Updated: September 11, 2024
Transitional Teaching Certificate
A Transitional Certificate enables Ontario teacher candidates to be employed as teachers while completing their initial teacher education program. Up to 20 days of this teaching experience may be used to satisfy practicum requirements.
A Transitional Certificate is valid for 18 months, with the potential of a one-time, six-month extension granted by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT), as long as the member maintains their membership in good standing. It may be converted into a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration when the OCT receives a teacher education transcript and report from Faculty confirming the applicants’ program completion/degree conferral.
As a University of Windsor teacher candidate, you are eligible to apply for the Transitional Certificate if you meet all of the below requirements:
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You have completed all requirements for your undergraduate degree;
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You have successfully completed your entire first year of the Bachelor of Education (BEd) program, including semester 1 and semester 2, and at least 40 successful days of practicum.
Teacher candidates are responsible for applying for the Transitional Certificate through the OCT. Once you have applied for your Transitional Certificate, you must submit your 6-digit OCT number to tempcert@uwindsor.ca.
Eligible teacher candidates wishing to apply for the Transitional Teaching Certificate are to note the following:
The teacher candidate is responsible for:
- Completion of online application and declaration with OCT
- Submission of the 6-digit OCT number to tempcert@uwindsor.ca
- Requesting an official transcript is sent to the OCT through UWinsite Student
- Requesting the Faculty Report
- Completion of Sexual Abuse Prevention Program
- In order to be granted a transitional certificate, applicants must pay all necessary fees and meet all other applicable certification requirements.
All Concurrent BEd teacher candidates are required to obtain a letter from the Office of the Registrar that confirms all undergraduate degree requirements are complete. Please note the following:
- A $15 fee will apply.
- The request for the letter should be emailed to sustainment@uwindsor.ca with the subject “OCT Transitional Certificate” and contain the following information:
- Name, Student Number, Program of Study, and OCT Number.
- Please allow one to two weeks for processing.
The Faculty of Education is responsible for:
- Submission of Faculty Report
- The Faculty of Education will verify that each applicant has met the Transitional Certificate requirements.
No teacher candidate will be recommended for the transitional teaching certificate if they have obtained three or more final grades below 60-62.9% in any courses in the program, or one or more final grades of 0-49.9% in any course in the program, have failed a practicum placement, have an unresolved file before the Professional Standards Committee, and/or are currently the subject of a University of Windsor investigation regarding either academic or non-academic misconduct.
In the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor, the following shall apply:
- Teacher candidates holding a transitional certificate may act as an emergency occasional teacher as part of their designated practicum placement only within the same school as their practicum placement
- In the event that a Long-Term Occasional position becomes available in another school (during or outside their normal practicum placement location), and the teacher candidate is identified as a possible fit, the school board and the Faculty of Education must come to agreement as to whether this alternate plan is appropriate in the situation. Teacher candidates would be asked to provide a copy of their valid transitional certificate, as well as details of the teaching assignment to the Field Experience Office. If the assignment is deemed appropriate by the Associate Dean, Teacher Education, the teacher candidate is required to keep a detailed record of the completed LTO time on a dedicated form provided by the Field Experience Office. Following the completion of the scheduled placement block, the form must be signed by the Principal and submitted to the Field Experience Office for official recording purposes. The Principal will also be asked to formally evaluate the candidate’s teaching with the completion of the Faculty of Education’s Summative Assessment
- As per agreements with our school board partners, all placement arrangements are made by and through the Field Experience Office. Teacher candidates must meet division and subject area requirements by the completion of their program to be eligible for a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration, but the 20 days under the transitional teaching certificate need not be in the division and subject area
- Please Note: Even when in possession of a valid transitional teaching certificate, teacher candidates may not take paid teaching work during scheduled class time or other required activities of the BEd program (e.g., PLS). Regular attendance of all classes is mandatory in the Faculty of Education. Chronic attendance concerns, including taking paid employment in non-compliance with Faculty of Education policy, may provide grounds for requiring a teacher candidate to withdraw from the program
- Under no circumstances will paid teaching work taken without a valid transitional teaching certificate be counted toward practicum requirements.
Teacher candidates in the Technological Studies program typically apply to the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) for a Multi-Sessional Transitional Certificate of Qualification and Registration. Questions pertaining to the Technological Studies program should be directed to the Coordinator of the Technological Studies Program (Tim.Tiegs@uwindsor.ca)