Welcome to the Occasional Teachers section of the Waterloo Catholic Teachers website! This section is intended to be a living document and provides content that provides Occasional Teachers with information pertaining to being a member of OECTA as an Occasional Teacher with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Please do not hesitate to reach out and ask for assistance if you have a question, concern, or need any guidance.

The OECTA Waterloo Occasional Teacher Reference Guide provides many details of all things Occasional. From layman’s language describing the content of the collective agreement, Board practices not captured in the collective agreement, opportunities with OECTA, and so much more, the document is designed to help guide you and answer questions you didn’t know you had!

Our Occasional Teachers span many stages of their careers, including new grads starting their careers, OTs working in LTOs as they move towards a permanent career, career Occasional Teachers choosing non-permanent teaching to balance home and work, retired teachers who have returned as OTs, OTs who may have been permanent and made a transition to do OT work, to everything in between. Each group has some unique situations and it’s rewarding to support and share with Occasional Teachers no matter where they fall within the Occasional Teacher world.

Being an Occasional Teacher offers you some unique advantages. Flexibility is one of the obvious ones, but another major one, especially for new teachers, is the opportunity to explore school communities and start to find where your best fit is. We are fortunate that over the last few years, the opportunities for those who seek to have LTOs or go permanent are plentiful. It’s common for Occasional Teachers to get an LTO very early on, with some never doing a day of daily supply work with the Board. Similarly, the speed at which Occasional Teachers move from LTO to permanent is under two years for most teachers actively seeking to make that transition. I encourage you to take the time and do some daily occasional assignments or consider checking out a different school on a second, or third LTO to leverage those opportunities to explore. That being said, if you are interested in any of the permanent opportunities that come available, and hold the posted requirements, I encourage you to apply to those postings. Having had an LTO Evaluation puts you in a priority group for consideration, but there are also situations when applicants to a permanent posting will be considered without an evaluation.

Getting involved: There are many opportunities to get involved with OECTA both locally and provincially regardless of whether you are a new teacher or seasoned one! From getting involved on the executive, as an OT association rep or a committee to participating in the many events offered, there are opportunities to fit a variety of interests. In addition, there are workshops/conferences and PD money available both locally and provincially. Please make sure to take the time to read communications from both Waterloo and provincial OECTA for invitations to participate as well as check out the provincial and local websites for opportunities.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out via email or phone if you have a question or need support.