Current Students

Program Handbooks

» View 2017-2018 Teacher Education Stream Handbook

» View 2019-2020 Teacher Educaton Stream Handbook

Placement Paperwork

Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC)
Most placement locations will require you to have a Vulnerable Sector Check (this is not the same as a Criminal Record Check; the VSC is more in-depth). You will need to obtain this prior to going out on placement, and it is the responsibility of the placement organization, if applicable, to verify that you have the necessary documentation for their setting. Below is a letter that you can use to approach the local police in your home municipality in order to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check.

Please note that this letter will NOT be of any use if your home address has a postal code starting with letter "M" (i.e. your home police, in that case, is the Toronto Police Services, as they have a very different process). If you have a home postal code starting with "M", please email your FULL LEGAL NAME and MAILING ADDRESS to cynthiabudgell@trentu.ca (Our Placement Officer within the School of Education) to seek assistance OR if you have any ID with a Peterborough address, but primarily based in Toronto, you may attempt to obtain your VSC with the Peterborough Police. Please note that your home address is determined by your primary mailing address. If you have shifted your main mailing address to Peterborough or Oshawa when coming to university, you may be able to acquire the VSC from the Peterborough or Durham police.

• Download the Vulnerable Sector Check Letter
   
• Introductory Letter for Placement Host
   
• ​Placement Proposal Form 
   
• Placement Evaluation Form
   
• Examples of Possible Experiential Placements

Secondary Teachable Requirements

To clear up a common misconception, please note that the term “teachables” refers ONLY to Intermediate/Senior (I/S) requirements.  Teachables do not apply to Primary/Junior (P/J).  For those in I/S who intend applying to Trent for your B.Ed., you need to be certain that your undergraduate program will give you the necessary credits for two of the teachable areas offered by Trent, once you get to the level of the B.Ed. program.  The 12 teachable subjects currently offered by Trent are: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, First Nation, Metis and Inuit Studies, English, Geography, French as a Second Language, History, Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts, and Health & Physical Education.  Trent has chosen to focus on providing a set of teachable options that are in strong demand in the schools.  It is important to keep the list of teachables above in mind if you are considering applying to Trent for a B.Ed. in I/S teaching.  Other universities may offer teachables in other subject areas, for example in Social Studies – General, which includes sociology and psychology, but Trent does not.

As a general rule of thumb, courses that are offered by a specific subject department are usually accepted as meeting the requirements for a secondary teachable, however there are a few exceptions.  If you are thinking of a teachable in math for example, courses that are listed as, “Not for credit towards a major or minor in Mathematics” will not count towards a teachable.  The same is true for certain courses in Physics, Biology and French here at Trent.  

Visual Art, Drama, and Health & Physical Education

Three teachable areas (Health & Physical Education, Drama and Visual Arts) are available in the B.Ed. program at Trent despite the university not having undergraduate academic departments in each of these areas.  As such there are no courses listed exclusively for each of these subjects.  However, there are a number of courses offered by other departments that serve to meet the requirements of each of these areas.  The lists of courses acceptable for application to Trent’s B.Ed. program in each of these subjects can be found here.  Remember if you are applying to universities other than Trent for your B.Ed. to check the acceptability of these courses with them for their B.Ed. programs. 

» View 2019 Dramatic Arts Teachable Courses List

» View 2019 Health & Physical Education Teachable Courses List

» View 2019 Visual Arts Teachable Courses List