Overall reviews at Toronto District School Board
3.0
grow professionally in another field or elsewhere!
Oh my, there's a lot to say about this place...
First off, being a supply CYW is great experience & money, but do not expect to get a permanent job or LTO easily. It takes time & connections to obtain any one of those. You will supply for YEARS. There is no guarantee of day to day work & you will definitely NEED to get a second & may even third job to make ends meet!
In the last few years, the Board has been cutting CYW positions like crazy. The KIP program will be closing at the end of June 2020 & High School Resource CYWs were assigned to work between 2 schools in September 2019. Talk about poor advancement...
Another thing is about the schools. Your sanity & work experience will greatly depend on the support and involvement of admin. Some places will treat you with respect & have an understanding of the CYW role. Others do not care & treat CYWs horribly. It is important that you have a VERY good understanding of your duties & stand up for yourself. If you don't, you will be taken advantage of.
Lastly, I heed warning to any CYW that applies to work here. This board is one of the very few education system that recognizes the CYW role in a professional capacity in comparison to others. Yet, there is still a long way to go, as there is no official certification for us in Ontario. I highly recommend furthering your education (BSW, MSW, OCT) & go from there. There will be more, better paid opportunities on the horizon for you.
Prosthe experience will prepare you for pretty much ANYTHING
Consvery inconsistent, positions are being cut, limited long-term career opportunities
4.0
Good working environment
My experience working with the Toronto District School Board was a memorable one. As an occasional teacher, I was responsible for my personal professional growth by attending Additional Qualification Courses to maintain and sustain my professional judgment and skills in a growing technological society. A typical day was unpredictable because my jobs relied on the outgoing calls of job vacancies. Usually, when I established a relationship with a school I would provide my employee information to the teachers to pre book my jobs in advance. I felt that was extremely helpful in providing predictability and structure in my day. I loved working as an occasional teacher and supply teacher because it gave me an idea of how each school culture changed based on the demographics of the school locations. I felt that hardest part of the job was trying to find permanent jobs that helped anchor a foundation in my professional growth. It was a difficult job working with so many schools and teachers because I never fully grew as a permanent teacher at one school. I worked extremely hard to get hired at the school board and I found it helped with my character growth as a person. I fully enjoyed being a teacher and will always be a teacher at heart.
ProsSalary, vacation days, status
Conshard to find permanent job
4.0
Productive and fun environment
As a summer student for the TDSB I was able to work within various environments with a diverse community of people, while at the same time remaining with my assigned group of coworkers on a daily basis. While the job was quite demanding on occasion, my coworkers made my job at the TDSB feel like home. During my 5 years at the board, management switched over every year, and each new manager was always welcoming and easy to talk to. If my workplace environment ever got uncomfortable on a rare occasion, I was treated with the utmost respect by management. The hardest part of this job was the demanding physical labour and problem solving skills. This job really required me to be able to move large pieces of furniture across schools, and work at a fast pace. While some days were quite demanding, I always felt respected and appreciated for the jobs I was assigned to do. The most enjoyable part of the job were the friendships I have made and continue to keep. This position really did go to show that the people around you and their positive attitudes really are a key role in a workplace environment and can positively impact the efficiency and happiness of a company's employees.
5.0
wonderful place to work
I have had a variety of experiences in different situations with youth ageing from 6 to 24 years of age. These include group homes, school settings, camp settings and shelters. I have had many success stories while working with these youth. I have experience working in the different cultural regions of Toronto and have experience working with mental health, behaviour and addictions as well. I have also just recently had the opportunity to co-ordinate a summer camp program for a community in Toronto that is at risk.
You will find me to be very relaxed and able to deal with any situation that may arise. I am able to remain calm and deal with issues with assertiveness, and utilize a behavioural cognitive discussion to help resolve the problem. As I stated before, I have experience working with behaviours, and have managed to have some youth come around and learn different ways of dealing with their anger, simply by speaking with them (not at them) and offering different options to try.
Although I currently reside in Barrie, I am more than willing to transfer to where I am needed, providing the employment opportunities are there.
5.0
Amazing school
A typical day at work could be challanging due to the various needs of the students. This school is inner city school that is located in high priority neighbourhood in the westend of Toronto. What makes up for the behavioural issues is the amazing people that work in this school. Due to the fact that I am a occassional teacher who sometimes gets long term teaching positions I have been fortunate enought to work with the teacher from every division. While working with my grade teams I have learned that they are all worderful hardworking people who would do anything to support each other to meet the unique individual needs of every child in this school. As for the adminstration, they are two very supportive individuals who understand that without their continued support for both or professional growth and daily school life things would not be as positive as they are in this school. You can always count on this admin to help you through anything. The only regret I have from this place is that I was not able to get full-time permanant work due to low enrollement.
ProsAmazing group of people to work with
ConsHigh needs students
4.0
Great Job which I loved
The typical day started at about 8am with my arrival at school. I would open my day book and review the lesson I had planned at home or before leaving school the day before. I would go to the office and pick up my mail and attendance sheets. I would open the classroom 15 minutes before class started. I would teach nearly the whole 75 min period stopping only for group activities and guided practice. I would never mark in class since the kids usually needed guidance and help.
Teaching taught me to be a lifelong learner and I generally liked most of my bosses and co-workers. I now know that the hardest part of my job went neglected, namely co-worker relationships. By working too hard for the classroom (kids) I alienated some of my co-workers.
I now know that the trust I build with kids I should have built with all fellow teachers.
The most enjoyable part of my life in teaching is the ongoing knowledge recognition and remediation of my mistakes has made me a better person both at home and at work.
ProsWorking in trusting relationships with kids
ConsMy shortcomings in not reaching out to all fellow teachers.
3.0
Never again
As a full-time teacher, your experience is largely contingent on the school and the amount of support you receive. I was a new teacher at a rougher school and received very minimal support.
I had one grade six class of 30 kids in which half of them had SEVERE behavioural issues and were operating at a grade one/two level. It was impossible to actually teach, and the academic progress of the other, "normal"-functioning students suffered immensely.
The integration of special needs children into "regular" classrooms does NOT work and is an all-around gong-show. It is a FAILED experiment, is not backed by any evidence whatsoever, and should be scrapped immediately. The only people it hurts are all of the students involved.
I had a permanent, full-time teaching position and quit after only a year, as I felt I was operating in a structurally defunct system, and my mental health was on the brink of collapse. It is the best decision I have ever made.
ProsStable career, great pension
ConsVery little work-life balance, extremely draining, impossibly demanding on many levels
5.0
Relaxed and comfortable work environment
A typical day at work during the night shift in May and June would involve going from room to room and taking out garbage, sweeping, vacuuming, cleaning washrooms, and cleaning up any messes. I would get a dinner break and lock up my section of the building at the end of the shift. A typical day shift in July and August would involve doing the summer clean up: taking everything out of classrooms,
I learned how to manage time in order to complete all tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
The management was easy going, responsible and checked in on us from time to time. My co-workers were all older than me and worked full time, but they were easy to relate to and I enjoyed seeing them every day.
The hardest part of the job was the continuous heavy lifting of desks and other equipment. The most enjoyable part of the job was finishing each room and the satisfaction that arose from that.
Prosworking with fun people and self-management of time
Consearly mornings and late nights
5.0
Excellent
The TDSB is a very equitable, dynamic employer that makes the needs and safety of all students top priority. As an occasional teacher who regularly works at different schools, I teach in a variety of classrooms ranging from JK to grade 8. As such, I am always learning new and effective teaching strategies. Frequent interaction between myself, new students, staff and administrators greatly promotes my professional development. When I first started working as an occasional teacher five years ago, it was sometimes challenging to adjust to unfamiliar schools and classrooms. However, I am very good at adapting to new teaching situations, as I am very flexible, friendly and personable. As a TDSB occasional teacher, every day is an exciting and fulfilling new adventure. I always endeavour to create a safe and fair classroom environment for the students where learning is interesting and fun.
ProsStrong emphasis on diversity, equity.
Consnone
2.0
Poor organization if you're aspirational
This organization is ancient in every aspect. Leadership at all levels is really poor. Managers are over paid and given the right to harass others.
Leaders do not walk the talk in any sense. Highly bureaucratic and hierarchical organization that only talks about equity for all. The irony is that the ones talking about it are practicing inequity and harassment at their own levels and find it okay when it comes to them.
Organization only looks good from the outside. It is highly ancient in everything inside. They do not even follow simple performance management procedures.
If someone wants to take their career back to square - go for it! Beware of losing your mental and physical well being. You will also realize that you are losing confidence in yourself and your own skills. Toxic environment!
ProsBenefits
ConsPoor leaders - who only talk and fail to walk the talk
