Self-regulation

One of my favourite places on Earth is Lake Louise, Alta. If you’ve been there, you perhaps share my admiration for majestic mountains, roaming wildlife and the sheer purity of nature. I find it calming and it allows me to reflect. As teachers, we search for reflective spaces for ourselves and for our students. Our goal is to provide the optimal learning environment where students thrive.

Anchored in our ethical standards of Care, Respect, Trust and Integrity, and our standards of practice, we exemplify what it means to be Ontario Certified Teachers. It’s not surprising, then, that the teaching profession in Ontario is allowed to regulate itself. Professional self-regulation is a privilege in that it recognizes the specialized skills, knowledge and experience that Ontario-licensed teachers possess, and the maturity of the profession to determine and abide by ethical standards and standards of practice.

Currently, there are 23 Council members who are members of the profession serving on Council and College committees. With the recommendations that Council passed during our last meeting in March (see story in Governing Ourselves), and pending Act and regulatory changes, there will be opportunities for many more licensed teachers to contribute their specialized skill set in setting the direction for the profession.

As changes unfold, keep posted on Council’s work by visiting oct.ca, perusing the College’s monthly newsletter, Your College and You, and by reading the Governing Ourselves section of Professionally Speaking.

If you find yourself in a quiet, reflective space, I encourage you to consider how and what you would like to contribute to professional self-regulation. Serving in the public interest on Council and committees reinforces the notion that members of our profession are capable of governing themselves.