Looking Down Another Fork in the Road

[BiggusDickus]

@TT

Ontario teachers used to be able to bank sick days and get cash instead. When that rule was changed, suddenly a lot more supply teachers were needed…

Unintended consequences of cost-cutting, but it should have been foreseeable.

[Brianjones]

Do the interview and see if you got the job first.

[Kingdomparadise]

That’s in regards to the Indigenous school board.

[Kingdomparadise]

I’ll find out.

[Kingdomparadise]

I really don’t mind staying in Taiwan to work for another year if I get the chance. But even if I go for this occasional teaching job in Canada, the question is will I get the chance to work my way up within less than 5 years?

[Brianjones]

If you are not in, you can’t win.
You have to get into their system, get to know ppl, build up your experience. And you’ll be in country.
Canada isn’t such a small country there’s always going to be opportunities. Work your way up means what, permanent position ?

[noWhiners]

I haven’t followed the whole thread, but I read your first post. I think you shouldn’t crowd-source your life choices. You seem to have thought through and rounded out the arguments, and now you’re agonizing over your choice. You are the best qualified person here.

[tando]

@Kingdomparadise

will I get the chance to work my way up within less than 5 years?

A good fortune teller could do a help for this kind of things.

[Kingdomparadise]

Yes. Working my way up means a permanent position as the goal.

[tando]

@Kingdomparadise

don’t mind staying in Taiwan to work for another year if I get the chance.

You don’t mind, or do you want?

[TT]

@BiggusDickus

it should have been foreseeable

Probably was, but the union has the province by the balls so it is mostly impossible to take anything away without a strike ‘for the children!’ A good union to get in with, if one were qualified and put in enough part-time time to get a full-time gig. Job security is amazing as is the pension, though classes during COVID or online teaching with parents watching what teachers say/do are probably making a lot of teachers question how cushy the jobs are these days…

[mups]

@Kingdomparadise

If I am going to settle in Canada for the long term, I would rather live in a house located in the middle of nowhere in which real estate is cheap than to get ripped off living in Mississauga.

Hey if you don’t mind living rural, or even prefer it, and assuming costs of living is much lower because of it, seems like an opportunity.

Worst case, it doesn’t work out, you can go back to TW. Especially since you don’t have an APRC, you don’t have that to lose by trying Canada for even an extended time.

[Kingdomparadise]

That’s exactly what happened to me about 2 years ago. I had a job teaching for an Indigenous School board in Northern Ontario, Canada for 2 years. And after 2 years they let me go. I tried getting another teaching position in Canada while I was collecting EI money, but then I decided to come back here to Taiwan. Did I intend to come to Taiwan? No. But I am here anyway.
If I do go back to Canada to live rural, my goal this time would be to buy a house in a rural area that I can get cheap, (or a small 2 bedroom house in Sudbury). If I return to Canada and nothing works out, then I will have to look towards working online from home.

[mups]

@Kingdomparadise

That’s exactly what happened to me about 2 years ago. I had a job teaching for an Indigenous School board in Northern Ontario, Canada for 2 years.

Ah I see, you’ve been here before. I’d just say try to get a feel for the potential of the job from your interview process and do what feels right. Even if you have been there before it doesn’t take away any options either. Online work or even returning, they’re all options. Wish you the best!

[Incubus]

@TimesThree

trying to fit back into that place I remembered (which really wasn’t a place that existed anymore) involved the kind of sacrifice I wasn’t prepared to make.

Did Trump have anything to do with this by any chance?

[TT]

@Incubus

Did Trump have anything to do with this by any chance?

Something of an odd place to bring up Trump. But, in my case, I believe an overemphasis on identity politics contributed to both (my inability to fit in again, and his election). However, I recall the OP is a person of colour, and moving to Canada, identity politics de rigeur should be a benefit rather than a disadvantage…

[jdsmith]

@TimesThree

After living in Taiwan for almost ten years I realized that living in Taiwan had made me into a different person, and trying to fit back into that place I remembered (which really wasn’t a place that existed anymore) involved the kind of sacrifice I wasn’t prepared to make.

I get that. People seem too uptight. EVERYTHING bothers them. I pretty much stay on the hill at home, doing yardwork or go fishing. I don’t go into “town” unless I have to.

@tando

A good fortune teller could do a help for this kind of things.

Try getting THAT service in Canada. lol

@Kingdomparadise

Yes. Working my way up means a permanent position as the goal.

Meh…that’s what I did. I felt entrenched in bureaucratic stoopidity.

[Kingdomparadise]

It’'s not a benefit in all cases.

[Kingdomparadise]

Thank you!

[TT]

@Kingdomparadise

It’'s not a benefit in all cases.

Nothing is 100%, but I’m confident that Canada vs. Asia on this issue you’re far better off in Canada (not sure about an Indigenous school board, but in fact I’ve never heard of these before). Promoting diversity hiring is an explicit policy, this isn’t just a personal opinion:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/schoold-board-hiring-practices.html

For myself, I enjoy far more privilege for my birth circumstances in Asia than I do in Canada where it works against me. Here I am also rarely asked ‘where are you really from’ which in Canada is a regular occurrence. For me, it is a no-brainer, your circumstances are quite different (I’ve also never lost a teaching job, though in Canada I was mostly unable to get any).

Anyways, if your goal is:

@Kingdomparadise

Working my way up means a permanent position as the goal.

I’ve also never heard of this in Asia for foreign teachers (anyone else?), so again I think you’re better off in Canada.