Alternative Practicum
For more information on the Alternative Practicum in general, please see the Practicum Office’s web site.
The Alternative Practicum in an International School
The topic for the Alternative Practicum should be consistent with one of the goals of your particular FOCI course. Your FOCI instructor will facilitate and approve your topic and location, except in the case of practica in international schools. Education Career Services will facilitate these practica.
If you are considering completing your practicum in an international school, you need to consult with Education Career Services before contacting a school and arranging the practicum. We have an extensive network of international schools that we can access – working through us protects that network, and can expedite your Alt Prac arrangements. Many school administrators are more likely to answer emails from our office rather than emails from unknown people.
Even if your best friend/sister/brother/cousin is teaching in an international school and is willing to talk to the school director to make arrangements, you still must consult with us first. There may be other Teacher Candidates who have requested to do an Alt Prac in that school, and we may have already been in touch with that school. Directors want to be contacted by someone in our office. Alt prac arrangements have been previously denied if contact has not been made through our office.
Drop into Education Career Services to make an appointment!
Things to Consider
First and foremost, the Alternative Practicum is a professional development opportunity. You need to consider what kind of professional experience you are seeking, while also considering the goals of your particular FOCI course. Consult your FOCI instructor first to make sure that an Alt Prac in an international school will fulfill that goal. Then consult with us to see if an international school matches your goals.
You need to check the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) website to ensure that the country and region of the country you are intending to head to is safe. In the "Advisories" section, if the country or the region of the country has a warning of Avoid non-essential travel or Avoid all travel then Queen’s will not approve the Alternative Practicum placement. Complete the Off-Campus Safety Procedure (OCASP) Form once you placement has been arranged and approved.
Holidays in international schools are not the same as in holiday dates in our program. You must make sure that the school is actually open during the Alt Prac period. The dates of the 3-week Alternative Practicum are March 17 - April 4, 2014 preceded by our March Break, March 10 - 14, 2014. If an international school is closed for one of the weeks within that four week window, it is still possible to complete an Alt Prac at that international school.
Housing is one of the most challenging issues with the Alt Prac. International schools are not required to provide housing to our Teacher Candidates. Many schools are happy to advise, but not all. Education Career Services is not able to arrange your housing. We can advise and suggest, but arrangements in most cases must be made by you.
Teacher Candidates are required to make all travel arrangements and research visas needed for entry into a country.
This practicum is to be financed by you. There is a travel bursary available, but it is competitive, and will only cover some of the costs of the practicum – housing and travel expenses. It is possible to arrange an Alt Prac that is conditional upon receiving the bursary. Please see more information about the Elliott/Upitus/Bamji Travel Fellowship and click on the blue heading 'Final Year Concurrent and Consecutive Education'.