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Teacher - High School

"I am an educator and mentor. To be a high school teacher is a serious commitment. My day rarely ends at 3 p.m. nor my week on a Friday. There are students who need support and guidance and my job is to give them the tools to succeed in the classroom and in life. There are lots of highs and some lows too, but I tell my students that commitment and passion differentiate a successful student from the pack. The same can be said about teachers and mentors."

Salary Range:

$47,000 - $83,000

The Tip

Pick external certifications that align to your mission and build a plan to get these one by one. They not only signal expertise, they signal intentionality and focus.

Priority Knowledge & Skills
Advanced Research & Analysis Skills

  • Formulating research questions

  • Ability to critically analyze literature

  • Ability to develop and execute qualitative research

  • Ability to synthesize key themes from multiple sources

 

Contextual Knowledge

  • Knowledge of human behaviour

  • Understanding of context and values of audiences

  • Essential understanding of topics and themes as they relate to an audience

 

Advanced Communication Skills

  • Formulate and defend positions

  • Sensitivity to how communications is shaped by circumstances, authorship and intended audience

  • Formulate and defend positions

  • Apply written vocabulary to audience

Evidence-based Storytelling Skills

  • Ability to use research to develop an evidence-based story

  • Ability to generate story ideas

  • Ability to identify target audiences

  • Ability to create compelling narratives across media

 

Additional Skills

  • Excel in defined core transferable skills with a focus on transdisciplinary systems thinking, adaptive thinking, communication, organizational and interpersonal skills

  • Teaching certification

Building Block Experiences
Education & Learning:

  • Bachelor of Arts (English) with a minor in speech

  • Bachelor of Education

 

"I knew I wanted to study English and aspired to be a teacher. Doing a double major was a lot of work and took a lot of time, but it makes me highly competitive."

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Employment Experiences:

  • Camp counsellor in high school and university. My final year I was the sport program coordinator.

  • Undergraduate research assistant. Supported professor studying impact of communications technology on primary education.

  • Taught in South Africa for three years following graduation (private school)

  • High school English teacher for past five years. I also supervise the school newspaper, yearbook and debate team.

 

"I learned how to be flexible and thrive within ambiguity. I learned how to rely on others and to be relied upon. I got comfortable with a fast-paced environment with high potential for the unexpected. My experience allows me to control my emotions, so stressful situations don’t escalate. I practice the best ways to check in with people and how to defuse tension."

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Community Experiences:

 

"I have fallen in love with debate. Last year my school’s team went to the national competition. I spend a minimum of 20 hours a week with my debate students or coordinating regional competitions. The skills students develop in debate and speech club are hugely valuable and to see their progress is incredibly rewarding."

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Contextual Experiences:

  • Active in debate club at university. Made nationals my final two years.

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"Debate has become core to my DNA since university. Doing a major in English and a minor in speech was a perfect combination to support my development as a debater and educator."

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Relationships:

  • I have had mentors since university. These mentors ranged from English professors to engineers and executives.

 

"Debate research gave me a reason to cold call people for informational interviews to talk about their area of expertise and to learn more about their jobs. Today, I count many of the people I cold called for debate as friends and colleagues."

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