Taking an additional qualification is something I have done many times both online and in person. I remember being a new teacher trying to take the ones that would help me land a new role in the school, like ESL/ELD or special education support. Juggling the demands of a course with work is no joke: between the assignments, readings, and discussion posts, AQs can really take up a good chunk of your evenings and weekends.
It had always been a personal goal for me to teach an AQ, though I wasn’t quite sure how to get started or even if I was ready. Serendipitously, my board put out a hiring posting for an AQ teacher pool. When the opportunity came up, I agreed immediately, especially since the course was in an area I feel particularly knowledgeable and passionate about – Teaching English Language Learners.
The experience of teaching an AQ for the first time was definitely one I will never forget. As someone who has primarily taught classes of children, it was a big shift to teach adults who also happened to be my colleagues. In many ways, I felt like I was a new teacher again, with all the anxieties stress that come with trying to plan an engaging lesson, getting all the assessments done in time, and doing my best to seem like I knew what I was doing.
So what is it like to teach an AQ for the first time? Here are a few takeaways I left with.
Teaching an AQ is a lot of Hard Work
When I started, I made the foolish assumption that the work would mainly involve teaching a curriculum that was already set up. But we soon discovered that we needed to adapt, change, and tweak the content to meet the needs of the class, and that some elements of the course were not working as planned. For example, the discussion boards that were set up could be confusing and redundant after in person sessions; the slide decks needed to be re-done to align with the alternating online/in-person format we were using.
Needless to say, it took hours of planning each week, and hours after class to assess and respond to student posts.
It is Daunting to Be Instructing a Course for your Peers
When you teach kids, there are clear and distinct differences between you and your students: being an adult, having a university degree, and being in a position of responsibility with children. Being a course instructor for your peers – fellow educators with a broad range of lived experiences and vast professional knowledge – is a completely different story!
Teaching an AQ is a great reminder that as educators, we facilitate learning and inquiry for students. Once I leaned into my own vulnerabilities as an instructor – embracing the idea that we could all learn a lot from each other – the course really became a joyful experience where everyone could share their strengths and areas of needs as educators.
Community Matters in the Classroom
Throughout the course, one thing we did intentionally from the beginning was build a sense of community with the group. Connecting over food, icebreakers, and discussions can go a long way, and as we all got to know each other the more supportive the class became of each other. Our course curriculum involved a lot of presentations, which can be a bit of a nerve wracking experience for any person, including teachers. Creating a learning environment where classmates cheered each other on and held space for one another made the learning experience rich and rewarding.
The takeaway? Make time to build community in your classroom, whatever age they are!
It’s Inspiring to see New Teachers get Excited about Teaching
Our course had many new teachers in their first 5 years, which was fascinating for me as a pretty experienced teacher. Some of the students could have been in my own elementary school classroom years back!
I remember being a new teacher and how exciting it was to have a class, and also how exhausting and stressful it was. Spending so much time with teachers who were in that phase of their lives and also seeing the excitement that comes with learning new things was a good reminder of how much I have grown professionally and how great the teaching profession can be.
Co-Teaching is a Wonderful Thing
Being able to co-teach my first AQ with a colleague and friend was a great experience that took a lot of the pressure off planning, facilitating, and assessing a course while working full time during the day. It also really helped to have someone to debrief with after each session, discuss what was going well and what needed to be changed, and cover the class when one of us was running late or had to make an appointment.
Would I teach an Additional Qualifications Course Again?
After this first AQ, I am certain I would do it all over again. The work is rewarding, fun, and it amazes me to have the privilege of having a role in another teacher’s learning. It adds a new and rich chapter to my career as a teacher, and reminded me of the power of re-learning and rediscovering joy in work within an entirely new context.
Of course, hindsight is a gift – I know exactly what mistakes to not make, and what kinds adaptations to the course I can make to help it run smoothly. Unlike teaching kids, educators are not shy about telling you exactly what you can do as an instructor to be more organized!
Take an AQ with ETFO
ETFO offers an extensive selection of additional qualification courses that are facilitated by many of our amazing colleagues. Visit https://etfo-aq.ca/catalogue/ to find a course that aligns with your professional learning goals.
