Training the Next Generation of Educators
From February through April this year, nine aspiring teachers from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and the Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University joined Crescent’s student teacher program. The program, overseen by Crescent’s Centre for Boys’ Education (CCBE), builds awareness of, and creates a pipeline for future teachers in independent schools and boys’ education, while also encouraging reflective practice among current faculty who mentor the student teachers.
Formally established last year, it is led by Dr. David Calverley, CCBE Advisor in Professional Learning and Upper School faculty member. “Dr. Calverley champions our student teachers,” says Dr. Sandra Boyes, Executive Director of the CCBE. “He’s working with universities to draw talent to Crescent, and he's a wonderful mentor.”
Over the course of their placement, the student teachers attend staff meetings, lead classes, and even participate in parent-teacher interviews. They’re also exposed to the power of relational learning. “I told my student teachers that if they encountered a boy who was a bit of a challenge, just get to know him,” Calverley says. “Don’t raise your voice. If you take 10 minutes to have a conversation, you help build a bond of trust, and your student becomes easier to work with.” Calverley emphasizes that students should feel comfortable walking into a classroom, and relationships form the bedrock of productive, positive learning at Crescent.
The program helps address misconceptions among teachers entering the workforce. Both Boyes and Calverley note that many faculties of education aren’t aware that CAIS-affiliated schools like Crescent are provincially accredited, that teachers are part of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and uphold a rigorous academic curriculum. This causes a bias toward the public system, with independent schools often treated as “alternative placements” rather than mainstream options and affecting whether student teachers consider working in schools like Crescent at all.
By building a robust student teacher program at Crescent, Calverley hopes to attract more attention from teacher education programs. To make connections, he writes to faculties of education, introducing them to Crescent and the independent school system, pointing out how many graduates from their program are now working at Crescent, and strategically timing his messages, but it’s still a “tough nut to crack.”
Rather than stump Calverly, these challenges have intensified his passion as an enthusiastic advocate for relational learning and Crescent’s culture as an educational institution. “I tell the student teachers that independent schools offer a unique opportunity,” says Calverley. “You've had your public school placements, and public schools are great. But here's a chance to see a different type of school.”
