Educational background
Advice for new students
Trust your gut. To make it this far into a Master's program means you have done something right to lead you here. Pace yourself. The program does not need to be finished immediately. Apply all new learning to your immediate context. Even if your focus is on administration, there are so many teachable moments from the PME path that can be applied to classrooms, offices, and the broader community. Read. A 400-page textbook is daunting, however if you spend the extra time to read through all course material and search for your own material, the assessments and discussion posts become easier. When I first applied in 2020, I was working as a Vice Principal in a remote location in Northwest British Columbia. Fast forward 5 years later and I am now teaching grade 8 in Owen Sound, Ontario. My initial reason was because Queen's was a recognized institution by the BC teacher certification organization. I completed a specialist program through Queen's and always found the instructors relatable, practical, and supportive. Queen's also has a strong reputation amongst educational circles and it was the perfect fit for what I wanted my career to become.
Why did you choose this program?
When I first applied in 2020, I was working as a Vice Principal in a remote location in Northwest British Columbia. Fast forward 5 years later and I am now teaching grade 8 in Owen Sound, Ontario. My initial reason was because Queen's was a recognized institution by the BC teacher certification organization. I completed a specialist program through Queen's and always found the instructors relatable, practical, and supportive. Queen's also has a strong reputation amongst educational circles and it was the perfect fit for what I wanted my career to become.
How do you fit this program into your life?
My children are very active with sports. Throughout the last several years every sports practice was an opportunity for me to read course content. I loved having the quiet time observing my children with gaining new knowledge. Of course, there were some tight deadlines as report cards, university work, and life all seemed to be due at the same time. But, with careful planning and using each weekend to be productive got me to the end successfully.
What was one moment of the program that stood out for you?
In order to be accepted, I required a certain GPA level from my undergraduate studies. However, my GPA did not meet the standards set out by Queen's so I had asked my district superintendent to write me a personalized recommendation letter. This letter was what pushed my application into the endzone and got me accepted. By the time I was accepted, I had already resigned from my position in BC, and was headed to Ontario to start a new adventure. The timing of receiving my acceptance letter made the difficult process of packing up and moving house across the country so much more meaningful and I will never forget that feeling.