7 Reasons to Pursue Your Bachelor of Education at Tyndale

Interested in becoming a teacher? Check out the BEd program at Tyndale University!

Teaching is a celebration of learning. Strong, effective teachers are committed to students and their learning, and to ongoing professional development. They are called to uphold the standards of care, respect, trust, and integrity. To prepare for this important career, consider these seven reasons to pursue your Bachelor of Education (BEd) at Tyndale University:

1. Fast track your career

Tyndale's BEd program is 16 consecutive months long and is divided into four semesters. Beginning in August and ending in November of the following year, the program is intense, is thorough, and is the fastest route to becoming an Ontario-certified educator in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

2. Broaden your skill set

Designed with a strong conceptual framework, the BEd program teaches educators to adapt to the needs of learners of various abilities. “You’ll become an educator who can differentiate for your learners and empower their success,” says Heather Birch, Director of the BEd program. “The faculty at Tyndale, who are all experienced and certified Ontario educators, will equip you to thrive in your career.”

3. Receive one-on-one support

At the start of your program, you will be assigned a faculty advisor who will guide you throughout your 16 months. “They will visit you at your practicum placements and provide all the support and encouragement that you need,” explains Heather. The first two practicum placements are located at either public schools or Catholic schools in the GTA. You can then apply to complete the third practicum at a different type of school, such as a private, alternative, or Christian school.

4. Experience faith-based learning

Tyndale teacher candidates are people of different backgrounds and faiths, including some who don't identify with any faith tradition. What you believe and value impacts who you are as an educator. Every course you take at Tyndale will provide an opportunity to consider your personal beliefs – beliefs about students, learning, and schooling, and beliefs about your own faith or morals. You will reflect on how your beliefs shape who you are in the classroom and how you can positively impact learners of different abilities, socio-economic status, race, language, faith, culture, gender, and sexual orientation.

5. Build knowledge about Indigenous peoples, perspectives, and experiences — past and present

To address calls to action in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Report (pdf), Tyndale appointed Dr. Terry LeBlanc as a program elder. “Instead of having a single course that focuses on Indigenous ways of knowing and how to teach Indigenous learners, Dr. LeBlanc is involved in almost every course you take at Tyndale to address the content from an Indigenous perspective,” says Heather. “Terry provides essential leadership that inspires us to begin to bring healing and reconciliation.”

6. Enjoy a program that highly values the arts

Many of Tyndale’s BEd faculty are educated in the arts and incorporate music, drama, dance, and visual art across all curricular areas. “The arts are not an add-on or a frill, but rather an integrated part of the program,” says Heather. “Whether teacher candidates consider themselves as highly artistic or not, they value the practical way instructors teach transferrable skills and maximize opportunities for student engagement and identity development.” Watch how Stephen Krasna (Tyndale BEd, 2021-2022) incorporated music and math curricula with his impressive ”Units of Measurement Rap.”

7. Flourish in a supportive, close-knit community

Heather provides a glimpse of what your day may look like:

“When you’re on the Tyndale campus, between classes, you may spend time in our community kitchen where you can enjoy free coffee. During breaks, eat lunch with peers, work on group projects, and connect with professors. Our offices are right beside the classrooms, so you can easily stop in and chat or ask for help or clarification on anything. On Tuesdays over the lunch break, you might choose to attend chapel service. Or you may want to spend your breaks outside. Our department owns a set of picnic quilts, so you might grab one and head out to sit under a set of trees or out back near the ravine.”