Interested in being an Associate Teacher? You came to the right place! Here you will find frequently asked questions and information on how to become an Associate Teacher along with resources that will help support you while you mentor our new educators.
“We like to support Trent, because Trent Teacher Candidates are going to be our future colleagues... it is our way of supporting Trent and also our way of supporting the future of our board.” - Associate Teacher
Why be an Associate Teacher?
- Build your mentorship skills
- Collaborate with an enthusiastic aspiring teacher
- Add curriculum leadership to your resume
- Take time to reflect on what it means to teach
Practicum Block Expectations
| BLOCK | EXPECTATION |
|
BLOCK A |
This is their first classroom practicum. Teacher Candidates observe class routines and individual students, participate/lead daily routines and plan and implement individual lessons (roughly one lesson per day). |
| BLOCK B Winter 5 Weeks |
As with Block A, Teacher Candidates observe class routines and individual students, participate/lead daily routines. However, as part of their planning and implementation, Teacher Candidates are now expected to also begin the process of effective unit planning. They should be teaching roughly two lessons per day by the latter part of Block B. |
| BLOCK C FALL 5 Weeks |
Block C is a unique practicum in the respect that TCs first join their class for four days at the start of the school year (observational only, no evaluation for this time), in order to observe class routines in the context of school year start-up. They then return to the same classroom in November and plan and implement at least two lessons per day, including unit planning as part of their planning process. Candidates at this point are also encouraged to experience other aspects of the school environment, such as through observing special needs classes, resource room, library, etc., and/or being involved in a co-curricular capacity in some way. |
| BLOCK D WINTER 5 Weeks |
This is the final practicum for Teacher Candidates in our program, and their teaching should represent the culmination of their experiences in Blocks A, B and C. As such, by the latter half of Block D, it is expected that all Teacher Candidates will be teaching a full teaching load (either with one AT, or split between two ATs). Candidates should be demonstrating the ability to plan and implement units of study, and should demonstrate a commitment to the school environment outside of the regular classroom. |
Contact
Questions? Looking to Sign-up? Please contact practicum@trentu.ca or call 705-748-1011 ext. 7320
Below is an overview of the workload expectations for Teacher Candidates, during each block of their placements.