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Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Education offers a two-year consecutive teacher education program on our Waterloo and Brantford campuses. Graduates of this program earn a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree. The program qualifies candidates to be recommended for Ontario Teacher Certification in the Primary/Junior divisions (Kindergarten to grade 6), Primary/Junior French as a Second Language (Kindergarten to grade 6), or the Junior/Intermediate divisions (grades 4 to 10) with specializations in the following subject areas: English, French as a Second Language, Geography, Health and Physical Education, History, Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, Mathematics, or General Science. There will be a new teachable area related to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis courses in Grades 9 and 10 offered depending on enrolments.
The program is designed to meet all Ontario legislated requirements and incorporates the Standards of Practice and Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession of the Ontario College of Teachers.
Learn by Doing
Our program is based on a Professional Development School (PDS) model. Teacher Candidates are normally placed in one school for Year 1 and another school for Year 2. Such a model affords Teacher Candidates the opportunity to establish close, personal, and interactive professional relationships with school personnel and communities. You will continually integrate the theory you learn in your university classes with the teaching experiences of your placements. The Professional Development School (PDS) model has been recognized as a key strength of our program and differentiates us among Faculties of Education within Ontario.
Practicum Placements
Your practicum placement includes both blocks of continuous placement as well as practicum days (often Mondays) during course-work weeks.
Year One
In your first year, you’ll have two practicum placements (one in Fall and one in Winter) which include weekly Practicum Days (during weeks when you are in class at Laurier).
- Practicum One: 3-week Block plus Practicum Days
- Practicum Two: 3-week Block plus Practicum Days
- Alternative Placement: 2 weeks in April/May or 60 hours spread out over the year.
- You will have the opportunity to volunteer in an educational context outside of the K-12 Ontario public education system or take advantage of an international teaching opportunity as available.
Year Two
In your second year, you’ll have two additional practicum placements (one in Fall and one in Winter) plus weekly Practicum Days like Year One. You’ll finish your course work in early February and then engage in a final 8-week block practicum placement. This final placement will support your transition from student-teacher to practicing professional, as you work collaboratively with an Associate Teacher.
- Practicum Three: 3-week Block plus Practicum Days
- Practicum Four: 8-week Block plus Practicum Days OR
- Practicum Four with a Secondary Placement: 8-week Block plus Practicum Days (includes an optional Secondary School placement for J/I Teacher Candidates)
Partner Schools
Laurier has partnered with the Avon Maitland, Bluewater, Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic, Bruce Grey Catholic, Grand Erie, Halton, Halton Catholic, Hamilton-Wentworth, Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic, Huron-Perth Catholic, Upper Grand, Waterloo Catholic, Waterloo Region and Wellington Catholic district school boards to provide you with extensive, in-depth and sustained practical experiences. All of your practicum placements must occur within these school boards, because we have deep partnerships with them and meet regularly to align priorities. The schools in these boards who host our Teacher Candidates understand our program’s conceptual framework and are committed to providing you with excellent teaching and learning opportunities.
There may be opportunities for practicum placements within Private Schools that utilize the Ontario Curriculum.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity
International Classroom Experience
Did you realize you could be in classrooms around the world to gain this experience? Laurier graduate Sarah Fischer travelled with Professor Steve Sider on a service-learning trip to Haiti. “It would be fitting to say that this trip has changed my life in an abundance of ways — mostly the way I see the education system and the way I see developing nations,” says Sarah. “Taking the time to see all aspects of the culture in Haiti, including the different school systems and the malnourishment center, gave me the chance to reflect on the bigger picture.”
The Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University understands the critical need to rethink the delivery and content of teacher education that is more inclusive of Indigenous Peoples of Canada. We are committed to the work of decolonizing our practices by first and foremost recognizing and accepting the reality of Canada’s colonial history. We are also committed to decolonizing our curricula and educational practices.
We begin this process by dialoguing with our Indigenous community partners and with a good heart and mind, to Indigenize our practices by infusing Indigenous content – teaching, worldviews, knowledges and perspectives – in all of our courses. To this end, we take seriously the responsibility of taking the steps in the reconciliation process to move beyond the critical work of truth seeking and telling to creating meaningful action.
We aim to raise awareness about Indigenous Peoples of Canada to replace intolerance (e.g., racism, stereotypes) instead to celebrating and honouring First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada. Furthermore, we aim to promote greater awareness and knowledge about Indigenous cultures and concerns to critically evaluate how schools can better incorporate culturally sensitive curricula and teaching methods, while building stronger relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis students, families, and communities.
We strive to:
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- Support the development of Teacher Candidates' foundational knowledge base of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis worldviews and teachings so that they may know how to respectfully integrate First Nations, Inuit, and Métis topics and perspectives of education into their curricula and course designs.
- Encourage reciprocity, mutual understanding, acceptance, sharing, and transformation across cultures.
- Create a welcoming environment for Indigenous students, staff, and faculty at the Faculty of Education.
In addition, Laurier’s Indigenous Student Centres offer resources to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners who are studying at Laurier.
The Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University acknowledges and respects the richness and diversity of all members of our community and values their contributions to every aspect of university life. Laurier strives to affirm people of all genders and sexual orientations; persons from diverse backgrounds, origins, and religions; persons with disabilities; Indigenous persons; persons of a visible minority; and other disadvantaged, marginalized and/or oppressed groups, as contributing to the vitality of the Laurier community, not in spite of their differences but because of them.
Laurier recognizes the unique heritages of Indigenous peoples and supports the intentions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to preserve and express their distinctive indigenous cultures, histories and knowledge through academic programming and co-curricular activities.
The Faculty of Education will continue to implement policies and practices to address the barriers to equitable participation that exist in our society as a whole and within our institution. In doing so, we embed commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization in every aspect of what we do within the university and in our connections to local and global communities.
Laurier recognizes the unique heritages of Indigenous peoples and supports the intentions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to preserve and express their distinctive indigenous cultures, histories and knowledge through academic programming and co-curricular activities.
The Faculty of Education will continue to implement policies and practices to address the barriers to equitable participation that exist in our society as a whole and within our institution. In doing so, we embed commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization in every aspect of what we do within the university and in our connections to local and global communities.
Courses in the Bachelor of Education program will be conducted in an affirming and mutually respectful atmosphere for people of all gender expressions and identities. Faculty members are provided with a class roster with all names as they appear on the official enrollment information. If Teacher Candidates (TCs) use a name different from the roster, they are asked to please notify instructors at the earliest convenience. Teacher Candidates may also share gender pronouns with instructors.
Members of the class are expected to refer to one another by the name and pronouns identified by each student. If TCs are comfortable, they can familiarize their classmates about names and pronouns.
The Centre for Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CSEDI) has developed a website outlining how to request a different name to appear on some university records and systems such as ZOOM, MyLS and email. The website also provides information about Laurier’s Inclusive Washroom Initiative, support resources at Laurier, and more.
Members of the class are expected to refer to one another by the name and pronouns identified by each student. If TCs are comfortable, they can familiarize their classmates about names and pronouns.
The Centre for Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CSEDI) has developed a website outlining how to request a different name to appear on some university records and systems such as ZOOM, MyLS and email. The website also provides information about Laurier’s Inclusive Washroom Initiative, support resources at Laurier, and more.
A Global Perspective
Laurier offers a variety of practical teaching experiences both locally and globally. In 2023, it is anticipated that there will be international teaching experiences as part of the Alternative Placements. In the past, Laurier Faculty of Education has planned trips to schools in Haiti, Nepal, Egypt, China, Italy and Finland.