Pauline Lantz Smith Helps Address Teacher Shortage

With the changing landscape of Canadian schools, student teachers pursuing their Bachelor of Education at McGill are being offered the opportunity to specialize in teaching French Immersion. “Just because someone is fluent in French does not mean they can teach French as a Second Language,” says Dr. Sheryl Smith-Gilman, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs.

McGill B.Eds have the option of applying to the PIF (Pédagogie de l’Immersion Française) stream to become French Immersion teachers, without extending their graduation trajectory. Many consider PIF to be an added feature of the B.Ed, increasing employability and teaching versatility. This year, thanks to the generous support of Pauline Smith (M.Ed. ’75), five new PIF scholarships will be available for deserving students in this stream.

As a lifelong educator and longstanding benefactor of McGill Education, Pauline understands the importance of student support and values the relationships that she has built with students over the past 20 years. Establishing the Pauline Smith Scholarship for PIF students is one of her latest contributions and closely tied to what she values most: helping young people along their path. “The idea of bilingual education is taking off across the country. All school boards are looking for bilingual teachers, and with this PIF certification, McGill students can go anywhere in the country to get a teaching job,” Pauline recently said in interview.

“Qualified French immersion teachers who are well-grounded in approaches to second-language teaching are in high demand here in Quebec and across Canada,” commented Dr. Smith-Gillman. “Research has shown that properly prepared French immersion teachers typically get hired quickly, often by private schools, and there are not enough qualified immersion teachers to go around. Some of our PIF students actually get hired before they officially graduate.”

Pauline Smith’s passion for excellence in teaching has fueled her to take a personal interest in a new generation of McGill student teachers. “It is extremely rewarding to know that I am helping young people; that through these awards, I am encouraging students to take on the challenges ahead of them. I love reading the student appreciation letters that I receive each year from the scholarship winners and it is very heartwarming to hear about students’ plans for their lives. Each letter is either surprising, amazing or enlightening in its own way; and sometimes it can be all three.”

With ongoing support from major donors like Pauline, the Faculty of Education will continue to prepare students for their careers as educators and help address community needs in classrooms across the country.