Professional pathways and academic excellence

The grand challenges and opportunities in society, locally and globally, call on us to renew our attention and recognition to the importance of education and contemporary pedagogies. Interdisciplinary and diverse teaching efforts are necessary to showcase different ways of knowing and experiencing the world. Explicit linkages that bring professional pathways and academic excellence into clear alignment are leveraged to address real-world problems. Engaging students in scholarly activities and experiential learning that connect teaching to the research of students, faculty, and communities is prioritized.

Towards Western at 150
Greater Impact

Commitments

Grow experiential learning opportunities for students

  • Established transnational grants for student mobility
  • Increased practicum opportunities for teacher candidates
  • Increased Alternative Field Experience opportunities for teacher candidates
  • Offered 1,884 experiential learning placements including alternative field experiences, practica, internships, and other opportunities to students
  • Centre for School Mental Health offered eight inaugural summer studentships in collaboration with Western University faculty members across a range of project areas
  • In 2024, started the construction of a 10,000 square foot expansion to house the MJW-CYDC which will expand and enhance clinical placements for graduate students in the School and Applied Child Psychology program
  • Every year, since 2022, numerous Western undergraduate students have been offered USRI and USRA opportunities for experiential learning through the Faculty

Grow professional and interdisciplinary academic programs

Recruit, support, and retain teaching-intensive faculty

  • Dr. Danielle Sirek joined the Faculty of Education as an Assistant Professor, Teaching Scholar
  • Dr. Jenny Ingrey joined the Faculty of Education as a limited term Assistant Professor 
  • Dr. Margeurite Lengyell joined the Faculty of Education as an Assistant Professor, Teaching Scholar
  • Ms. Robyn Michaud joined the Faculty of Education on singe-year secondment (2023) from the Thames Valley District School Board as an Indigenous Teacher Educator
  • Dr. Colin King appointed to Teaching Scholar and Director of the Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic (MJW-CYDC)
  • Dr. Bathseba Opini joined the Faculty of Education as an Associate Professor
  • Dr. Rosanne Abdulla joined the Faculty of Education as an Assistant Professor
  • Dr. Allison Segeren joined the Faculty of Education as a limited term Assistant Professor

Increase the number of faculty who receive teaching awards

Provide opportunities for career development and lifelong learning

  • Enhanced Master Teacher Mentor program for teacher candidates to optimize connections between course work and practicum experiences
  • Adjusted the Transition to Professional Practice (T2P) schedule for teacher candidates to ensure that professional development opportunities meet the needs of our students
  • 45 Teacher Candidates participated in the Western Practicum Partnership Program
  • Bursary for Associate Teachers established to thank them for their dedication to teacher candidates during the pandemic
  • Education Teacher candidates that directly enrolled in a Western Graduate program after graduating ↑ by 40% in 2022
  • Hosted first ever Associate Teacher Recognition Event – May 2023
  • OpenEdu's online-teacher.ca free training program for teaching in an online context has trained over 10,000 teachers since its launch 
  • Western Education launched OpenEdu offering a diverse array of OERs tailored to addressing pressing issues in Education
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Expand community partnerships

  • Established partnerships with new school boards (e.g. Durham Catholic and private schools) with 2071 associate teachers available
  • Established new partnerships with organizations hosting alternative field experiences with 517 partners in total
  • The Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic opened it’s new, expanded location at the Faculty of Education building and continued to establish partnerships with organizations focused on supporting children’s mental health including the Learning Disabilities Association of London Region, the London District Catholic School Board, the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration, the Thames Valley Children’s Centre, the Thames Valley District School Board, and Vanier Children’s Services
  • Introduced a community speaker series focused on post-pandemic well-being
  • Introduced yearly appreciation event for Associate Teachers
  • Held first-ever French as a Second Language (FSL) Teacher Appreciation Event
  • Education partners with 50 public school boards, 28 private schools, and over 700 community partners for experiential learning placements
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