November 2006
November 2006, Issue 32
Your College and You
Thank you for your interest in receiving breaking news and professional information from the Ontario College of Teachers.
In this Issue:
Uneven job market for new teachers, College study says
Newly certified French-language teachers have their pick of jobs upon graduation, the College's fifth annual Transition to Teaching study 
(840 KB) shows.
But it's an uphill climb for new primary-junior teachers and those coming into teaching from outside the province.
The study, funded by an Ontario Ministry of Education grant, reveals that:
- over 70 per cent of qualified French language teachers found full-time work in their first year
- 64 per cent of those qualified to teach physics, mathematics and technological studies landed regular jobs after graduation
- one-third of all newly certified teachers worked as supply teachers (daily, occasional)
- only one in four non-French, primary-junior teachers outside the Greater Toronto Area found full-time jobs.
Many internationally educated teachers cannot find full-time work and rely on occasional teaching assignments, even if they hold qualifications in high-demand subject areas.
Council Chair Don Cattani said the College hopes that the data will help inform decisions made by those interested in becoming a member of the profession.
"We need to ensure that teacher education programs prepare teachers who can fill the needs of our education system. We also need to improve the employment picture for licensed teachers who are new Canadians. The College has certified them to teach in Ontario, but far too many remain underemployed."
For the fifth year in a row, new teachers reported they were disappointed by the lack of systematic orientation and support in their first year. The survey confirms the importance of the new, government-funded teacher induction program, which kicks into full effect in all Ontario school boards this year and is expected to help address this need.
The College mailed surveys in May 2006 to 40 per cent of the 8,223 Ontario faculty of education graduates in 2005 and to 40 per cent of the 1,203 graduates from teacher education programs at six US border colleges. Thirty-two per cent 1,289) responded. The survey results are considered accurate within 2.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The Transition to Teaching study also includes a survey of teachers educated in other provinces and countries as well as surveys of teachers in their first five years in the profession after graduation. The large-scale study reports on findings from 4,130 survey returns overall.
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Revised Professional Standards Equal New Opportunities for Growth
There will be new opportunities in 2007 for you to explore the ways in which the revised ethical and practice standards can be used to guide and enhance professional practice.
In January and February, the College will host four regional forums - in Toronto, Windsor, Sudbury and Ottawa - on the revised standards. College staff will highlight the changes to the standards and introduce written and electronic resources developed by teachers for teachers.
To reserve your place at one of the forums, print out and fill in the form provided on our web site and forward it to the College.
Beginning in February 2007, the College will host an ethical decision-making institute - five days of study over a five-month period - that will focus on the ethical knowledge and understanding needed to resolve complex ethical dilemmas that teachers encounter in professional practice.
If you're interested in attending the ethical institute, print out and fill in the form provided on our web site and forward it to the College.
You can also play a part in the College's ongoing research on the importance of the ethical standards in helping educators respond to ethical dilemmas by sharing your professional experiences via the College web site.
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Meet Your New Council
The fourth Council of the College of Teachers began its three-year term November 9.
You can get to know the members of your Council through the College web site, which features the photos and bios of elected and appointed members of the 37-member governing Council.
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Library Services for Members
Request books and videos from the College library online, check the status of your holds, renew materials you've checked out and create your own library lists.
You can even e-mail book lists to colleagues and friends. Simply log into your Members' Area account and choose "Your Library" to access your new customized library page.
The library has a circulating collection of more than 4,800 books and videos, approximately 200 professional journals and many other resources. You can search the library database online from the College web site.
We will mail books and videos postage-free to your home or school address. Using a special-return mailing label, you can mail books back to the library free of charge.
You can also request a literature search by library staff, who will mail, fax or e-mail the journal articles.
More information regarding the library and its resources or e-mail library@oct.ca.
Olivia Hamilton
Ontario College of Teachers
Margaret Wilson Library
121 Bloor St. E.
Toronto ON M4W 3M5
Phone: 416-961-8800 ext. 679 or 1-888-534-2222 ext. 679
Fax: 416-961-9838
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