​You may have noticed some new faces in our schools recently, and suffice it to say that these are our teachers of the future! The St. James-Assiniboia School Division (SJASD) has partnered with the Faculties of Education at the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg to provide practicum experience for teacher candidates, or student teachers. We are fortunate to have teacher candidates in our early, middle, and senior years schools in the Division. Throughout the school year, teacher candidates will be in our schools once a week and for two blocks in November/December and then again in March/April.

This partnership is a valuable opportunity for all. While gaining hands-on experience in a classroom setting, teacher candidates go beyond theory and coursework to learn what it’s really like to be a teacher. Standing in front of 25 shining faces and teaching a lesson for the first time can be a daunting experience, but this is what prepares them for their careers as educators. They are also privileged to be mentored by our exceptional teaching staff, who come to the partnership with a wealth of practical experience to share.

For our SJASD staff, having teacher candidates in our schools is an opportunity to get to know our future teachers. It also allows us to foster positive relationships with our post-secondary institutions and be active participants in growing our next generation of teachers.

On behalf of the St. James-Assiniboia Board of Trustees, I would like to welcome our universities’ teacher candidates to our schools and thank our outstanding staff for their part in mentoring these new educators.