Alicia McCormick

Year Graduated: 2021
Program/Degree: Educational Practice MEd

Year Graduated: 2020
Program/Degree: GDE in Inclusive Education

I’m Alicia McCormick, and I’m a bilingual teacher-librarian in Surrey Schools – the largest school district in BC. I graduated from the Inclusive Education Graduate Diploma in Education (GDE) program at Simon Fraser University in 2020.

I discovered this program when researching Masters programs offered at SFU, and I chose it because it centers on people. Regardless of the type of teaching role I pursue in the future, whether it’s administration, back to the classroom, or any other specialist role, I will always be working with people who have diverse needs and abilities. The Inclusive Education GDE is the most people-focused program offered, and it dovetails well with any role a teacher could have.

The Inclusive Education GDE environment was a true community in itself. It was a place to explore topics that challenged our thinking and philosophy, share our own stories and grow in our understanding of the diverse needs of people.

The skills I gained in the program have impacted every area of my teaching: Level B assessment, understanding different high and low incidence designations, and how to support students with varied needs. Together with the meaningful learning activities and speakers who shared, this program has been a transformative experience; I would strongly recommend it to teachers considering professional development.

I have completely changed the way I prepare and teach lessons in the library learning commons. I intentionally design lessons and activities with the needs of diverse learners in mind and try to offer an array of activities that pair with the multiple intelligences and Universal Design for Learning.

My colleagues in the cohort quickly became like a family. We all hailed from different places and roles, yet we all understood the “teacher’s life”. Each person’s skills and gifts had a chance to shine. Being with each other weekly was some of the best professional development I’ve ever experienced. I firmly believe that I can reach out to any of them after going through this program together. Our main professor, Dr. Lauridsen, was exceptional in every way. The program reaffirmed my belief that people are precious beyond measure.

There is only so much that can be learned on-the-job and in preservice teaching. The GDE experience allows you dedicated time and space to develop yourself professionally and personally. The acknowledgement of this meaningful work is evident in the step-up in salary categories, too. If you are considering a Graduate Diploma in Education at SFU, you will not regret it! Plus, it pays itself off in only a couple of years. It was worth it. I looked forward to it every week.