The Ontario College of Teachers believes that its membership must be dedicated in their care and commitment to students. They treat students equitably and with respect and are sensitive to factors that influence individual student learning. Members facilitate the development of students as contributing citizens of Canadian society. (OCT, Professional Standards of Practice)
Catholic school teachers have a dual mandate to teach students the ethics and standards of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) as well as to prepare our students through the Seven Areas of Living from the Catholic Graduation Expectations (CGE). The requirements of the ethical standard of care is similar to the Catholic Graduate Expectation #4: A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner who develops and demonstrates their God-given potential.
As a Catholic teacher, the strength to meet the demands of care and commitment along with the demands of the dual mandate flow from the personal relationship that I have with Jesus Christ. The key to this strength comes from a life in Christological and Christocentric prayer. As part of this course I wrote the following reflection on why prayer is important:
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"My life can become prayer at every moment when I take the time to acknowledge the incarnational nature of God and how my life is embraced, enriched, and enlivened by it."
This is a personally informative and powerful quote. On a very subtle level it reminds me that I am to love the Lord with my whole heart, my whole soul and mind and with all my strength, and to love my neighbour as myself. Also, that I must glorify the Lord in all I do by prayerfully give space to the incarnational nature of God through my life. God almighty has sent us as Christians into the world so that we might give witness by word and deed to His voice and to make known to all, that the Lord alone is God (Mark 12:30, Matthew 22:30).
This quote also points to the importance of a life enriched by love, a love which is God (1 John 4:6). As a teacher and deacon I, whether engaged in prayer or in announcing the Word of God, or in teaching my students, should strive to be humble in everything. I should not seek glory, or be self-satisfied, or internally proud because of a good work or word God does or speaks in or through me. Rather in every place and circumstance, l should acknowledge that all good belongs to God almighty.
We must always give thanks to Him from whom we receive all good.
