Associate Teachers and School Partnerships

Welcome to our two-year Bachelor of Education Program at the University of Ottawa.

Thank you for supporting our teacher candidates in the past and we look forward to our continued collaboration. Your commitment, expertise, and understanding are essential in mentoring our future teachers.

Our program provides the opportunity for teacher candidates to engage in a dynamic and interactive inquiry within a variety of communities, one of which is the school community. It is within these various communities that our teacher candidates are exposed to ideas of learning and teaching, engage in discussion about these ideas, and are provided with experiences to develop their professional knowledge and practice.

Our practicum experiences reflect a clear and consistent link between theory and practice. We see practicum as a developmental and collaborative process between the teacher candidate, the Associate Teacher, the Faculty Supervisor and the host school administration. A Guide describing the practicum experience will be provided to each Associate teacher, Lead Associate teacher and school Principal.

An example of the type of school-based collaboration is demonstrated in this story from Adrienne Clarkson Elementary School, OCDSB.

Practicum Experience

We would like to thank all of you who have registered for the 2020-2021 academic year. Recruitment of Associate Teachers is ongoing, please consider joining our team. 

The Practicum experience is made up of over 100 days of evaluated practicum. 

For 2020-2021: YEAR 1 Teacher Candidates

  • Practicum Observation  will consist of four Wednesdays  in schools in November 220. 
  • Evaluated Practicum will consist of  a three-week block from November 30 to December 18  followed by one day a week (Wednesdays) from January to March, 2021 and a five-week block from March 22 to April 22, 2021.

For the 2020-2021: YEAR 2 Teacher Candidates

  • Evaluated Practicum will consist of an two-week block from August 31 to September 11, 2020 followed by Wednesdays until November 25 and a six week block from November 30 to January 22, 2021. In order to meet the COVID-19 challenges we have added extra practicum days. These include Wednesdays from January 27 to April 7, 2021 and a two week block from April 11 to 23, 2021. 

Associate Schools

Associate schools are school communities who are interested in working in partnership with the Faculty to support the growth of teacher candidates. Teacher candidates are assigned to Associate schools as part of a professional learning community so that they may learn from experienced Associate Teachers and the school community over the school year. Each teacher candidate will be placed in a host school and classroom beginning as soon as possible in September.  

Teacher candidates will select one of 5 cohorts depending on their division:

  • Comprehensive School Health
  • Global 
  • Urban Education Community
  • Imagination, Creativity and Innovation
  • Second Language Education

We encourage schools to host teacher candidates from a specific cohort.

Associate Teachers

Associate Teachers have the necessary teaching experience and the interpersonal and communication skills to mentor teacher candidates over a period of time and to evaluate their progress towards becoming teachers.

Teacher candidates will be matched with Associate Teachers to reflect both division and subject areas of expertise.  Associate Teachers are invited to host two teacher candidates during the practicum experience and/or teacher candidates may have more than one Associate Teacher within a school or high school department. These practices are to promote a collaborative planning and teaching model.

Associate teachers will be paid a lump sum of  $320.00 (subject to statutory deductions at source) per teacher candidate for practicum. There is no compensation for hosting a teacher candidate in CSL.

Associate Teachers have the following qualities:

  • Have at least two years teaching experience and be in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers.  
  • Be an excellent classroom teacher.
  • Be flexible and organized.   
  • Be willing to act as a mentor supporting the development of a teacher candidate.
  • Be open to a co-planning, co-teaching approach to model effective teaching strategies.
  • Be able to work within a collaborative community of inquiry including the teacher candidate and Faculty representative.
  • Be aware of individual differences in teaching styles, personality and values.
  • Have a love of teaching and a generosity of spirit to give back to the profession and to help make a difference in the development of the next generation of becoming teachers.

Lead Associate Teachers

Lead Associate teachers volunteer their time in each Associate School to welcome teacher candidates into the school community, to facilitate the community service learning experience within the school, and to support communication between the Faculty and the school.