Ontario Teachers Receive New Professional Designation

Ontario Teachers Receive New Professional Designation

Beginning this fall, OCT - which stands for Ontario Certified Teacher - will be awarded by the Council of the Ontario College of Teachers to members in good standing.

The designation signifies that you:

• are certified and qualified to teach in Ontario's publicly funded schools
• possess distinct knowledge and skills specific to teaching
• engage in ongoing learning throughout your career
• belong to a community of highly educated, responsible and caring practitioners who are committed to helping Ontario students develop and succeed.
• It's an important distinction, one we hope you will use frequently in the months and years ahead.

Until now, teaching was one of the only self-regulated professions in the province without a professional designation.

For example, we're all familiar with RN, CA, and PEng as designations for nurses, chartered accountants and engineers. The abbreviations become common fixtures in everyday language, symbolic of the professions and as respected titles for their practitioners.

OCT lets students, parents and the public know that you belong to a community of highly educated professionals, people whose professional practice is guided and informed by the profession's standards of practice and ethical standards.

At the request of College Council in 2007, we investigated the notion of professional designation. Over 16 months, through our annual member survey, focus groups and an extensive electronic poll designed and managed by expert firms outside the College, members told us they favoured having a professional designation.

Members wanted a tool to help raise the level of respect for teaching within the community. They wanted a symbol of personal, professional achievement. They wanted a moniker as testament to their distinct knowledge and skills and the respect, trust, care and integrity they demonstrate with their students, parents and each other.

OCT is that symbol.

Sincerely,

Paula Correa, OCT