here . Anna says , “ My world collapsed . Teaching is the job I ’ m trained for . Now I was being told I can ’ t teach !” Anna , in an attempt to salvage her self-worth , took a job at a fast food restaurant . But this did not prove satisfying for her . She says , “ Working there , I thought , this job is not for me . Every night I was in tears . This was not what I dreamt of .”
However , with Paulo ’ s encouragement and support , Anna organized her credentials , transcripts , and papers and submitted them to Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board . When she heard back about what would be required , Paulo suggested , “ Why don ’ t you go back to school ?” So Anna applied , and was accepted to the Faculty of Education , University of Regina . Paulo ’ s parents then came to visit from the Philippines so they could look after their children while Anna upgraded her education .
The next step was to meet with Nicole Glas in the Student Services Centre , whom Anna found , “ very supportive . She arranged everything so it worked perfectly .” Anna needed to take three courses to become certified to teach in Saskatchewan .
When Anna asked why she needed any more classes because she had already finished 30 units of an MA in math education in the Philippines , she was informed that the courses were necessary to learn the Saskatchewan curriculum . That made sense , so Anna took the required three education classes in reading , physical education , and science . All that was left was the TESOL English test .
By that time , Anna was a mother of three ( a surprise new baby ), and working as an assistant with a research unit in the Faculty of Education . “ I was actually happy working in the Unit ,” she says . “ I was reconsidering being a teacher because I enjoyed working at the University . But it came to a point that the work was becoming less challenging , and I realized I needed to be in the classroom .” Anna began teaching as a sessional in math education courses at the University , and with the support and gentle pushes of colleagues such as Dr . Michael Tymchak , Julie Machnaik , and Dr . Vi Maeers , she decided to take the next step : she signed up to take the TESOL test on a Friday , took the test on Saturday , and passed . Ordinarily there is at least a week to study before taking the test , and many often have to retake it , so this was an extraordinary feat ! Anna says , “ It made a difference that I wasn ’ t at home ; I was working , so I was listening , reading , writing , and speaking in English daily , which helped a lot .”
Anna then applied to the Regina Catholic School Division and was hired for a split position at St . Dominic Savio . She is now in her fourth year of teaching with Regina Catholic Schools . Teaching is going well for Anna . She says she enjoys teaching in Canada even more than the exclusive dream job in the Philippines . “ All aspects are better ,” says Anna . “ In Canada I am treated as a professional . People acknowledge you for what you are doing . People are not squashing you down ; they are pushing you up . I feel valued . I can see the different kinds of people here , and I can see that in our environment , I am treated equally . I am surrounded by people who are respectful . Even though I loved the job in the Philippines , here the people I am working with are absolutely amazing . Financially , it is rewarding , too . At the exclusive school I was above average income . Here my years of teaching are acknowledged in my salary .”
Still , even with this glowing report , there are still difficulties . Anna says , “ Teaching students in a different country , that is a struggle . It ’ s the communication piece — I don ’ t speak as fluent as other teachers .” Anna explains that the way she pronounces words is due to being taught English by a Filipino , who learned from another Filipino . Anna feels fortunate to have had a teacher coach who assisted her when she started teaching in Regina . “ They [ the administration ] knew I was not speaking in my first language and that I have to teach English . So , a teacher coach was given to me for a few months to teach me different strategies for teaching English .” The support she receives from colleagues gives Anna the sense that school is an extended family . “ I ’ m not here just to teach , to do a job . No , this is like another family !”
Anna is now teaching at St . Peter School , which she says is “ a good fit for me .” The school has a diverse school population with about 55 % of students from countries other than Canada , and many of these students
are from the Philippines . Not only is Anna helping newcomer families with information about how their children can be successful at school and in the community , she is working to assist other internationally educated teachers ( IETs ) to become certified to teach in Canada . Anna has had many other IETs reach out to her , wondering how to go about becoming qualified to teach in Canada . So , she decided to form a supportive group to assist these teachers . Anna is also involved with a University of Regina research project with Dr . Xia Ji and Julie Machnaik exploring a bridging program for IETs in Saskatchewan . And she has led two Filipino information sessions for the University .
Anna says , “ I salute all those who were teachers back in their home countries , but who are not teaching here . If you ask them what they are doing , they are often caretakers or doing something other than teaching . They have degrees ; they have education degrees ! How come they aren ’ t teaching ? Is it because they don ’ t know how to start ? Maybe they were discouraged by other people and they just believed those people . The thing you should know is what you want to do in your life . For me , my passion is teaching ,” says Anna .
Thinking back on her experience , Anna advises IETs currently hoping to teach in Canada : “ You have to hold on ; you have to believe that even though others are turning you down , you can teach here , if you have the drive and passion to continue .” Knowing that teaching was her passion , that teaching was what she really wanted to do , helped Anna find her pathway to success .” �
By Shuana Niessen
Postcard calling internationally educated teachers to contact the Faculty of Education to explore individualized pathways to becoming a teacher in Canada . Photo credit and design : Shuana Niessen
Education News | Page 11