First Post on a Saturday

On Monday, October 6th, 2025, I am meant to embark on my first field placement of my BEd after-degree studies at the University of Calgary, Werklund School of Education.

Of course, it would appear the ongoing contract negotiations (or lack thereof) between the Alberta Teachers Association and the United Conservative Party (our current provincial governing party) have something else in mind.

As of now, Saturday evening, it would appear that I will be doing my EDUC 440 Field I from the comfort of my home office and in the company of my three children who will also be home from school.

The Alberta Teacher's Association (ATA)'s 51 000 members will most likely be on strike come Monday morning. Schools will be closed, teachers will be home, without pay. And many teachers-in-training, like myself, will be at home trying to

"explore the school website for your placement school. Read through the student handbook, school philosophy, and maps of the school. Consider the set-up of the school and classrooms." (University of Calgary, 2025)

And other such valient attempts by our program to make up for the invaluable experience of being in an actual school, classroom, with students and teachers, in real time.

So I will be here, daily, for the foreseeable, compiling my learning, thoughts and experiences, en route to a career as a teacher. In which I will hopefully benefit from the sacrifice of the teachers striking for better education funding, classroom conditions, and teacher pay in recognition of the essential work they do for our society as a whole.

References

University of Calgary. (2025). EDUC 440: Alternative online learning plan addendum to approved course outline, EDUC 440 Fall, 2025. Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary.