Korean Job Discussion Forums

Lao Wai · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Location: East Coast Canada

Hey,

I just read an article in the Ontario College of Teacher's publication called 'Professionally Speaking'. It looks at responses from teachers and compares them to other occupational groups and to the labour force as a whole. Here are some of the highlights:

75% of teachers in Canada are women.
95% of teachers in Canada are white.
47% of teachers in Canada are over the age of 45.

This is just great. when I go back home to teach I'll be working with old, white women. I'm 27 and male. Fun times ahead, I see.

Here's a link to the article.

http://www.oct.ca/publications/professionally_speaking/march_2007/how_do_teachers_compare.asp

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

I am guessing that Canada faces the same problem as Australia...

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

You are a male wanting to be a teacher in Canada? You are a brave man. I wouldnt touch that environment with a 10 foot pole.

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

VanIslander · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject:

a young bull shouldn't be afraid of a den of cougars

Lao Wai · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Location: East Coast Canada

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

I wanted to take some pics of students in my class here, and asked my director. He was surprised that I asked. He grew up in Australia, but has been back here for 10 years and probably missed that change...

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Lao Wai · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Location: East Coast Canada

This thread (which I started), has got me thinking about being a male teacher. To be honest, when I was teaching in Canada I didn't give it much thought. EXCEPT, as to what the other posters said about never being alone with a student and the no touching thing. That's fine with me because I'm not a touchy person anyway and I don't want the kids touching me either! I taught grade three students and they were totally cool with me being a guy. We had a great old time. I also taught grade seven. They were also fine as well. Although, on the last day of my internship, one of my students said 'Mr. Lao Wai, I would hug you but I think it's illegal'. I said 'yeah...I think you might be right'.

As for the parents, they didn't seem to care that I was a guy either. We had parents come in to volunteer and they were really friendly. Incidentally, I ended up teaching two brothers when I was doing my internships (one in grade 3, one in grade 7) at two different schools. Their mother told me both her sons really liked me, and enjoyed my classes. My second co-operating teaching was a guy and there were a fair number of other men on staff. When I was going to school I had male teachers as class teachers for grades 5 and 6, and then for various subjects for each grade thereafter. Maybe that's why, when I decided to become a teacher, I didn't think other people might find it unusual. I still don't think the majority of people have enough time nowadays to really care. As long as their kid is content, I think they'll be happy with the teacher, regardless of gender.

Doogie · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: Hwaseong City

My sister in law is a high school teacher in Toronto. She has been trying to convince me to go back home (sometime) and go to teacher's college. She says the demographics spell HUGE potential for new teachers. In Ontario anyway, a huge glut of teachers are going to be retiring in the next 5-10 years. That would certainly explain the trend to older people.