COVID-19 Updates from the TEO

No, interim reports are standalone documents, and issues raised on interim reports do not necessarily get mentioned on final reports.

This year, the situation is quite different with supplementals. In previous years, they were recommended to teacher candidates who completed the entire 10-week extended practicum, made significant progress, but still needed more time to improve to a passing standard. This year, supplementals are being assigned to most TCs as a result of the COVID-19 situation and the fact that face-to-face instruction has been greatly restricted — so TCs who have been granted ‘supps’ are not necessarily going to be viewed in a lesser light than other TCs.

As for reports, in most cases TCs will decide to send only the final report from the supplemental practicum to prospective employers; that said, this year it may not be unusual if TCs decide to send the final report from their remote/online experience as well. It is the TC’s prerogative which reports they wish to provide to school districts.

If activities are going on in schools, and you are asked/invited to participate, you are free to do so if they are abiding by the rules of the Provincial Health Officer, and you feel comfortable with entering the site.

This will depend on the circumstances surrounding your fall practicum. Some TCs will retain the same FA, others may not. Each case will be treated on an individual basis.

Teacher candidates may withdraw from the virtual practicum and opt for a supplemental in the fall. The additional weeks in the fall are an ‘extension’ of the currently registered extended practicum (EDUC 418, 419, 421, 495 or 496) and therefore, is included in the tuition paid in Winter 2019.

Yes. The criteria/guidelines for the online practicum have been shared with all faculty advisors and teacher candidates since this question was asked.

A supplemental practicum is six weeks. Typically, we ask teacher candidates to volunteer for two weeks prior to the start of the experience to establish relationships with students and advisors. Ideally, we like to start supplemental practicums in September but this may be a challenge to arrange if schools are still closed in June.

Absence due to illness of any kind for a few days can be accommodated. Extended absences will likely result in the need for a Standing Deferred.

Ideally, and initially, it was 10 continuous weeks. Given the circumstances with COVID-19, we have been given permission by the certifying body to accept 10 weeks of cumulative time in schools, which would include time spent on the short practicum and weekly visits, along with a certain component of time being spent in an online capacity.

Teacher candidates can share units and lessons with FAs in the usual manner, but actual observations may differ greatly from traditional methods. If possible, FAs may be able to “participate” in online lessons as a spectator in video conferences. If other forms of lessons are developed, TCs are encouraged to actively engage their FAs in these lessons as much as possible.

No, the prescribed teaching load requirements will no longer apply. FAs will guide teacher candidates as to appropriate teaching loads based on individual situations. Due to the vastly different teaching environment most schools will be engaging in, no specific teaching loads will be required.

When you return to work with your school advisor, expect to support the school advisor within the framework provided. It will be a collaborative approach. We are not requiring teacher candidates to meet the expectations outlined in the Practicum Guidelines (e.g., 80% teaching load for four weeks).

They may be. It will depend on a number of factors, but there is no reason why you can’t add a reference who is associated with your CFE.

Visit our CFE projects showcase page

• Physical and Health Education – creating a website to enhance physical activities at home
• Garden educational videos – How to start a community garden
• Supporting cousins, nieces and nephews with learning
• Instructional video – How to incorporate First Peoples worldviews and perspectives to make connections to mathematical concepts
• Virtual tours of an historic area
• French language development for Intensive French
• Indigenous education – Create curriculum around home languages for your home communities
• Science 7 - A series of flipped lessons on electromagnetic force
• How to create an effective podcast
• Starting a campaign to support the Food Bank
• Supporting vulnerable learners, children of essential service workers, ELL learners with remote learning
• Connecting with organizations like the Covenant House or mental health organizations to work with children and youth
• Starting a neighbourhood “bike library” where kids can borrow a bike until they outgrow it. Then exchange the bike for a larger one.

Policies for social distancing have been put in place by the schools/school districts at this time. Please speak to your FA first.

There are no restrictions in this regard.

The CFE is not a requirement by the Teacher Certification Branch; rather, it is a requirement for the UBC Bachelor of Education degree. When the CFE takes place in situ, teacher candidates are expected to participate for 15 full days (a minimum of 5 hours per day) and an assignment is comprised of weekly reflections. The CFE this year will involve modification to an alternate format and will involve the completion of an assignment associated with the online learning environment, in which all TCs will be teaching this spring. Specific details will be shared with FAs/TCs shortly.

If a TC postpones the CFE, they would be returning to the program in spring 2021 to complete the community field experience. This is definitely an option.

Our CFE partners change every year, so we will ask you to re-register for the CFE in the fall of the year you return. If your initial CFE partner is still participating in the CFE, we will explore the possibility of you returning to them.

As much as we can, we will of course advocate for your concerns. Again, many of the financial issues are beyond the immediate control of the Faculty of Education, so we cannot guarantee to what degree our voice will be heard by the larger University — but we will do our best.

As far as the TEO is aware, the standard additional fee that UBC charges for distance education courses does not apply, given the current extraordinary circumstances.

This would be something to take up with Enrolment Services. As mentioned during the Town Hall, the Faculty of Education does not set policies in this regard, as these matters are determined by the University itself.

Teacher candidates may need to navigate their concerns around their rental agreements directly with their landlords if their program timeline extends beyond 11 months. If issues involve UBC housing, it’s advised to contact es.edusupport@ubc.ca and UBC Housing.

Tuition fees remain the same, as teacher candidates will be completing the registered courses. The extended practicum is a 12-credit course and the CFE is a 1-credit course. The CFE is a mandatory component of the BEd program. For student fees information, please contact es.edusupport@ubc.ca and an Enrolment Services Advisor assisting BEd students will be able to answer.

Awards and prizes will be adjudicated as they typically have been, based on TC performance (coursework) and faculty nominations. The language of the awards themselves determine the criteria for consideration (that means the donor and gifts offices); but awards will be given in August as per typical, based on all possible criteria to date as it will be within the awards cycle. Outstanding Practicum will be nominated by FAs in consultation with SAs (this is not a financial award).

Post-secondary institutions and student associations in British Columbia have worked with TransLink to temporarily suspend the U-Pass BC program as of May 1, 2020. The U-Pass fee has been removed from students' 2020 Summer assessment as services have been suspended. For more details, please visit this link or contact an ESA at es.edusupport@ubc.ca.

This is really a question that should be posed to school districts. We can only speculate about what is going in with districts, but given the current situation it is probably safe to say that TTOCs are not being assigned as much as they normally would. Whether this leads to eventual layoffs is up to each individual school district.

You need to apply to both the Teacher Certification Branch (TCB) and the Teachers Qualification Service (TQS). The TCB certifies you, and the TQS determines your correct salary category.

That is beyond the scope of the Faculty, as the University has a specific branch (Ceremonies & Events) that arranges graduation. So you should stay in contact with that group to stay updated on your graduation ceremony. As far as photos go, you can obtain information about this by visiting this link.

We advise you to leave it unchecked at this time; we will be in communication with the TCB about the application process and will advise at a later date if any changes need to be made to your application.

If teacher candidates complete 10 weeks with a combination of face-to-face and online teaching, teacher candidates should expect to be fully certified.

When final grades are entered for all courses (end of summer term 2), the program coordinator (for elementary & middle years or secondary) is able to provide a letter confirming that a teacher candidate (internationally hired) will graduate and on what date. The letter is signed and date stamped, and the confirmation suffices in the interim until the teacher candidate is able to send their official transcript to the employer indicating the Bachelor of Education degree credential on the transcript. We can provide the letters to TCs for this purpose. We require evidence of having been offered a position and we can write it as soon as all final grades are entered on their academic record (i.e., end of summer term 2).

Teacher candidates can open their accounts on Make a Future and apply for job postings. They can upload their cover letters and resumes to their account. What is not available yet to upload are final reports. However, these are not expected until after May 15 (for secondary TCs). When they are received, TCs can add them to their accounts. Teacher candidates are recruited every year by school districts while their programs are in progress. They are hired and then whether they remain in their contracts depends upon the school district being notified of their successful graduation and teacher certification.

Many districts, including Surrey, Richmond, Langley and North Vancouver, are currently hiring and actively processing applications. Visit Make a Future for opportunities.

We are communicating regularly with the University to determine their policies behind allowing individuals into buildings. Currently, faculty and staff are still not allowed into the Scarfe Building, so we are still at a point where students will not be able to pick up their belongings from lockers. When we receive word of any changes to this policy, we will let you know immediately.