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2.3 Career Opportunities

Eligibility to Teach in Alberta

Alberta provincial teaching certification is a two-stage process and it requires separate evaluations by separate governing bodies.

Alberta Education issues teaching certificates.
The Alberta Teachersâ€™ Association (ATA), through the Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS), determines salary.

Both evaluations are required to be eligible to teach in Alberta public schools.

Certification

To be eligible to teach in Alberta, a valid teaching certificate issued by the Province of Alberta is required. After the successful completion of the BEd program, a student may be recommended for an Alberta Interim Professional Certificate by the Werklund School of Education. Typically all of the required units needed for certification are included within the courses taken as a part of the BEd program.

Note: In order to meet certification requirements students who are in the Two-Year After-Degree BEd program are required to present 3 units in English Literature or French Literature in addition to the courses taken as a part of the BEd.

Typically, these are taken as a part of the studentâ€™s first degree, or they can be taken following the completion of the first degree, as they are required for admission into the BEd After-Degree program.

Teachers Certified in Other Jurisdictions

Teachers who have been certified to teach in other jurisdictions (other provinces and other countries) and who wish to teach in Alberta must contact Alberta Education, Teacher Development and Certification Branch to have their credentials evaluated.

Certification Enquiries

All enquiries concerning certification should be directed to the Alberta Education website.

Teacher Qualifications for Salary Purposes

Evaluations for salary purposes are determined by the Teacher Qualification Service (TQS), Alberta Teachersâ€™ Association, and not by Alberta Education or the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓÆµµ¼º½.

For more information, please refer to the Teacher Qualifications Service website.

Careers in Education

The majority of teacher education graduates can expect to work as kindergarten/elementary and/or secondary teachers. Indeed, the role of classroom teacher is one that permits graduates to work most closely with young people and allows for the greatest direct service to educational communities. The modern context of education demands that graduates be prepared to go beyond the traditional role of classroom teacher. To teach successfully, graduates must be prepared to work closely and effectively with students, colleagues, parents, and the community in virtually every aspect of educational decision-making. Furthermore, graduates must understand and embrace that it is imperative to extend their formal education throughout their careers. The successful completion of a BEd program is only the beginning of a teacher's academic and professional learning.

Increasingly, Education students are finding employment in community and workplace settings. Teachers develop numerous skills that are highly valued in community, government, and business organizations.

Many graduates will choose from one or more additional careers in education, nearly all of which require successful experience as a school-based practitioner, permanent professional certification, and a master's or doctoral degree in education:

Curriculum developer
Assessment designer
Administrator
Staff developer
Staff officer for a teachers' professional association
Author of instructional resources
College instructor
University professor

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