivations for teaching only come from a good place. I'd be happy to discuss further, if you like. Out of curiosity, are you a teacher? If so, what do you teach and at what level?
"Teaching is a profession...they don't go to school for 4 years because they're just killing time."
Nice try, k8swirl, but very few high school teachers are real mathematicians or experts in any scientific subject. They may be able to parrot but they rarely understand their subject on more than a superficial level. For one thing, they haven't had the training.
I would happily pay to have my kid taught by Cito who is much more likely to know, in depth, what he is talking about. Of course, he'll have to learn how to reach his students but, frankly, I've never seen any evidence of that happening in a B.Ed program where standards are low - the average grade is 80% or even higher, a sure sign of mediocrity. A guy with a Ph.D is quite a step above and just might make an outstanding teacher.
Cito, why not teach in a junior college? Same kids, a year or two older. No teaching credential required yet, amazingly, you teach. Lol.
P.S. I love the adage that college is where A students teach B students to work for C students. How life does humble us all.
He can do math and physics but can he teach? Knowing how to do something and knowing how to teach it are two completely different things. You know how to read - if I gave you a 5 year old, could you teach him to read? Again, teaching is a field unto itself - knowing the subject matter doesn't mean you are capable of teaching it. Let's face it, all of us who've been to university have had profs who know their stuff and are completely useless teachers of it (especially in the hard sciences).
Teaching is a profession...they don't go to school for 4 years because they're just killing time.
Four years of specific training to become a teacher?
I was under the impression that in Ontario the protocol was the completion of one year of teaching college after completing a bachelor's degree.
In a similar vein to profs who were not terribly great teachers, I would imagine most of us have also run across "trained" teachers who should have opted for that second career choice of, perhaps, cable TV installer.
Teaching prowess likely has less to do with training and more to do with dedication, desire, and a sincere interest in their students.
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