ontario_college_of_teachers
parenting

Three Ways to Stay Connected with Your Child’s School – The Ontario College of Teachers

October 4, 2014 /

Shutterstock images
This is a sponsored post. I have been compensated. My opinion is all my own.
If you parent a child that is in school then you will be familiar with this timeless afterschool exchange.
“How was school today?”
“Fine.”
“Anything exciting happen?”
“No.”
“What did you do today at school?”
“Nothing.”
It’s the communications challenge of parents everywhere. Sometimes staying in the loop regarding your child’s education seems like an insurmountable task. So what’s an educated, involved, parent to do? Luckily there are a lot of tools available to you these days with digital assets and email to help keep parents informed of teaching practices and changes. The first place to start is with your child and the next person in line is of course the teacher.
Three Ways to Stay Connected to Your Child’s School:
1.     Sign up for The Standard emails:
The Ontario College of Teachers has many assets available to help parents understand and make sense of the curriculum, teaching goals and standards and basic education news updates. Sign up for their electronic newsletter to help keep you informed. Click on the link below to sign up.
English
French
2.     Join the Parent Involvement Committee: I did this for several years because it was the best way to get communication straight from the source. It helped me to know when the PD Days were and when the reports were coming home and even simple things such as how big all the classes were that year.
3.     Check the school web site often. It’s a simple thing but easy to forget. Often there are updates about assemblies and things posted on the main site. It doesn’t hurt to check.
There are numerous other tools available to you as a parent to help you understand more about your child’s school and the education professionals working in that environment. For instance if you want to check a teacher’s criteria and special skills out, you can check in with the Ontario College of Teachers Web site to learn how Ontario teachers are certified. All teachers who wish to teach in Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools have to be certified. Prospective teachers complete a teacher education program in Ontario and then apply to be certified by the Ontario College of Teachers.
Many teachers are committed to lifelong professional development. It’s a philosophy the college and professional body subscribe to. Each year, thousands of Ontario teachers engage in a wide range of learning activities that help members expand their knowledge, increase their skills and prepare for career changes. The Ontario College of Teachers recognizes exemplary teachers in their magazine, Professionally Speaking.
 
–      check out their stories here: http://professionallyspeaking.oct.ca/exemplary.aspx
Teachers have a strong commitment to ethical standards laid out by the Ontario College of Teachers. They practice care, trust, respect and integrity. The college also has a disciplinary hearing process to vet complaints. They are mandated to hear complaints if they occur. There are 239,000 members and roughly 90 complaints a year are heard. You can read more about that process here:
Teachers are important partners in helping educate your child. There are a lot of resources available to help you maintain a better understanding of, and communication with your child’s school and the teacher. Pin this post so you have it if ever an issue or concern arises.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

You May Also Like

Happy_New_year_image

Happy New Year Scavenger Hunt

December 24, 2020
Halloween_cupcakes

25 Creative Halloween Cupcakes

October 3, 2016
breville_tea_maker

Breville Tea Maker – Getting My Tea Fix in a New Way

October 31, 2016

28 Comments