Building a Bridge to Teaching

This year on June 7, when the dozen students of the Werklund School of Education’s Bridge to Teaching (BTT) Program cross the stage to receive their parchments, they’ll be making a little bit of history.

It’s the first time in the program’s four year history that a class of internationally-trained teachers will be part of the Convocation ceremonies.  And now that the teachers have learned the ins and outs of Alberta classrooms, they’re ready to take on their first assignments.

Changing demographics call for teachers with special skills

Just a few short years ago, Calgary had the fourth highest immigration rate in the country, and today, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of all Calgarians have come to the city from another country. Predictions are that by 2020 more than half a million people living in Calgary will be international immigrants. 

Good teachers with global experience are highly sought after, as they are well placed to lead classrooms made up of increasingly diverse students.  In fact, many of the immigrants themselves possess the skills required to fill these in-demand positions.

Yet many are turned away or find that they are ineligible to work as teachers; while they may hold valid qualifications to be educators, they haven’t obtained the proper credentials to teach in Alberta.

This is where Bridge to Teaching comes in.  The program combines the previous experiences and skills of the teachers while providing expertise in teaching the Alberta curriculum.

Ready to take to the classroom

Graduates of the BTT program are a group of professionally trained international teachers now familiar with the Alberta curriculum.  Many find quick placements because of the combination of their new knowledge and the skills and training they’ve brought with them.

This year, the graduates have come from nine countries; click on the links below to read some of their stories.

Fernanda Feltes

I grew up in the small city of Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost place on earth. I studied in the Faculty of Fine Arts (Universidad Nacional de La Plata) in Buenos Aires, and graduated as a Fine Arts Teacher and Art History Teacher. After teaching for four years in my home country of Argentina, life brought me to Canada. I landed in Toronto five years ago full of expectations and plans. I must say now that, luckily, back then I could not fathom the complexity of settling in a new country and continuing my teaching profession. I say luckily because knowing how hard it was going to be would have discouraged me right away. Instead, I thought “how hard could this be?” And that’s how my story begins.

I found out about BTT program through a Government program for newcomers. In December 2013 I was looking for a course to improve my English at ILVARC (The Immigrant Language and Vocational Assessment Referral Centre, PART OF Immigrant Services Calgary). The ESL Counselor was also a Career Counselor who eventually sent me information about a BTT (Bridge to Teaching) open house. There, it was Dr. Gail Jardine, one of the first persons who valued my background, encouraged me to apply for the program. In the meantime, I had started the evaluation process with Alberta Education. Once the lengthy process was completed and I had the letter from my evaluator, it was Shelley Enderton In Werklund’s grad program office) who helped me plan the steps to follow in order to take the most advantage from the program. She recommended me to take the other required courses before BTT. So I did, and I can attest now that it was indeed the best way to plan my studies. The program is designed in such a way to help you find a job placement at the end of it. Through the BTT practicum experiences two schools saw my professional performance and were eager to hire me afterwards.

Once in the program, I had the pleasure to meet wonderful people and learn from amazing professors such as Susan Marinucci and Cyndie Baum. Their academic background and their vast teaching experience in Alberta materialized in their creatively crafted lessons. My great classmates will forever remain not only my friends but also members of my Professional Learning Community. The human warmth, the academic content, and the hands-on experiences of BTT program set the ideal context for me to learn how to teach in Alberta’s classrooms. Back in my alma mater in Argentina I had a glimpse of the newest teaching and learning philosophies, but it was through BTT that I was able to deepen and broaden such knowledge. Most importantly, I learned how to bring to life those amazing theories into the classroom. I must acknowledge that I’m a more capable and updated professional after finishing this program. And I’m so happy and grateful to be a teacher again. I cannot wait to resume my teaching career next year and help Canadian students become their best version.

Continuing my teaching career in Canada was harder than I thought, but thanks to BTT the process became an enriching and enjoyable experience for me. With no hesitation, I would highly recommend this program to anyone going through the process of obtaining teaching certification in Alberta. What’s more, even if you are not required to take courses, taking the BTT program will prepare you to excel in Alberta’s classrooms and will help you reach potential employers.

Claire Page

I was born in South Africa and as far back as I can remember I have always wanted to be a teacher. In 1995 I was fortunate to be accepted into the Bachelor of Primary Education Program at the University of the Witwatersrand. From the day I started my degree, I felt at last that I belonged and that after years of being bullied during my school years, that I was finally accepted.  I thrived in this environment and knew that I had found my calling in life.

While I was completing my degree, my parents were investigating the possibility of emigrating to a new country in order to make a better life for our family.  In 1997 my Dad was offered a job with a company in Vancouver and after completing 3 out of my 4 year degree, I left South Africa with my parents hoping to complete my degree in Canada.  However, after arriving, I realized that it would be more beneficial to me, to return to South Africa to complete my final year. In February 1998, I returned to South Africa, on my own, leaving my family in Vancouver, and started my last year.

Three days after walking the stage at my convocation ceremony, I boarded a plane and headed back to Canada to rejoin my family and start the road of gaining teaching authority in Canada.
Once I had submitted all my paperwork and application to the BC college of teachers, I knew that I had to wait at least 8 months for my degree to be certified. As a new immigrant in Canada, I needed to work, meet people, learn about the culture and gain experience. I took up a summer position as a server at the Fairmont Hotel property – Jasper Park Lodge. This was the beginning of a very successful and fruitful career with this hotel chain. During this time, I obtained interim certification with the BC College of Teachers, with the requirement that I needed to complete 9 credits of additional study.

The thought of starting out as a teacher in my own country was daunting, however that was nothing to the apprehension I felt at the thought entering a classroom in a new country where everything was so different. The school buildings did not look like the ones I was used to, the curriculum and method of teaching was completely different. Here I was an English speaking immigrant and I felt so alienated, as people did not understand me when I spoke to them. My accent was different, my use of idiom was foreign to Canadians, my sense of humour was sometimes lost on the people I spoke to. All in all, it was a huge cultural shock to me. I firmly believe that as a teacher, you are there to help shape the lives of young children, establishing a foundation for the rest of their lives and as a teacher you need to be 100% confident in your practice in order to set foot in the classroom.  Sadly, I did not feel this way and I only wish that the BTT (Bridge to Teachng0 program had been available to me back then as it would have been the perfect bridge of my experience in South Africa and what was expected of me in a Canadian classroom. It would have given me the confidence that I so needed and would have allowed me to start my teaching career a lot earlier.

Unfortunately, the longer I was out of the classroom, the harder it was to bring myself back into it again. I still had the passion for learning and education and used everything that I was taught as a teacher to enhance my working experience, however, the longing to enter the classroom as a teacher some day was ever present.

In 2011, I experienced a personal life changing event and at the same time my eldest child was diagnosed with Autism.  It was these life events that made me stop and reflect on where I was in my life and where I saw myself in the future. I was going to be a single mom with two children and one with special needs.  I knew at this moment that teaching would be my salvation. I finally applied to the Alberta Education department for certification of my qualifications and was informed that the only thing that stood between me and my dream was the full time BTT program at the U of C.  How could I do this? I had not studied for a long time. How would I cope? I was the bread winner for my two children and had held a full time job for the past 17 years. How would my children and I cope for a whole year with limited resources? So many obstacles to overcome, but if I was to realize my dream of teaching, these obstacles had to be overcome.

My children and I moved in with my parents and with their support I made the scary but exciting decision to leave my full time career and become a student at the University of Calgary in the Bridge to Teaching Program. Looking back this was the best decision I have ever made in my life, second only to the starting of my undergraduate degree in South Africa.

I am hoping to be a teacher who will touch lives, the lives of my students as well as their families. I want to inspire young children to believe not only in themselves but to believe that they can do anything that they want to do. I want to be a mentor for these little people, a teacher that they will remember and have fond memories of for the rest of their lives.

The BTT program has been the most amazing and enriching experience. I have learned so much about Education and teaching in Alberta and I finally feel like I have the knowledge, skills and experience that will make a difference in the classroom and in the lives of the students that come into my room.

I would highly encourage people to consider the BTT program. It is a wonderful gift,  that you as an internationally trained teacher are given, by the province of Alberta in bridging the gap between your international experience and your integration into the Alberta classroom. You will gain the confidence and knowledge to make a difference in the lives of students in Alberta, through engaging and stimulating lectures, supportive and experienced professors and beautiful and enriching practicum placements.

Jaswinder Cheema

I was born and raised in India and started my teaching carrier from India. As I progressed through my professional life, I realised how I was impacting the lives of my students. I was teaching in residential schools and soon my students became part of my extended family.

I immigrated to Canada in the year 2010 and started exploring ways to start my teaching carreer here. Soon I realised that it is not going to be so easy and quick. Anyway I started the process and attended some open houses to have better knowledge of the courses offered and prerequisite of the courses. First few years went by in getting settled and in the meantime we had two kids so it was a long process for me. In the meantime I kept working on my English requirements and completed all the requirements.

Even after all this it was quite difficult to leave my job and join a course. My wife was working part time and lot of our time was devoted to kids. I so wanted to join the profession of my choice and also I wanted to have in-depth knowledge about the educational system in Canada and Alberta in particular as my kids were entering the educational world.  Anyway I took this decision and as I come towards the end of this hectic journey, I am happy I made that choice. This course has taken me close to my dream of being a teacher. I have under my belt teaching experience gained during my practicum. The contents of the course helped me form an educated and informed choice. I have been able to look critically at my educational philosophies and form a new philosophy which is more relevant and useful in Alberta context.

XIU ZHI YU

My Dream and My BTT

I am about to graduate from the Bridge to Teaching Program at the University of Calgary.  I have found it to be a rewarding experience and a bridge that can help lead international teachers, such as myself, successfully into teaching in Alberta.

I would like to share my story about getting to this place.

I came to Calgary 3 years ago. I was totally lost for looking for jobs here. The only job I really wanted to do, was the one that I did in China - teaching. My son entered junior high school in Calgary and it didn’t take long for me to recognize the differences in the way we teach in China and what that looks like in Canada. Still, my dream was to teach.

I completed 17 years of study to receive my Master's Degree in Education in China. I spent 5 years in teacher’s training and traveled with teachers and principals to learn advanced teaching ideas and approaches from all over China. I then taught over 10 years in fast paced schools and institutes. I was pretty confident in my teaching in China. But I had no idea about teaching in Canada until I entered into this program.

I heard about BTT from the Immigration Service in downtown Calgary. I was thrilled! After almost one year of preparation, I got a chance to enter this program. It changed who I am as a teacher. I realized that I still had so much to learn. For example, I had never used a rubric and I was now introduced to formative assessment and assessment for learning.

We have excellent professors who have experience as teachers and principals. They are professional and work very hard to support us, we get feedback and email on the weekends even at midnight! We could feel their passion for teaching, and we learned from their example how to develop trust and respect from students. They modeled inquiry-based teaching in class, and how to create meaningful and memorable activities for students. I learn how to engage students’ imagination and creativity and stimulate critical thinking.

From the two practicum experiences, I practiced collaborating with teachers and set up positive relationships in the learning community. I practiced evaluating students regularly throughout the course in a number of different ways to accommodate the diversity of students’ strengths related to the specific learning goal. I found that education is more about student success than student evaluation.

This is a wonderful program, I feel enriched and confident to teach in Canadian schools.

If you are an international teacher, a lifelong learner with a strong passion for education, this is your program.