Author: Susan Huebert

Suppose that you wanted to work in education but not as a teacher. Another option is to become an educational assistant. This trade can be a good choice for people who enjoy working with students but prefer not to take the professional route.

Becoming a teacher can be a long and difficult process with uncertain results. Normally, teachers need to finish a four-year degree, and they might not be able to find work at the end. Becoming an educational assistant is a much shorter process. This trade involves an apprenticeship that takes about a year and a half to complete. Of the 2,700 hours required to complete the apprenticeship, 432 hours are spent on learning the theory, while the rest of the time is practical work on the job. Child psychology, group management, and other courses might be part of the theoretical work, and apprentices can also take courses related to their own particular interests.

Many different types of work can be part of an educational assistant’s job. The work can involve helping individual students with their studies, working with sign language or braille, assisting teachers with running audiovisual equipment, supervising students in the library or on the playground, or sometimes helping in the school office. Having a special skill, like the ability to understand a different language, can be helpful.

Working as an educational assistant can be stressful but rewarding for people who enjoy working with students. Some educational assistants might choose to specialize in one type of work, such as assisting students with physical disabilities, but others might decide to work with any students who require assistance. Having a calm and organized personality can be very helpful in this trade.

Finding a job as an educational assistant might be difficult in small school districts or in low-income areas, but job prospects are likely to increase as people retire in the next few years. Cities are generally better places than small towns for finding work in this trade, but jobs can be available anywhere, depending on the needs of the community. Most educational assistants earn between $18 and $28 per hour, or between $33,000 and $58,000 per year.

Normally, the work of an educational assistant is not very physically difficult, but it can be stressful. Being able to deal with children and their parents is important, and the job can become more difficult as people age, especially if they are working with young children. However, educational assistants can often continue in this work until retirement if they are reasonably healthy.

In most classrooms, the teachers lead most of the classes, but they might sometimes ask the educational assistant to teach a lesson. If that happens, the assistant might need to do some preparation at home before the next day’s classes. Other preparations may also be necessary, but educational assistants generally are finished for the day once classes end and the students have gone home. However, people in this trade should be prepared for some irregular hours, especially if they need to go with a student to a school concert or other event.

Working as an educational assistant can be a good alternative to being a teacher. If you enjoy working with students and helping them succeed, why not become an educational assistant?

Bibliography:

ALIS. “Educational Assistant.” https://alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/occupations-in-alberta/occupation-profiles/educational-assistant/.

Job Bank. “Educational Assistant in Canada.” https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/occupation/25517/ca.

Payscale Canada. “Average Educational Assistant Hourly Pay in Canada.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Educational_Assistant/Hourly_Rate.

Skilled Trades Ontario. “Educational Assistant.” https://www.skilledtradesontario.ca/trade-information/educational-assistant.

Winter break is something many students (and teachers/instructors) look forward to after a stressful semester/first three months of the school year. People also get excited about celebrating occasions, including Christmas, New Year’s, as well as others that normally happen during this time. While these are great sources of enjoyment, there are also more ways to optimize the holidays.

Here’s some advice on how to make the most of your winter break:

Engage with Anything that Involves Self-Care

People are often burnt out by the time winter break rolls around, especially when you’re a university student. This is why it’s definitely important to take care of yourself and recharge before school starts up again in January. Do anything that will help you relax. A good option (if you celebrate Christmas) is watching your favourite holiday movies/TV shows, as well as some you’ve never seen before. These could also help get you into the Christmas spirit.

Self-care also means avoiding things that are stress-inducing. Though the holidays can be a fun time, this may involve a lot of preparation and planning for events, gift-shopping, decorating, etc., which many find quite draining. Therefore, don’t hesitate to rest whenever you see fit. For example, say someone invites you to attend something, and you don’t feel like doing so/are just too tired, politely decline. If this person knows you or is considerate, they’ll understand. Those who consider themselves “people pleasers” would likely find this difficult, but everyone should prioritize their own well-being.

Spend Quality Time with Loved Ones

Spend quality time with loved ones over the break. Many do so during family gatherings, including Christmas dinner(s). This is referring to friends as well. You could go somewhere (while staying safe) that your family members/friend group(s) have wanted to try but haven’t yet. If you prefer to stay in, holiday-themed games such as “Secret Santa” and “White Elephant” or playing various board games are great ways to bring people together.

Continue with a Hobby (Or Take Up Other Ones)

Now that you have some free time, do things you love. Are there any hobbies you miss doing or ones you’ve considered trying? Do you have a personal project in the works you’ve temporarily abandoned because other things took priority?

Try Re-Connecting with Family Members/Old Friends

It’s common for people to lose touch with each other for long periods of time, especially when everyone has busy schedules. As the holidays are often associated with coming together, consider contacting a person you haven’t seen in a while. Is there someone you’ve missed or would like to see again? Continuing these relationships with people could contribute to a more enhanced and fulfilling social life.

Overall, winter break is a great time to participate in a special occasion and create new memories. Though fun, the holidays could also be used for checking in with yourself and seeing what you need, whether it’s time on your own or ensuring that you get more rest. If you take the advice above, you’ll likely make the most of your winter break.

Volunteering makes you feel good, helps those in need, and gives you great experience. People can volunteer all year round, but there is an extra desire to help out during the holidays. This is no surprise – ‘tis the season for giving and helping others. If you want to play your part in helping out the less fortunate, there are many ways for you to volunteer and give back during this festive time of year.

There are things you can volunteer to do right away. This does not have to be through an organization, and can still have a huge impact on the people around you. Bake some holiday cookies and treats with your family and share them with neighbours, friends, and others in your community. Knit scarves or hats and leave them around your neighbourhood with little notes saying they are free for those in need. Knock on doors in your area, especially the elderly and those with accessibility issues, and ask if you can help with errands or tasks around the home. Think of what other strengths and skills you have to offer, and how you can volunteer all on your own to make someone else’s life a little bit brighter.

If you are unsure or nervous about doing something on your own, there are a huge number of charities that you can go to for volunteering. Food banks such as the Daily Bread need help throughout December sorting food donations. Epilepsy Toronto needs volunteers for gift wrapping in malls across Toronto, as well as for their Holiday Fair in Nathan Phillips Square. The Salvation Army needs volunteers for its Christmas Assistance program to prepare toys, clothes, and food hampers for those in need. Check out the companies looking for help in your neighbourhood and reach out to them right away.

It can be surprisingly hard to volunteer at many charities for the holidays. So many people want to do the same and they fill out volunteer forms months in advance. These spots fill up quickly! Instead, you can try to start your own little organization within your community. For example, a group of friends in Toronto started Yarn It Forward to work with others to crochet helpful items like scarves for those in need.  Get help from parents, family, and friends to hold your own neighbourhood fundraiser with food and activities to raise money for certain charities. Organize a clothing drive to gather used clothes, jackets, and other items that can be given to the less fortunate. This all requires more effort, but it can bring your neighbourhood together and help far more people than you could on your own.

The holidays are a great time to volunteer. The homeless are dealing with the cold and many less privileged people are feeling lonely or sad seeing all the festivities around them. You can do a lot on your own, with your family or friends, or through a charity in your area. These are all great ways to really feel and be true to the spirit of the holidays.

Sources:

blogTO. “Holiday volunteer opportunities in Toronto.” https://www.blogto.com/city/2018/11/holiday-volunteer-opportunities-toronto-2018/

Teotonio, Isabel. “Want to volunteer at a shelter this Christmas? Think again – do something else.” The Star. https://www.thestar.com/life/relationships/2017/12/11/want-to-volunteer-at-a-shelter-this-christmas-think-again-do-something-else.html

By Erin Rebello

With the Holidays just around the corner, you can almost smell the peppermint in the air and hear the jingle of bells around every street corner. You’re also likely to be scrambling for the perfect holiday gifts to give to friends and family. Though gift-giving is an incremental part of Christmas tradition here in Canada, it can end up costing a pretty penny and cause a large amount of waste. Without proper money management, the Holidays can easily become one of the most stressful times of the year. So how does one solve the problem? Well, the presents themselves are not the problem, but instead the price. Why pay $25 for a scarf when you can make your own for cheaper? Why bother with an expensive store-bought cake when you can bake your own? Below are a few wallet-friendly Do It Yourself Christmas gifts which are sure to please your friends and family this holiday season!

Christmas Bark:

If you’ve been Christmas shopping recently, you’ve probably seen an assortment of chocolate bark. What is chocolate bark? Simply put, it’s a thin layer of chocolate with various toppings swirled or set into the chocolate. There are thousands of recipes on the internet for a delicious batch of bark, and most are quite simple and also budget-friendly. Making Christmas bark is also a great way to get younger siblings involved with the gift-making process, as they can help with adding the toppings. By swirling some red candy melts into a base of white chocolate, then sprinkling some crushed peppermint on top, you end up with an appetizing candy cane bark. If you want to achieve a more sophisticated-looking bark, use a dark chocolate base, drizzle white chocolate on top, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Wrap it all up in brown paper or cellophane, tie it with a ribbon, and voila!

Holiday Cards:

Even a gesture as simple as presenting your loved ones with a Holiday card can brighten their day. Not only are cards a great way to show how much you appreciate someone, but they’re also relatively cheap and easy to make. With only a few dollars, you can head to your local dollar store and pick up enough supplies for several cards. All you need is paper, markers, and some red and green glitter! A great way to get inspiration for your Holiday cards is to browse Pinterest and online blogs to sift through a variety of cards to find ones that you like.

Knitted Pieces:

If you can work well with your hands, knitting and crocheting are great ways to make gifts for family and friends! Not only are knitted items unique and special, but they’re also functional- especially if you make something like a hat or scarf! Other than traditional knitting, there are a variety of different yarnworking methods that you can utilize to create fabulous pieces. If you’re new to knitting and have never tried it before, arm-knitting is a great choice. Arm knitting uses bigger loops and allows for more control; the fabric hides mistakes well and allows you to create chunky scarves and plump throw blankets with ease. Knitting with a circular loom is also a great way to go. With only a few loops and plucks, you can create colourful tube scarves! Finally, crocheting is also a great way to make something useful out of yarn. The size and level of detail in your piece depend upon the size of your crochet hook and the thickness of your thread. This versatility allows you to create anything from warm hats to detailed crocheted figurines called amigurumi. Crafts made with love out of yarn are a great idea for any DIY gift! Just make sure that you give yourself enough time to finish the piece- no one wants half a hat!

Holiday Home Decor:

Another idea for a Holiday gift that I had to include on this list is Holiday decor! Whether it’s a seasonal item or not, a DIY piece of home decor is a lovely idea that’s straight from the heart! The best part is that you can create decor from just about anything! You can make decor from scratch, but you can also upcycle other objects. For example, you can repaint a mug that you no longer use, purchase some soil, pebbles, and a succulent, and create an adorable potted plant for your gift recipient. Home decor comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can let your creativity run wild!