New Teachers

New Teachers' Conference

The 2021 New Teachers' Conference took place virtually on February 26, 2021.

New Teachers' Zoom Gathering

An informal, open discussion for teachers with less than 5 years of teaching experience. Share ideas, initiatives and resources with new teacher colleagues from your local and across the province. The next New Teachers' Zoom Gathering will take place on May 26, 2021.

Resources for new teachers

BCTF Handbook for new teachers and TTOC: The practice of teaching

L’Exercice de l’enseignement - Manuel pour le nouveau personnel enseignant et les enseignant(e)s suppléant(e)s 

Who are our new teachers?

A new teacher may be a teacher new to the profession, a beginning teacher and/or a teacher teaching on call (in the first 5 years of their career), a teacher new to a classroom assignment or having a significant change of assignment, a teacher new to teaching in BC, or a teacher returning to the profession.

Some members choose a career as a teacher teaching on call (TTOC). The Teachers Teaching on Call page provides additional information for career and transitional TTOCs.

Need information?  

• New teachers, please contact Lucie Ferrari at lferrari@bctf.ca, 604-871-1809 or toll-free at 1-800-663-9163 local 1809
• TTOCs, please contact Jenny Garrels at jgarrels@bctf.ca, 604-871-1871 or toll-free at 1-800-663-9163 local 1871

Employment insurance

• General EI information for BCTF members 
• Employment insurance: Navigating the EI Claim Process
  This seminar helps TTOCs understand the steps to follow in applying for, and obtaining, EI benefits. 
• Employment Insurance and Teachers  
  

Publications

• Roles and responsibilities of teachers and teacher assistants/education assistants: a BCTF/CUPE B.C. joint paper
  
• Rôles et responsabilités des enseignants(e) et des aides-enseignant(e)s  
  
• Members’ Guide to the BCTF
  
• The Power of Leadership
• BCTF Services Handbook  
  

Health and safety

• New and young workers' checklist 
• BCTF Health and Safety page 

E-mail list

The BCTF public mailing list page has many e-mail lists that you can join. Join as many as you like. The e-mail list, bctf-beginteach, is a public list for new and experienced teachers.  

Provincial Specialist Associations (PSAs)

The BCTF encourages and supports 32 PSAs. As an integral part of the Federation, all BCTF members are encouraged to become members of one or more PSAs to share expertise and to gain information and experience.  For information, go to the PSAs Online page.

Other resources

Teaching in British Columbia

See our Teaching in BC page for information on certification and salaries and job search resources.

Teaching resources

• TeachBC
• A Survival Guide for New Teachers  Bohstedt, Brett. (2014), Education Week, published August 5, 2014.