Maintaining Professional Boundaries in a Digital Age: A Reflection on the OCT Advisories

Maintaining Professional Boundaries in a Digital Age: A Reflection on the OCT Advisories

In our increasingly connected world, the Ontario College of Teachers' professional advisories serve as vital touchstones in guiding ethical, safe, and professional conduct online. Two key advisories, “Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media” (2017) and “Maintaining Professional Boundaries” (2020), remind us that professional judgment doesn’t stop when the school day ends or when we move from physical to digital spaces.

The 2017 advisory encourages Ontario certified teachers to view themselves as digital citizens, who not only teach with technology but also model ethical online behavior. Whether posting content, replying to messages, or simply managing social media profiles, educators are expected to maintain the same standards of care, trust, and integrity that define their in-person teaching. Importantly, the advisory addresses the blurring of personal and professional boundaries on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, and highlights how casual tone or private messaging can lead to misinterpretation—or worse, professional misconduct.

Building on that foundation, the 2020 advisory on professional boundaries acknowledges the complexity of modern teaching, especially in small or rural communities, but reinforces a clear message: the onus is always on the educator to set and maintain boundaries. From suggestive jokes to private social invitations, educators are reminded that trust is built not only through warmth and empathy, but through transparency, accountability, and respect for power dynamics.

These advisories align closely with the Ottawa Catholic School Board's (OCSB) principles, such as the Humane Use of Technology, where teachers are expected to integrate tech while modeling dignity and inclusion. Both the OCT and OCSB recognize that educators are moral leaders. Whether teaching digital literacy, integrating AI ethically, or simply replying to a student email, professional boundaries must be safeguarded to maintain student well-being and public trust.

Ultimately, these documents are more than compliance checklists, they are invitations to ongoing self-reflection. In our evolving educational landscape, they challenge us to continually ask: Does this action align with my professional identity?



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