Category: Featured Articles

Many in (or who have already finished) high school are aware that grade 11 is when general subjects branch out into courses focusing on specific areas of each. In my case, for example, Math branched (and still branches) out into Pre-Calculus, Foundations of Mathematics, and Apprenticeship and Workplace Math.

Grade 11 was when things got particularly difficult for me, especially regarding math. It’s never been one of my strengths, and this was evident more than ever when I decided to take Pre-Calculus. The school year also got off to a rough start, as I initially decided on taking Foundations of Mathematics but was convinced by people around me to transfer to Pre-Calculus three weeks into the school year, as this course is a way to keep your options open for university programs. As a result, not only did I struggle with the material, I was also behind everyone else.

I caught up eventually and someone briefly tutored me for my very first test in the class, but it didn’t help much. As stated above, I had experienced challenges with math in the past. The difficulties I encountered with Pre-Calculus, however, were on another level. It became a constant source of anxiety, and each time I opened the textbook, it almost seemed like I was experiencing a recurring nightmare. I recall staying up to the wee hours of the morning doing my Pre-Calculus homework and studying for the course’s exams throughout the year. I also remember even dreading having to physically step foot into our classroom. All in all, the only motivating aspect of the class for me was being able to see a few friends on a regular basis.

While Pre-Calculus 11 was probably one of the most challenging courses (if not the most challenging course) I’ve ever taken, the experience did teach me a valuable lesson. I made a decision based on what others thought was best for me and not what I knew was right. I definitely wasn’t going to pursue a career that involves a lot of math and should have done more research on university programs that catered to my strengths and/or I was interested in, as well as their required prerequisites beforehand. I just felt overwhelmed at the time and wanted to please others, so I simply went along with what was recommended.

I learned that truly listening to myself while engaging with course selection was essential. Sure enough, I wasn’t required to take Pre-Calculus in order to get into the program I eventually took in university, so I didn’t have to stay up all those nights thinking this math would somehow be helping with my future plans.

Despite everything, I did feel proud of myself for persevering and finishing the course. It clearly wasn’t ideal to take Pre-Calculus 11, but I ended the year knowing I tried my absolute best, and that’s all I could’ve done. Overall, I overcame a challenge, and, though in a difficult way, I most importantly learned my lesson about making decisions that are a better fit for me.

Life changes for students when they go to high school, but the same is true for teachers. If you choose to be a high school teacher, you will need to study and work hard, but you can have a good career. Working as a high school teacher can be a challenging but rewarding job.

Teachers at all levels need to have a four-year Bachelor of Education degree and certification or a teaching license from the province or territory where they work. Often, people who want to teach high school get a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences and then complete a two-year post-degree education program. The degree never expires, but teachers have to renew their certification regularly. Taking courses and attending conferences is part of being a high school teacher, and people in this field need to keep on learning.

In the younger grades, teachers normally work with most or all of the subjects that students learn. In high school, teachers tend to specialize in one or two subjects, such as history, physics, or mathematics. In smaller schools, the same person might teach all of the sciences or maybe history, geography, and social studies.

Larger schools might have enough teachers so that they can each work with only one subject, but knowing a few others is helpful. Another option is to specialize in English as a Second Language, which usually requires taking another year or two of university studies to learn the necessary skills.

The style of classes often changes between middle school and high school. Often, teachers spend a lot of time giving lectures and leading discussions. In the sciences, teachers might need to give demonstrations of experiments. Besides all of that, teachers need to give tests and assignments, mark them, and keep student records. They keep order in the classroom and enforce the school rules. If there are problems, they deal with them on their own or get help from the principal.

High school teachers work fairly regular hours at school, but they also have a lot of preparation and marking to do beyond that time. Often, they need to start planning classes during summer holidays, and they might need to work over Christmas and spring break. Work during the year can also be very busy. Still, high school teachers have more holiday time than many other people do. The job can be quite stressful at times, and the holidays can be a good time for teachers to get ahead on their work.

Finding a job as a high school teacher can be difficult, and many people have to work as substitutes for a long time before they can find full time jobs. Most full-time teachers can earn between $41,000 and $98,000, although that depends on the school, the city or town, and other factors. A small private school, for example, might have low salaries, but teachers can earn a lot if they move up north to a place like the Northwest Territories or the Yukon.

Working as a high school teacher is a good way of helping students prepare for their adult lives. If you like the idea, why not consider training for this field?

Bibliography:

Degrees.ca. “Teaching Degrees: Becoming a Teacher in Canada.” http://www.degrees.ca/education/.

Payscale Canada. “Average High School Teacher Salary.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=High_School_Teacher/Salary.

Trade Schools, Colleges & Universities. “How to Become a Teacher in Canada.” https://www.trade-schools.net/ca/articles/become-a-teacher.asp

A highlight of being a student is becoming friends with your fellow students, especially when you’re in the same grade. It makes academic life more fun, interesting, and fulfilling. A huge part of this is getting to spend time with these friends while you are classmates. However, as you know, you usually have no control over where you’ll end up, and there’s always a chance that you won’t be in the same class as them every school year.

If this is what you’re experiencing and have found yourself in a class without your old friends (or your friends have moved), here are some tips on how to make new ones:

Introduce Yourself to or Initiate Conversations with Your Classmates

This can be intimidating, especially if you’re primarily an introvert. Nonetheless, putting yourself out there is one of the most effective ways to make friends. It can also apply to those whom you do know, but don’t know very well. If you’ve never thought of speaking with them before, why not try now? Of course, this approach most likely won’t work out every single time (your conversations with certain classmates grow stale, engaging with them becomes awkward, you just weren’t meant to be friends, etc.), but at least you’ve made the effort to do so.

One of the most important things involving this strategy is that you refuse to give up easily, even if your first few attempts don’t result in a new friend(s). It’s better to take chances than not try at all.

Keep In Mind That Friendships Can Form without Much (Or Any!) Effort or Intention

Many friendships happen when you least expect them. This can occur during situations such as discussions or other collaborative activities in class. Rather than trying as hard as you can to be friends with specific people/those you think you might have a lot in common with, it’s encouraged to keep an open mind about generally making connections with those around you. Surprises happen, and maybe you’ll make a genuine connection with someone who you never thought would be your friend.

Join Clubs/Extracurriculars Offered at Your School if You’re Having Difficulties Making Friends in Class

If you’re having difficulties making new friends in your class, but still want to make new friends in general, try joining clubs/extracurriculars offered at school. You’ll arguably increase your likelihood of doing so because people often connect over something they share an interest in or passion for. In these circumstances, you could even make friends with those who aren’t in your grade as well, because said activities usually have varied age ranges.

Though, like your old friends, you won’t be able to see some of them during class time, this is a good option for creating a more enhanced social life while also possessing the benefit of being able to do something you enjoy.

Overall, the tips above significantly heighten your chances of making friends. If you adopt these suggestions and remain optimistic along the way, you’re on the right track to having new friends during this school year.

The internet provides a great source of knowledge. It displays itself as approachable, yet deceiving, with its global accessibility. Anyone can publish and read information on the internet, but the difficulty comes with identifying good resources.

Below are five questions secondary students should ask themselves when evaluating websites. By considering the background, similarities, and recency of sources, it speeds up the verification process. While not foolproof, these questions provide good indicators of what kinds of resources should be used.

1. Who is the Author?

This sounds simple on paper: who wrote the article? Taking note of the author’s name is not enough. Evaluate the company that they may work with, their credentials such as education, and their job title.

This CTV News article, “Nearly all of B.C. under weather advisory amid first heatwave of the summer,” makes it easy to see the authors’ credentials.

The authors are Tahmina Aziz and Regan Hasegawa: two individuals who have their job titles clearly listed in the article. They are multi-media journalists at CTV News Vancouver, an award-winning local news station.

While these two are journalists and not climate specialists, they interview individuals who are well-versed in the field. This is a veritable source covering the start of extreme heat in B.C., from educated journalists, backed up by professionals in areas relevant to the topic.

2. What is the Website?

What sort of website published the source? Sometimes URL endings can give hints as to what kind of website it is:

• Educational institutions have “.edu” (this applies outside of Canada, as Canadian institutions use “.ca”)
• Sections of government have “.gov” (this applies outside of Canada, as the Canadian government uses “.ca”)
• Organizations or charities have “.org”
• Canadian websites have “.ca”
• Commercial businesses have “.com”

For example, https://www.harvard.edu is the official website of Harvard University. It ends in “.edu,” signifying that it is a post-secondary institution outside of Canada.

3. What is the Purpose?

What is the purpose of the article? Is it to inform, to entertain, or to create a discussion? The Purdue Writing Lab has a page on purposes that groups purposes based on being informative or being persuasive.

When an author writes to inform, they intend to teach the audience about a topic. When an author writes to persuade, they intend to sway the audience to their perspective about a topic.

Tom Mulcair uses his experience as a former leader of the federal New Democratic Party of Canada to give his opinion in “Trudeau’s phony war against climate change.” He outlines the prime minister’s promises towards fighting climate change, but Mulcair wants the audience to come away with the perspective that this is not guaranteed.

In contrast, Nia Williams and Ismail Shakil’s article “Canada lays out C$9.1 bln roadmap to meet 2030 climate targets” is strictly informative. The authors do not give their personal opinions on the situation.

4. Are Other Sources Similar?

Look for other sources that cover the same topic: do the other sources display the topic in a similar way?

To showcase how to compare sources, I picked three articles on recent summer heat waves across Europe. All sites are from different geographical areas: the UK, the US, and Canada.

• UK heatwave: Why is it so hot? (BBC News)
• Why Europe Is Becoming a Heat Wave Hot Spot (The New York Times) 
• European heat wave isn’t a surprise – it’s a warning of what inaction could mean for our future (CBC News)

All these sources discuss climate change (to varying degrees) as a large factor in Europe’s summer heat waves. None of these sources sugarcoat the implications and keep a serious tone intact.

5. How Recent is the Information?

Many websites will list the publication date and/or a date when the article was last updated. If no dates are available, try clicking links in the article (if they are there), or links on the website. If any links are broken or incorrect, it’s likely a sign to look for another source.

Examples of publication dates and updates can be found in these two articles below:

• The Guardian’s “Climate change could make Canada’s traditional ice hockey extinct” was published in 2012. The website has a bright yellow banner that says “This article is more than 10 years old” to tell readers that information is likely outdated.
• The European Environment Agency’s 2012 press release on climate change in Europe was last modified in 2016. While the original date was 2012, it received an update four years later, indicating that some of the information was changed.