A typical day at work starts at 3:30pm after school hours. Depending on the area that you're assigned and depending on how many hours you work in a day (it varies to 4 Hours Part Time,3 Hours Part Time and 8 Hours Full Time) the more hours the more area that you need to cover, you're assigned specific areas that you have to maintained everyday, that includes multiple classrooms, washrooms and hallways. from disinfecting the classroom tables, sweeping and mopping, as well as replenishing paper towels/toilet paper in certain classrooms and hand soaps. I learned a lot in terms of time management within this job, that's why it is very important to keep up with your day to day tasks so that you don't fall behind if certain accidents happen in certain areas especially in the washrooms, trust me you never know what you'll walk into after school hours, especially in the washrooms :) make sure to replenish everything and double check them so that you don't have to worry about them and just focus on cleaning and disposing of trash as your night goes on. Workplace culture's great within the Public School Board, everyone is very helpful and supportive of each other and always there to lend a helping hand.
The hardest part of the job I would say would be when Winter Season comes and when Summer season is on, shovelling the snow will put your body to work for sure, but that only works for employees who works Full time and have undergone the training and safety, there are certain tasks tha
ProsWork Life Balance, Benefits, Long Term
ConsWinter Season
3.0
Educational Assistant | Calgary, AB | Oct 23, 2022
If you're lucky enough to avoid budget cuts for the first few years, you're safe, but not necessarily happy.
As a whole the company has good morals and values. Where it lacks, is the transparency between levels of employees. There are lots of things you don't discover until years into employment. If you're lucky enough to make it through budget cuts for the first few years, your seniority is enough to keep your position, but that all resets if you decide to start a different role within the company, restarting the anxious feeling of impending doom every April, knowing there is a chance you could be jobless the next year.
We have been stuck at the top of our wage ladder for at least the past decade, and it seems that nothing is being done about it, though they claim the contrary.
When there are disagreements between coworkers, the higher paid employee always wins, regardless of the situation. Also, if we have a problem with another coworker, we have to take it up with them first before making admin aware. This leads to sneaky behaviour and tip toeing around people which is unsafe. Their policies need a good reviewing to help the employees at this pay grade get a voice, and have it really count.
Over the years I have literally only met 3 people I didn't like and didn't get along with. Those people were in numerous different roles within my building. Every other person I ever came into contact with, was an absolute saint! So many amazing teachers, and so many skills to learn.
ProsEasy to make friends with coworkers, Ability to partake in fun lunches and field trips, Make a difference for a young person, Learn a wide variety of skills, Kids say and do the funniest things and will give you enough memories to last a lifetime
ConsIf you start at an established school you feel like an outsider, Admin often needs support and it effects everyone's morale negatively, Hypocritical, Not enough focus on employee well-being, You must be willing to sacrifice your sanity and social life to feel like you make a difference
Fast paced, vey large urban high school with amazing students and teachers.
As an assistant principal in a large urban high school every day is different. Challenges with students attending classes and being successful. Successes with students socially, emotionally, academically. Interacting with teachers and support staff to promote a safe and caring environment for everyone. Supporting students at extra curricular activities and meeting with parents and guardians in a different environment. the hardest part of the job is finding time in the day to complete/initiate all of the different tasks I see as key components for well rounded, successful students and dedicated compassionate teachers.
In a typical day I will work with the school librarian, the English teachers, Special Education students. I will walk the hallways to meet with students then visit classrooms to observe teaching practice and student engagement. I will support the community by supervising at lunch time in the neighbourhood to ensure students are being responsible citizens. After school I will attend various extra curricular events including football, volleyball, soccer, band concerts.
Parent meetings to support student success are also scheduled throughout the day as are teacher meetings to support in class work as well as address teacher concerns about specific students or the program of studies.
Assessment is a huge part of my professional development. I work with Learner Assessment Branch, Alberta Education throughout the year on various committees and
A typical day is about supporting the teacher support the students. Sometimes I'd work 1:1 with a student and other times in a small group.
The hardest part is working with students who have emotional outbursts. It can trigger you, it can be awful if you have a headache, and you can get physically hurt, pinched, bitten, etc. Most of the time it just means you need to learn about the student's needs more. Ask to read the educational assessment and OT and SLP assessment. There are so many tips in there. Also TALK TO PARENTS because they often know the child the best and can offer all kinds of tips. If the child is involved with special services, ask to be a part of their team meetings; you'll learn so much about how to support the student and help them have great days and educational gains. It's also an opportunity to share what you know about the student, what works, what doesn't, and maybe that will help someone else on the team be creative about solving a problem. Collaboration, communication, and consistency is really KEY in this role: partner with the teacher, the parents, other service providers (OT, SLP, etc), and the student.
Conssometimes trying to figure out what is causing a behaviour, advocating for services but budget constraints sometimes limit this.
4.0
Educational Assistant | Calgary, AB | Sept 2, 2018
Diverse place to work at with great benefits.
workplace culture really differs from school to school you work in. It also trickles down from frontline administration or your immediate supervisors and the teachers you work with. That dynamic shifts from school to school so definitely having a strong characteristic as an employee or as a support staff with good communication skills help to clear the lines of communication.
When working with for the CBE, the pros and cons are just as even. The families are diverse which can be great. The variety and spectrum of coverage of work can be a lot but also simplified. The support you will receive from the CBE is quite tremendous. They provide great benefits, pension and even a support program not just concentrating with work but for your regular life.
A bit of downfall is only having to work 30 hours as a maximum full-time hours presented to a support staff. The summers are also unemployment season, so definitely be prepared to apply for EI and look for temporary work during 2 to 3 months of no school.
Prossummers off, holidays off, great benefits, great pension plan, good outside work-life support with programs and outreach, diverse community
Consjob hours for next school year is never definite- depends on enrolments, summers off means no pay- EI and look for temp jobs.
2.0
Early Childhood Teacher | Calgary, AB | Jan 30, 2019
UNFAVORABLE for career development
Being in a school setting the most eventful is the ahah moment when a student "gets the concept" that is being taught ! What I have learnt is unless ur boss / principal is in your FAVOR, u can not survive in CBE! Higher management does have few flaws in terms they fail to offer the moral training to second level staff under them that always consider CBE priorities over their personal / school priorities. Thus all the managing problems arise when second level managers only consider their smaller priorities over the more wider and broader priorities in terms of planning / organising etc … Thus always "Please" ur BOss OR ELSE U ARE SCREWED . one wont even get the basic benefits that are mentioned in ur plan. one will not get to do ur professional development if u fail to have good relation ship and appease ur boss . Hardest part is training not being appropriate to second level managers . Most hard working grass root staff is not appreciated . day to day is stressful due to working with highly special needs students .workculture is depending on each school or department
Proson paper great benefits plan . some managers / principals are really very very awesome
Conssome how need to fix the flaws, esp at least train Principals / dept manager to always keep system priority top most
Enjoyable place to work as fun events would be put together to address, relieve the stresses of the work place
As a Supervisor a typical day at work involved teaching and supervising caretaking staff. Addressing the needs of the many buildings which included HVAC SYSTEMS, grounds, building envelopes, contractors, interacting with administration staff of schools and other admin. buildings.
My learning, work experience was constantly being upgraded through the many work shops that was offered through on sight, off sight, organizations such as Chemical Companies, OHS, HR, Sait.
My co-workers were a great group. We supported each other when needs and issues arose and the end result was improvement of the system.
Due to the nature of the position, it commanded a great deal of your time and tested your professional experience on a daily bases.
The enjoyable part of the job was seeing the positive effect that came out of a days work whether that was from a conflict resolution situation, or a mechanical solution that you were part of.
Prosalways having the opportunity to learn more and become more effective and efficient at what you did
Consunder staffed, which translated into long hours, but that was a given.
One of the worst organizations I have ever worked for
The organization espouses the position:”Students first…” which holds no meaning whatsoever. The organization is a bureaucratic monolith. In the 14 years I worked with the CBE I was repeatedly disappointed by much of the programming for children and how they treat staff which is extremely poorly. If I were a parent I wouldn’t want my children going to a cbe school and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to peers for employment. Teaches are disrespected and overloaded with demands beyond their capacities and skills, and professional and support staff are exceedingly undervalued and marginalized within the organization. As a taxpayer who supports public education, I have been appalled at the quality of programming for children and as an employee, shocked at the work conditions and the culture of the CBE. So many staff leave the CBE because they feel undervalued, disrespected and even those who attempt to effect change, eventually realize the futility of doing so. A terrible organization on so many levels, but especially from a management point of view.
The hours are flexible, but the days can be stressful especially when the schools bounce you around from class to class (usually for vacancy positions). The staff can either be very cold or super nice, depending on the school that you're at. You may end up subbing for years before you get considered for full time, and it's nearly impossible to get your permanent certificate if you're only a substitute.
CBE has been unsympathetic towards subs during COVID. Considering the scare with the pandemic especially during the first isolation period, it had severely affected my mental health (and I'm sure many others), which was reflected in the amount of days that I worked. The interim reviews they had sent out do not consider mental health as a factor in performance. As a sub you also do not get sustaining benefits that apply towards seeing a psychologist on a weekly/monthly basis.
ProsFlexible hours, challenging, good work/life balance
ConsCan be hectic, staff can be cold, difficult to move up, not many benefits for mental health
To Whom it May Concern,
I worked before as a lunch supervisor in Brentwood Elementary School. I served lunch to the children and some days the lunch was cheese sandwich, sausage sandwich, etc.
I also cooked meals like pasta with my staff. Also, I helped special needs children eat their lunch.
I set tables to prepare lunch for children. Then, I would clean the tables, dishes and sweep the floor. I put the rest of the food in the fridge.
I took the special needs children to the washrooms and help them wash their hands, brush their teeth, and comb their hair.
The hardest part of the job is to use different strategies with the special needs children in order to stimulate to do things, for example, eat their lunch.
The most enjoyable part of the job was when I was in the playground with the children because I would talk and play with them.
I learned patience from dealing with the children and use different strategies to stimulate the children in doing different activities.
ProsPlay with the children
ConsShort hours
Questions and answers about Calgary Board of Education
How should you prepare for an interview at Calgary Board Of Education?
Asked May 25, 2017
Know yourself what you're doing and the job you're getting in. Be confident that you can answer all the questions and be true your réponses.
Answered Aug 26, 2019
Research the role
Answered Jul 30, 2018
What questions did they ask during your interview at Calgary Board Of Education?
Asked Mar 31, 2017
how to intervene if two kids are fighting
Answered Mar 4, 2023
General questions in supporting Challenging behaviors in students
Answered Nov 29, 2022
How often do raises occur at Calgary Board Of Education?
Asked Jan 30, 2019
$1 a year for 5 years
Answered Nov 30, 2022
After probationary of 6 months then I don't know when is next raise going to be.
Answered Jun 21, 2020
On average, how many hours do you work a day at Calgary Board Of Education?
Asked Oct 15, 2018
8 hours/day
Answered May 29, 2019
8 hrs per day
Answered Mar 31, 2019
What is the company culture at Calgary Board Of Education?
Asked Mar 29, 2017
As a company it has great benefits and plans , but implementing it is very difficult as it is depending on department heads and principals . where personal interests come in place and then implementations go manipulated .
