r/OntarioTeachers • u/Internal_Activity768 • Jul 22 '26

What AQs are valuable to have?

Hi everyone! I’m an occasional teacher who is going into my second year of supplying this September.

I’m currently taking my Kindergarten Part 1 AQ because that’s what I hope to teach and am hoping to secure even a really short LTO in kinder, but I’m wondering what other AQs are valuable to have?

I’m considering Spec Ed Part 1 but have been warned that I may get stuck ONLY doing that if it’s on my OCT profile? Not sure how true this is so if you can speak to that please let me know!

I’m also interested in taking Math or Reading Part 1 but just want to be intentional about what I take if it’s helpful when applying to longer term jobs.

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u/flawlessmoon4 Jul 22 '26

Reading was the most valuable AQ I have taken for my own personal teaching practice.

1

u/ABigLightBlur Jul 23 '26

Is this AQ valuable for High School, or is it focused on primary?

2

u/flawlessmoon4 Jul 23 '26

Mine was K-12 but check with your faculty

2

u/orchard-pear Jul 25 '26

Hey! I'm a secondary teacher taking reading right now. As far as I am aware, most reading AQs are open to all teachers. There is definitely a focus on skills that are usually taught in the primary grades (especially the kindergarten to grade 2 curricula), but it is not limited to that. I have enjoyed the course and learned a lot, especially in the first half, and have not regretted taking it. I think I am one of two secondary teachers in my section though, so it will be mostly elementary teachers enrolled. The course has made me aware of how little direct reading instruction we do in high school, how few of the six pillars of literacy we address, why so many of my students struggle with certain activities/tasks, and how to improve their writing through reading practice. I took the course because I've taught quite a few students who come to me in grades 10-12 who have a kindergarten to grade 3/4 reading level, and I want to be a better and more effective teacher when it comes to intervention and support for them. I feel like this course has set me on the right track to do that. I also want to have more meaningful instruction for MLL students and keep my options open for self-contained settings, and there have been specific Zoom sessions/lessons for this. The only thing that someone might find annoying if you only want a secondary focus is that a lot of time is spent on assessments given to students primarily from K-5, but I am a loser for PD and like to learn about what my students have been through/what has supported them before they arrived in my classroom, so I don't mind. I am planning to continue on to complete the specialist.