The top 10 reasons to do an exchange teaching year in Canada
Reflections of an Australian exchangee
So you’re thinking about doing an exchange year in Canada? But you’re unsure. It all seems too hard. There are lots of forms to fill in, deadlines to meet. Your best friend might be getting married soon. Perhaps a promotion beckons if you stay put in Australia for one more year. There will always be excuses to postpone an exchange experience, but what about the reasons to just pack up and go?
Inspired by The Late Show with David Letterman and his nightly top 10 compilations – which seem to alternate from the ridiculous to the sublime - here are my top 10 reasons (in reverse order) for doing an exchange teaching year in Canada.
Cue the drum roll…….
10. Summer Holidays
Compared to most professions, Australian teachers are blessed with 6 weeks of Christmas holidays. However, this pales in significance when compared to the summer break that our Canadian colleagues enjoy. This year, I did not teach a single student from the 13th of June through to the 5th of September. It provided me with the ideal opportunity to have an extended holiday in the northern hemisphere. By traveling during the hottest part of their year, I avoided the usual frigid temperatures of December and January and was able to experience many locales that would be otherwise inaccessible. The lengthy summer break is an essential component of the Canadian school system; the thought of it alone was enough to get me through the freezing nights and 16 straight teaching weeks at the beginning of the school year.
9. Halloween, Homecoming & Hockey
We just don’t have these events down under! Sure we have festivals and costume parties, but Halloween celebrations in Canada are more about the adults than the candy. Teachers, bus drivers, office staff, doctors and hosts of other professionals get dressed up to celebrate in style every October. Houses are decorated with spooky and delicately carved pumpkins, helping the streets to come alive as kids of all ages enthusiastically trick or treat for sweets. Homecoming is not as widely celebrated, or grandiose, as the American version, but it is still a popular event where the students get dressed up in their finest clothes, elect a school king and queen and dance the night away. A very different cultural experience to the traditional Year 12 Ball in Australia, homecoming is a vibrant part of the Canadian school calendar. Supporting ice hockey during winter in North America, put simply, is compulsory. Even non sports fans can’t help but be caught up in the spirit when the puck drops on hockey night in Canada. The passion and intensity of the fans rivals the best English soccer supporters, just without the violence! It has taken me almost a year, but I am positively hooked on the game, especially now as my eyes have adjusted to following the fast-moving puck. Although attending an NHL game can be quite expensive, watching a live contest is a must for anyone coming to Canada.
8. Calgary Stampede
Each year in July, millions of visitors from around the world come to Alberta, Canada to participate in the annual Calgary Stampede and Exhibition. This event includes a rodeo, theme park, concerts, chuck wagon races and a range of other events. But it’s not just the showground’s that are abuzz with activity. The whole town comes alive for 10 days of cowboy inspired festivities. I was overwhelmed by the hospitality and contagious enthusiasm of the towns’ locals. Whilst not as rowdy as the Merritt Mountain Country Music Festival, the Stampede has a broader appeal and is a truly unique experience. Just make sure to BYO Akubra hat and be prepared to witness every cowboy cliché known to mankind!
7. The Honeymoon Period
The first few weeks of school every year are well known as a teacher’s honeymoon period. Students are usually on the ball, attentive, polite and respectful. Making the most of this period is imperative as it potentially sets the tone for the whole school year. Just having a different accent in Canada stretched my honeymoon period considerably. The students I taught loved my quirky sayings as much as I loved their idiosyncrasies. Simply saying “g’day” was enough to get their attention and keep it. Although I did quickly tire of the requests to say crikey, bonza and strewth! Tales of kangaroos, Australian football, surfing and dangerous reptiles kept the kids entertained. Lessons were easily revitalized and energy levels boosted by playing games of two-up and boomerang throwing contests, whilst vegemite snacks and lamington treats were unique rewards for hard workers. If only my classes in Perth were this easily impressed!
6. The Weather
Now this might seem a facetious inclusion, but the weather is such a tangible aspect of life in Canada that it warrants inclusion. In Australia’s warmer climes, its easy to take for granted a bright sunny day in the mid 20’s. Not so in British Columbia, or many other parts of Canada. With a record 33 straight days of BC rain in 1999, any day with sunshine is characterized by hordes of people enjoying various outdoor activities. Sunny days were so few and far between during the early part of the year that I had no choice but to make the most of them. The weather was also a guaranteed conversation starter, if only to bemoan the fact that I spent 20 minutes de-icing my car again this morning! Not that I should complain, with the lower temperatures come the flurries that produce the scenic snow covered mountains that Vancouver is universally renowned for. More beneficial, I found, was having some of the world’s best ski fields less than an hours drive away. Giddy up!
5. The Students & Professional Development
Kids are just kids, right? Surely they are the same worldwide? Wrong! After four years at the same private school in Perth, I was confident in my use of classroom management strategies and comfortable with my teaching style. Teaching an Alternate & Modified program in Canada, I had to adapt quickly to a range of students with diverse needs and complex social & behavioral issues. This led to a host of classroom challenges where I was required to effectively respond to rapidly changing circumstances. In general, I found Canadian students to be very accepting, socially responsible and more aware of current affairs than their Australian counterparts. Of course, this is a generalization based on my own experiences. But simply being able to compare between the two groups of students was a highlight for me and has enhanced my ability to deeply reflect on my teaching and its effectiveness. The diversity of Canadian students has also fostered a range of different teaching pedagogies such as Restitution and Tribes, which I was exposed to throughout my exchange year. Furthermore my Canadian school has dedicated staff collaboration time to focus on understanding and implementing such pedagogies. I am looking forward to sharing these new ideas with my colleagues back home and gauging their responses.
4. The US Dollar & Shopping
Living in Vancouver is fantastic for many reasons, not the least of which is the city’s proximity to Seattle. The grunge capital of the world is an easy two hour drive from Vancouver along Interstate Number 5. Numerous factory outlets are littered along the I-5 and the cheapest of these is at Tulalip, located 30 minutes north of Seattle. Puma, Nike, Levi, Sony, Oakley……… all the major brands are represented and their products are invariably sold at bargain basement prices. In particular, electronic devices, gas, alcohol and clothing are significantly less expensive south of the border. With the current value of the US dollar against the Canadian loonie & the Aussie dollar, I spent much of my hard earned indulging in retail therapy. However, buyers beware; US customs have very strict limits on the amount you can purchase without paying duty and the border waits – up to four hours on weekends - can be horrific. Savings of 50% on a new pair of designer sunglasses may just help to soothe the pain!
3. New Experiences
Without doubt, the best bit of advice I received before heading overseas came from Tim Staples, a Canadian exchange teacher in Perth, who told me that “no matter what offer is made to you whilst away, just ACCEPT it!” The result has been myriad experiences, both inside and outside the classroom. Professionally I have taught new subjects such as dance, shop and alternate & modified education classes. In addition, I have coached a dragon boating team, introduced cricket to my new school and performed two outlandish dance routines in front of 600 students as part of the annual Staff Olympics. On a personal note, I have pushed my own boundaries by running a half marathon, skiing & hiking, snow-shoeing, deep sea fishing and countless other first time experiences. No matter what the invitation was, I always said yes and it has led to many encounters and adventures that I could never have dreamed possible.
2. Friends
As any traveler knows, it’s the people you meet that make the trip. I am very proud of my 1000 plus photos of stunning Canadian vistas and unique wildlife. But my pictures, no matter how good, will never evoke as many memories as the time spent with randomly met, eclectic people from all walks of life. These encounters have been the heart and soul of my exchange year. From a Saskatchewan politician to an Alaskan fisherman, a New York marketing manager to an Irish architect, these new friends and acquaintances will be forever imbedded in my memory. Not to mention the numerous locals and ex-pat Australians that have all influenced my time here. Obviously, the majority of contacts I established were at work and the staff at my Canadian school was extremely welcoming and supportive. In addition, I have met many other past and present exchange teachers through the British Columbia Exchange Teacher’s Association. The BCETA holds regular functions and events to facilitate networking and acted as a vital support cog in the first few months of my exchange. The challenge now will be to stay in touch with everyone!
1. Benjamin David Lomas (Me)
A selfish selection perhaps, but I have learnt more about myself professionally in one year than I could do in five back home Australia. Stepping out of the safety zone at my familiar and comfortable private school in Perth into an Alternate & Modified program at a much larger Canadian school forced me to re-evaluate my teaching. Tried and tested pedagogies did not work in this new work environment. My use of language had to be modified, a different curriculum learnt and prepared for. To reach the end of the school year in one piece and professionally rejuvenated is evidence that I can meet any challenge I set my mind to. Moreover, positive feedback from school administration, fellow staff and the student body has not only validated my decision to do an exchange year, but also my choice of profession.
For those teachers out there that are considering doing an exchange year, JUST DO IT! It will be the most amazing experience of your life. Yes, there will be ups and downs, but what year doesn’t have them? There are horror stories of exchanges gone wrong, but these are the exception not the rule. The positives outweigh the negatives by a Canadian km or American country mile. If you’re adventurous, flexible and open to new experiences, an exchange year is definitely for you. For veteran exchange teachers, I hope that this article has brought back many fond memories and possibly provided a trigger for you to one day consider doing another teaching exchange.
My year has passed at super sonic speed in a blur of good times, new friends and positive personal and professional experiences. The countdown towards my next exchange experience has already begun!
Benjamin Lomas
December 2007
