PDTCA 2025: Full Schedule

The PDTCA Board hopes you have an amazing Convention 2025!
Emergency Procedures Calgary Telus Convention Centre
Emergency Procedures Hyatt
Human Rights Statement
Land Acknowledgement

CALGARY TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE (CTCC) and HYATT - address

Pre-Registration will OPEN February 1, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. and CLOSE February 16, 2025 AT 8:00 p.m.

For Pre-Registered sessions please use the pre-registration link on the pre-registration page at pdtca.org. Adding the session to your Sched schedule does not mean you are pre-registered.

Reason to Create a Profile in Sched
You do not need to create a profile and log in to see sessions in Sched. However, if you want to add yourself to a session to create a schedule or evaluate a session you must be logged in.

Convention at a Glance Link will be available here in Mid-February
Off-Site Addresses are included.

Professional Responsibility
“On the two school days of your assigned teachers’ convention, you have a legal and professional responsibility to attend convention. If you are not able to make it safely to your assigned convention, however, your collective agreement may include impassable roads or inclement weather clauses that you can access. If your collective agreement does not include language specific to road conditions or weather, you may make use of the personal leave clauses of your agreement in most cases. Please be aware that using any of these types of leave may require you to pay substitute costs, forego a portion of your salary and benefits, or report to your school or another work location in your district. Refer to your collective agreement for more information. Should you require any additional information or if you need assistance interpreting your collective agreement, please contact Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208 or 780-447-9400.”
This information is also found on the Frequently Asked Questions page on the www.ataconventions.ca website. If you have any further questions regarding this, please contact Daniel.Maas@ata.ab.ca.

09:00 MST

Breaking Free from Burnout: Actions for Passionate and Purposeful Leadership

Thursday February 20, 2025 09:00 - 10:00 MST

Glen 205 - CTCC

Join this essential session tailored for school administrators, where we delve into effective strategies for overcoming burnout and fostering a culture of healthy leadership. Discover how to lead with renewed passion and purpose, creating an environment where admin, teachers and students thrive. This session will provide you with practical tools to support your staff, enhance student success, and sustain your energy and clarity in leadership. Don't miss this opportunity to rejuvenate your approach and make a lasting impact on your school community.

Speakers

Jacealyn Hempel

Christ the Redeemer School Division, Principal of Ecole Good Shepherd School, Christ the Redeemer School Division

Jacealyn Hempel is the Director of Learning - Elementary, at Christ the Redeemer School Division, where she has served as an administrator and teacher for 20 years. Jacealyn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Master of Teaching, and a Master’s in Leadership and Administration. Throughout... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 09:00 - 10:00 MST
Glen 205 - CTCC

School Leadership (LQS 1-9), ECE (Pre K-K), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content Intermediate content
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

10:20 MST

Using the principles of NLA to support language learners in the classroom.

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:20 - 11:20 MST

Glen 205 - CTCC

The Neuro-linguistic approach is cool for several reasons.
First of all, it was researched and developed by Canadians.
Secondly, it is effective in quickly providing students with the skills to communicate in an L2+
But most importantly, you don't have to be trained in the whole approach to put its principles to use for you and helping your language learners improve their day-to-day communication.

This session has something to offer you if :
you work with ELL students
you teach French Immersion
you teach in the Francophone schools and want to support your anglo-dominant students
or
you work with language learners in any capacity.

This session aims to provide you with easy-to-implement strategies that will allow you to apply NLA research in your pedagogy right away.

Speakers

Oriana Belliveau Hogenson

Enseignante, Francosud

Francophile since kindergarten, Oriana has been involved in language learning for most of her life. Before getting into teaching, she did beginner-level learning in Japanese, Chinese, German and Spanish, as well as a Minor in Linguistics, prior to her Education degree. Though she... Read More →

Trisha Hernandez

Trisha Hernandez has over 15 years in Education. Her professional career began as an English as a Second Language Educator in Japan in 2005, then continued in Ecuador and Rwanda, before acquiring her teaching degree in Canada with an international practicum in Switzerland where she... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:20 - 11:20 MST
Glen 205 - CTCC

French & International Languages (TQS 3), ECE (Pre K-K), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

11:40 MST

Integrating Environmental Education and Curriculum Connections for High School

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40 - 12:40 MST

Glen 205 - CTCC

Explore the foundations of environmental education tailored for high school students. Join the Alberta Council for Environmental Education in this workshop designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and resources to seamlessly incorporate environmental education into their high school science and social studies curriculum. Topics covered in the curriculum links include nature and place, Indigenous knowledge systems and perspectives, and climate change.

Speakers

Amy Thompson

Alberta Council for Environmental Education

At ACEE, we believe that educating today’s youth is the key to creating a sustainable future for Alberta and beyond. Through our partnerships with teachers, education providers, parents, and students, we offer a range of programs and initiatives that help young people become aware... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40 - 12:40 MST
Glen 205 - CTCC

Curriculum & Pedagogy (TQS 3), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content Intermediate content
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

13:00 MST

Les techniques d'impacts en classe

Thursday February 20, 2025 13:00 - 14:00 MST

Glen 205 - CTCC

Les "techniques d'impact" sont des méthodes développées par Danie Beaulieu, une psychologue canadienne. Ces techniques visent à créer des interventions puissantes et mémorables, souvent en utilisant des moyens visuels, kinesthésiques ou émotionnels pour amplifier l'impact du message. L'objectif est de faciliter des changements rapides et durables chez les élèves.
Lors de cette session, nous verrons la provenance de ces techniques d'interventions en classe, nous explorerons différents outils que j'utilise avec mes élèves et les participants auront l'opportunité d'utiliser leur créativité afin de créer leur propre une technique d'impact.

Speakers

Annie Jacques

Enseignante, École du Nouveau Monde

Originaire de Montréal, Annie Jacques détient un baccalauréat en enseignement préscolaire et primaire ainsi qu'un certificat comme professeur en techniques d'impact. Déménagée à Calgary il y a plus de vingt ans, elle enseigne au conseil scolaire Francosud. Maman, épouse... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 13:00 - 14:00 MST
Glen 205 - CTCC

Inclusive Education (TQS/LQS 4), ECE (Pre K-K), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language French
Is Pre-registration required No

14:20 MST

Speed Reading and Time Efficiencies

Thursday February 20, 2025 14:20 - 15:20 MST

Glen 205 - CTCC

Busy, overworked, and overwhelmed? Looking for better work-life balance so that you can have time for yourself again? Let's hack your brain through this experiential workshop to learn speed reading and other time management hacks that will put you back in the driver seat of your schedule.

Speakers

Grace Martin

Teacher, Chinook's Edge School Division

Grace Martin is an author, science and math teacher with an extensive background in wellness. She works at Olds High school.

Thursday February 20, 2025 14:20 - 15:20 MST
Glen 205 - CTCC

Health & Wellness (TQS 3), ECE (Pre K-K), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content Intermediate content
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

09:00 MST

Balancing Act: Navigating Classroom Realities While Crafting Quality Curriculum Experiences

Friday February 21, 2025 09:00 - 12:40 MST

Glen 205 - CTCC

Congratulations on landing the job! Now that you're in the thick of it, you're likely feeling overwhelmed by the flood of expectations and responsibilities: managing student behaviors, organizing assemblies, adapting to last-minute schedule changes, attending staff meetings, coordinating volunteers, arranging field trips, communicating with parents, addressing Individualized Program Plans (IPPs), participating in committees, and the list goes on. How do you juggle all these tasks while still ensuring that your curriculum remains high-quality and aligned with educational standards?

Universities provide foundational instruction on scaffolded planning, curriculum-aligned instruction, and quality assessment. While this learning is irreplaceable, beginning teachers continue to struggle when faced with the vast demands on time within the real classroom. Together we will explore the curriculum, develop a year plan, then bring this plan into the realities of the day-to-day happenings within the classroom. This session is aimed to facilitate quality collaboration around planning and implementing research-based learning methods through an interactive working session.

Come prepared to engage in conversations and bring along a copy of the curriculum you're working with—we'll be diving deep into its intricacies together.

Speakers

Tiffany Harris

Tiffany Harris, BA, B.Ed., M.Ed., is deeply passionate about mentoring and guiding new teachers as they embark on their journey in the education profession. Her focus lies in empowering these educators to develop their teaching methods grounded in research and to navigate the challenges... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 09:00 - 12:40 MST
Glen 205 - CTCC

Curriculum & Pedagogy (TQS 3), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9), Div4 (Gr 10-12)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No

13:00 MST

Story-iffic Writing! Using Games, Music and Drama in the Div. 1 Classroom (13:00-15:20)

Friday February 21, 2025 13:00 - 15:20 MST

Glen 205 - CTCC

What did I need to know about supporting Writing in Grade 2? Everything!

We begin with the question: How might I engage students through active learning that will inspire them to write? Is it possible?

This is an interactive workshop that uses stories, videos, songs and simple games to enhance your writing program and support cross -curricular writing activities. It includes ideas for sequencing games, drama and video in a writing program that grows enthusiasm for communicating!

Speakers

Carol Bartel Nickel

Carol loves working with children, creatively bringing joy into the classroom.

Friday February 21, 2025 13:00 - 15:20 MST
Glen 205 - CTCC

English Language Learning (TQS/LQS 4), Div1 (Gr 1-3)

Session has participant fee No
Level of content Intermediate content
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No