The Ontario College of Teachers affirms that the ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight for developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-being and learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in practice.
This ethical standard of care is similar to the Catholic Graduate Expectation #6: A Caring Family Member Who: who attends to family, school, parish, and the wider community.
In order to engage the OCT and the CGEs requirements, I evaluated a school activity that engaged the the Knights of Columbus in a way that builds a caring community in my current learning community.
School Activity - Knight of Columbus Support Work
Within my school we actively support our local Knights of Columbus Council's (KoC) projects (i.e. Rosary, Basketball, Soccer and pro-Life work). This reminds us that as Catholic school teachers we are called by our Biblical and Magisterial vocation to serve life, to affirm life, and to celebrate life. Together with the entire Church, we are to live out our baptismal duty, ensuring that the divine life which God has given to all our students is protected from the the evils of a culture of death and confusion. By ensuring that a spirit of love and life is deeply planted into the hearts and minds of the children that are placed in our custody, we model Jesus Christ Himself, who came to bring us life, that we may have it more abundantly. (St. John 10:10)
The Catholic school is called to take its canonical place in the Church as a guardian of life's wonder and mystery. Linking to our local KoC events and in-school projects affirms that it does this through three life affirming fjords:
- Life is not just about survival;
- Educators are teachers of the unconditional love of God; and,
- There is a relationship between Sin and Salvation that is related to Self-esteem.
