There are teachers we remember long after we leave their classrooms.
Not because of one particular lesson or assignment, but because of how they made us feel about ourselves as learners. They saw something in us. They pushed us when we needed it, encouraged us when things were difficult and helped us discover that we were capable of more than we thought.
Meghan Button is that kind of teacher.
The Guardian Angels Catholic School educator is the 2026 recipient of the OTIP Teaching Award in the Elementary Teacher category, a provincial honour recognizing outstanding educators in Ontario’s publicly funded schools.
It is an exceptional achievement for Meghan and a proud moment for Guardian Angels and the OCSB. But what makes this award especially meaningful is what lies behind it: the difference a remarkable teacher can make in a child’s life.
Because behind every teaching award are students.
Students who felt seen. Students who were encouraged to try again. Students who discovered something they were good at. Students who walked into a classroom knowing there was someone there who believed in them.
That is the work being recognized with Meghan’s award. And that is something worth celebrating.
Great Teaching Happens in the Small Moments
There is no single formula for being a great teacher. Often, it comes down to moments that might seem ordinary to everyone except the student experiencing them.
Knowing when to challenge a student and when to give them a little more time. Finding another way to explain something when the first way does not click. Celebrating progress that someone else might not notice. Creating a classroom where students know it is okay to ask questions, make mistakes and try again.
Those moments add up.
They help children become stronger learners, but they also help them become more confident, curious and willing to take a chance on something new. Sometimes, they even change what a child believes is possible for themselves.
That is the kind of experience families want for their children when they send them through our doors each morning. It is also the work OCSB educators do every day, in ways both big and small.
Celebrating Meghan
Meghan was honoured at the 2026 OTIP Teaching Awards Ceremony in Toronto, where her contributions to education were celebrated alongside those of other outstanding Ontario educators.
The story behind the award says even more about the teacher Meghan is and the impact she has on her students.
Watch Meghan’s story:
For her students, there is something pretty special about seeing their teacher receive provincial recognition. For her colleagues, it is a chance to celebrate one of their own. And for the Guardian Angels community, it is a moment to be very proud.
It is also a reminder that some of the most important work happening in our schools will never make headlines. It happens when an educator notices that a student is having a difficult day. When they find a way to reach the child who has stopped believing they can do it. When they celebrate a breakthrough, however small. When they make sure a student knows they belong.
This time, one of those educators is getting the spotlight.
Congratulations, Meghan. This is an extraordinary achievement and well-deserved recognition of the difference you make every day. Your students, your Guardian Angels colleagues and your entire OCSB community have plenty to celebrate.
