About Additional, Deferred, or Failed Placements

Your Bachelor of Education degree (BEd) Professional Program’s practicum is a rewarding part of your teacher education; it is a time for you to develop your abilities as well as learn important aspects of professional education. However, for a wide range of reasons, your practicum can also be a challenging experience.

Whether you encounter a placement that is difficult, deferred, or compromised for academic, professional, or health reasons, there are a number of procedures that you must follow.

Note: If you do miss time during a placement, you must provide proper documentation and make up for it at the end of your placement, during a subsequent placement, or during an additional placement

Additional Teaching Placements

If a regular placement is either unsuccessful or deferred, you will need to complete an additional placement. You must complete an additional placement for the following reasons:

  • You receive an INC (incomplete) in EDUC 4398 or EDUC 4498
  • You, the teacher candidate, makes a request to the Professional Experiences Coordinator in Thunder Bay/Orillia  for an additional placement
  • Either EDUC 4398 or EDUC 4498 are unsuccessful (see Failed Practicum)

If you require an additional placement, for any reason, you must make a formal request to the Professional Experiences Coordinator, complete the necessary documentation, and pay the appropriate fee (i.e. additional placement: $500.00; deferred placement: $500.00).

The placement officer will negotiate your additional placement if the Professional Experience Coordinator has sent a written request at least six weeks in advance of the requested start date. To be eligible for an additional placement, you must also ensure that you meet all of the preferred placement board’s requirements (e.g. PRC/VSS and TB test).

Note: You must complete any additional placement in Thunder Bay (Lakehead Thunder Bay) or Simcoe County (Lakehead Orillia)

Deferred Teaching Placements

If you cannot attempt an arranged placement, for a documented reason, you will receive a grade of INC (incomplete), and you may resume the deferred placement in the next scheduled session. Once you are able to participate in a placement (e.g. you have recovered from an illness), you must apply for an additional placement.

An additional placement, because of deferral, will cost you $500.00.

Failed Teaching Placements

If you are unable to complete a placement successfully, you may need to complete a required course as well as an additional placement to meet the Ontario College of Teachers certification requirements. The following information describes what happens if you fail a placement:

  • If you fail a placement in Year 1, we will place you on review and you will need to register in and complete EDUC 0498: Enhancing the Practicum.
  • If you fail a placement in Year 2, you may need to register in EDUC 0498: Enhancing the Practicum and if the failed placement is your fourth placement, you will need to complete an additional placement.

During your Professional Program, you may only be on review once. To proceed to the next scheduled placement, you must pass EDUC 0498; failing EDUC 0498 constitutes a program failure.

Note: Two compromised placements means that you are removed from the program.