Ontario College of Teachers

[mbovi]

I had a couple of Heads / Directors mention to me during interviews that they particularly like to hire Canadian teachers due to the accountability that is placed upon our heads by the OCT. So the OCT is not just an organization for teachers - it is, first and foremost, accountable TO THE PUBLIC. If you want a body that handles the interests of teachers, we have the Ontario Teachers' Federation for that.

It may seem like a noose on our head to pay the membership that keeps teachers like us accountable, but I like it. It is a profession, after all, and it keeps us current and hopefully, aware of our practices in the classroom. I know that as an international school teacher for around 7 years ( I've been gone from Ontario for that long ), I still take my AQs, follow up on any PD that my current schools allow for...AND still think, as I teach, " Did I say this the right way in the right tone? Was that appropriate for me to state feedback on a student's work in that way? Would this decision of mine in correcting student behaviour be valuable / conducive / actually HELPFUL in the long run? "

These questions are not just part of the fact that I am an ethical, well-intentioned professional teacher...but also bc I really don't want to be in trouble by the OCT by doing my students and the profession, some sort of injustice.