Requirements for Teachers of Technological Studies
To become a certified Teacher of Technological Studies in Ontario, you need to fulfil the following requirements:
1. Ontario Secondary School Diploma or Equivalent
You must have a secondary school graduation diploma or the equivalent of a secondary school diploma, the general education diploma (GED).
2. Teacher Education Program
In addition to your secondary school equivalent, you need a teacher education program that includes the equivalent of a year of full-time study in post-secondary education or a minimum of 30 credits. It must include practise teaching. and courses in foundations (the technical subject you plan to teach) and teaching methods related to the area of Technological Studies that you plan to teach. Teacher education programs are not the same in every country. The Ontario College of Teachers will evaluate each application individually.
3. Certification in Another Jurisdiction
You must have been certified/authorized to teach in the jurisdiction where you completed your teacher education program, even if you have never taught there. Many countries do not provide teaching certificates and the College will discuss other options with you once it has received your application package.
4. Proof of Competence in Your Technological Field
Your competence in a selected area of Technological Studies is based on your academic records, past teaching experience, proof of wage-earning experience and other training you may have completed.
5. Wage-Earning Experience
You will need to show that you have worked for wages, other than in teaching, in your technological field.
To do this, you will need one of the following:
- five years of work (for wages) experience in the business or industrial sector
or
- a combination of post-secondary education and work in business or industry, all in the relevant area of Technological Studies, for a total of five years. This must include at least two years of work of which at least 16 months must be continuous employment
or
- at least 3,700 hours of work and completion of a post-secondary education program acceptable to the College that includes at least 24 months of academic studies. The work and education program must be related to your area of Technological Studies in your teacher education program
Please see the Path to Becoming a Certified Teacher section for details and explanations of the various documents you will have to send in with your application to show evidence of your wage-earning experience.
6. Proficiency in English or French
You must be able to teach effectively in one of Ontario's official languages, English or French. If you did your teacher education program in English or French in any of the countries listed below, you have satisfied the language requirement and do not need to provide proof of language proficiency.
Countries whose education program satisfies language requirements:
| English | French |
|---|---|
|
|
If your teacher education program was taught in English or French and the country you received your degree from is on the list, you meet the College's language proficiency requirement. If your teacher education program was taught in English or French and the country you received your degree from is not on the list, the College requires a letter sent directly from the institution where the teacher education program was completed. The letter must state that the language of instruction for the whole teacher education program was in English or French.
If your Teacher education program was completed in a country other than the ones listed, you must provide proof of proficiency in English or French by one of the ways listed below:
- Complete one of the approved language proficiency tests and be sure to have the tests forwarded directly to the Ontario College of Teachers. The test must be completed within two years before the date the College receives your application. The Ontario College of Teachers accepts proof of proficiency from any of the following tests:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) [academic test only]
- TOEFL iBT
- Test pour étudiants et stagiaires au Canada (TEStCan)
You are responsible for the cost of the language proficiency test. Prices may vary. For more information on language proficiency and classes, see the Language Classes and Testing section.
or
- If your primary, secondary, and post-secondary education were in French or English but your teacher education program was in another language, please arrange to have letters sent to the College from the primary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions. The letters need to confirm that the language of instruction in the entire program was in English or French.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (academic test only)
The College requires proof of an overall score of at least 7 on the IELTS (academic test only), with scores of at least 6.5 in reading and listening and scores of at least 7 in writing and speaking.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) computer-based and Test of Spoken English (TSE) completed before Oct. 15, 2005
The College requires proof of a score of at least 250 on the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test and Test of Spoken English (TSE), with scores of at least 5.5 in writing, 24 in listening, 24 in reading and 60 on the TSE.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper-based and Test of Spoken English (TSE) completed before Oct. 15, 2005
On the paper-based test and TSE, the College requires a score of at least 600 on the paper test and scores of at least 58 in listening, 58 in reading, 5.5 on the Test of Written English and a score of 60 on the TSE.
Minimum Score Requirements for the Speaking and Writing Portions of the New TOEFL Test (TOEFL iBT) after Oct 15, 2005
After consulting with language experts, the Ontario College of Teachers has established new acceptable minimum test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
In October 2005, the Education Testing Service (ETS) introduced a new TOEFL test referred to as the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-based test) to measure four communication skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) in one integrated test.
ETS provided appropriate score comparison charts for the reading and listening portions of the new test, but not for the speaking or writing sections.
Consequently, the College invited a representative panel of language specialists to recommend acceptable test score levels for the writing and speaking components of the new TOEFL test. The following scores were recommended:
| Communication Skill | Acceptable Test Scores: New TOEFL Test |
|---|---|
Reading |
24 |
Listening |
23 |
Writing |
28 |
Speaking |
28 |
Overall |
103 |
The scores would be considered on the higher end of the TOEFL scale and reflect the experts' desire to ensure that teachers certified in Ontario have a high standard of language proficiency.
As well the scores are consistent with College scores required previously using the TSE (test of spoken English) and the TWE (test of written English) and currently required under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
The scores for the speaking and writing portions are consistent with the College's required scores for the speaking and writing portions of IELTS.
The overall, slightly higher acceptable test score (103) reflects the high standards the College set previously for writing and speaking.
The College will continue to review the Education Testing Service's findings regarding the new TOEFL test to see whether further adjustments to College scores should be made.
French
Test pour étudiants et stagiaires au Canada (TEStCan)
The College requires proof of a minimum score of 5 in each of the following skills: writing, reading and listening, and evidence of a minimum score of 4.5 on speaking.
You must achieve minimum scores on each component.
You are responsible for the cost of the language proficiency test. Test costs may vary.
You will be marking students' assignments and developing their communication skills. It is essential that you have excellent communication skills in English or French.
Next Steps
Once you are familiar with the above requirements, please see the Path to Becoming a Certified Teacher section of this website for full details on how to apply to the Ontario College of Teachers to become certified. In addition to the requirements listed above, it will provide you with a detailed list of other documents to be submitted in addition to your application.
The Ontario College of Teachers encourages all those interested in becoming certified in Ontario to begin the certification process by submitting an application. It is impossible for the College to determine if you meet their requirements for certification before it has received all your documents. If you cannot obtain a required document for your application, inform the College, in your application, of your particular situation.
You will receive an individual assessment based on a review of all your qualifications. Each case is different. Do not be discouraged if the Ontario College of Teachers requires you to obtain some upgrading before it certifies you as a teacher. Teaching is a rewarding career choice, and the investment in your career is worth it. There are many benefits to being a certified teacher in Ontario.