1930s

Improving pedagogy

1935

John Hughes, Macdonald Professor of Education, saw the elementary teaching certification lengthened to one year and the high school teaching certification requiring a full year of post-graduate professional studies.

 

1939

Fueled by a growing need for personnel in the English Catholic schools, a movement for a separate institution emerged and an institution for the education of English Catholic male teachers was created in 1939. The English branch of the Jacques Cartier Normal School would eventually merge with McGill’s Faculty of Education in 1970.

1942

In February 1942, the teacher-training program vacated the college to provide facilities for the Canadian Women’s Army League. For the duration of WW2, teacher-training was located at McGill’s downtown campus. The School for Teachers moved back to Macdonald College in 1945.

 

1949

Following Sinclair Laird’s retirement, David C. Munroe was appointed Director of the School of Teachers. Munroe introduced numerous pedagogical improvements into teacher training, such as faculty advisers for students and instruction provided by a team of lecturers.