Before we left New Zealand, I had worked out that I couldn't teach easily in British Columbia. During teacher training, BC teachers are trained in the province's curriculum. Therefore, I would need to do some extra study to become qualified in British Columbia - which sounds expensive and like way too much of a hassle. However, working as a Teacher Aide instead, (or Education Assistant as they are called here) ticked lots of boxes:

  • work with children
  • in a school/classroom setting
  • learn some new skills
  • set hours
  • good pay (about equivalent to what I was earning as a 2nd-year teacher in New Zealand)

Within the province, schools are grouped into districts. The school district manages many administrative duties for the schools, including hiring new staff. All job vacancies are advertised on a centralised website for the province, called Make a Future. I applied for several Education Assistant jobs across a few different districts in early/mid-January. Each time I found a position in a new district to apply for, I would have to create a new profile before uploading my certificates, police check, cover letter, resume (not a CV - we're in Canada, eh?!) etc. - a slow, time-consuming process.

We arrived in Vancouver at the beginning of February, and I had not had a response from any of the jobs I had applied for. It was all a bit disheartening, to be honest! Surely, my New Zealand teaching qualification and experience should count for something?!

Almost 3 weeks after applying for a position (a few days after arriving in Vancouver), I got an email from the Vice Principal of a School on the North Shore, asking if I was still interested in an Educational Assistant position I had previously applied for. It is a small school, with a large number of high needs students, in a fairly rural area (by Vancouver, not by Auckland standards) and the position is only temporary until the end of the school year in June. This combination of factors had meant that the district was finding the role challenging to fill and were having the school look independently for suitable candidates.

After a short phone interview, I was invited to the school to meet with the Principal and Vice Principal. Both were very warm and welcoming! They asked lots of questions about my training, experience and teaching/classroom philosophy - all of which seem quite similar to schools and learning in British Columbia. The role they were looking to fill, was in a First Grade class (equivalent to Year 2 in New Zealand), with a challenging group of children, supporting the classroom teacher with their learning and behaviour. Sounds like a perfect fit for me! I left the interview feeling really positive about it all and was offered the position the following day! YAY!

From what I see in the media, there is a massive teaching shortage in British Columbia (sound familiar, teaching friends?) and more funds have recently been allocated by the province to ease the pressure on schools. With this in mind, it almost feels a bit hasty to accept the first job that I am offered (or have even had a response from), but meh. This is a foot in the door and a starting point to getting settled in Vancouver!

In the meantime, we are off to Whistler for a few days of skiing/snowboarding, and I start working the week after.

Bring it on!