OT, LTO, or Permanent? A Simple Guide to Teacher Titles

If you’re just entering the profession, you’ve likely noticed that a "teaching job" is labelled in many different ways. When you start browsing for work, the variety of titles can be overwhelming: Occasional Teacher (OT), LTO, Teacher on Call (TOC/TTOC), Sub, Subbing, Substitute, or Casual Supply.

These roles can be described as full-time or part-time due to the nature of their length but regardless of the label, the core of the job remains the same: you are a qualified professional stepping in to support a classroom and fill in for the regular teacher. What determines the specific title is primarily the duration of the assignment and the level of responsibility you take on for planning and assessment.

As a Certified Teacher with 16 years of experience in education recruitment and as the owner of Jobs In Education, I’ve seen how these roles work together to create a thriving school community. My goal is to help you understand these opportunities so you can understand the path that helps you achieve your long term goals whether that is the flexibility of daily supply work or the stability of your own permanent classroom.

1. Defining the Opportunities: Short-Term vs. Long-Term vs. Permanent

While titles vary by province, the professional roles generally fall into three categories:

• Short-Term / Daily Occasional (OT)/Substitute Teaching: Typically daily coverage. This is a fantastic way to experience different school cultures and grade levels. It offers the most flexibility, allowing you to choose your days and locations. In Ontario, an assignment is considered "Daily Supply" for the first 10 days.

• Long-Term Occasional (LTO): A replacement assignment for a permanent teacher on leave. In many regions, like Ontario, a role officially becomes an LTO after 10 consecutive teaching days in the same assignment.

• Permanent: A position that you return to year after year. It can be part time or full time but the role is yours from one year to the next.

•  Note: Please refer to your local provincial or collective agreement for specific definitions as they can vary. This information is meant to give you the broad strokes of definitions for understanding.

2. The Career Ecosystem: The "Cycle Effect"

Many new grads worry that if they don't get hired in a specific month, the window has closed. However, the teaching market is a constant ecosystem driven by what I call the "Cycle Effect."

The system moves in a continuous cycle:

1. New Permanent Positions are created through retirements, higher student enrollment, or increased course demands.

2. LTO Teachers are able to interview for those vacant permanent roles.

3. Occasional Teachers on the daily list are eligible to interview for LTO assignments.

4. The “Supply List” or OT Roster then needs to be replenished to handle daily supply needs.

Because of this constant movement—and factors like cold and flu season—hiring for the OT list happens all year long. It is not a set "season." Boards often need to top the list up as the year goes on.

3. A Reality Check on Geography

It is important to know that this "cycle" varies by board. Some boards currently have full rosters and are not hiring new OTs. However, a board just one hour away might be in need of staff.

Don’t assume one board’s status represents the whole province. If your local board isn’t hiring, expand your search to adjacent boards, independent schools, and community organizations. These are often great places to work in a teaching capacity while you wait for a specific roster to open.

4. Maintaining Your Status: The Minimums

Once you are on a board's OT or "Teacher on Call" roster, there is usually a minimum day requirement (often between 20–30 days per year) to remain active. This ensures that the roster is made up of educators who are actively supporting the organization and filling vacancies. It’s a win-win: the board gets reliable coverage, and you keep your "foot in the door" for future LTO and permanent opportunities.

5. The Essential Skillset & Strategy for Success

When I led recruitment teams, I wasn't just looking for a degree; I looked for the traits that make a teacher successful in the field:

• Flexibility and Adaptability: Being ready to walk into a Kindergarten class today and a Grade 5 math class tomorrow.

• Confidence: Establishing authority and a safe learning environment with students who don't know you yet.

• The "Emergency Kit": One of the biggest challenges for an OT is finding no lesson plans at 8:15 AM. My Expert Tip: Always carry a "Supply Bag" with a few activities or lesson skeletons applicable to any grade level. This buys you 20 minutes to find the schedule and see what the students were working on previously.

6. Setting Your Own Priorities

The "best" job is the one that fits your life right now.

• For Flexibility: Some teachers choose to stay on the Supply List because they value choosing their own schedule, it allows them flexibility for their family while still building relationships within your community.

• For Stability: If your goal is a permanent contract, view your OT and LTO roles as your foundation. This is where you build the reputation and experience so that when a permanent role becomes available you are ready and the best candidate for the position.

Final Thoughts from a Peer

The process of being hired changes every year and in every province. Information from the "grapevine" might be outdated—budgets and demand shift constantly.

At Jobs In Education, we believe in getting your information directly from the source. Whether you see it as an "audition" for a permanent role or a flexible career path, being an Occasional Teacher is about building relationships. Keep searching, stay flexible, and remember: the education system is built on multiple types of teaching roles.

Start here to find current roles: Search jobs in education

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