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

Menu Math: Developing Understanding In Algebra

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

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

This seven-course meal provides all the nutrition necessary for students young and old to grow strong and healthy algebraic brains. This sensible approach helps all students understand algebra by taming concepts such as variable, substitution, algebraic properties, equation solving, and systems of equations. This activity has been tested and proven by hundreds of teachers in diverse classroom environments.

Speakers

Brad Fulton

Educational Consultant, Enterprise Elementary School District

Known for motivating and engaging teachers and students, Brad Fulton has co-authored over a dozen books and hundreds of resources that provide easy-to-teach yet mathematically rich activities for busy teachers. Drawing upon over four decades in education, Brad is a frequent presenter... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 09:00 - 10:00 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Mathematics (TQS 3), Div2 (Gr 4-6), Div3 (Gr 7-9)

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

10:20 MST

Math Therapy: How to Help Students Overcome Their Fear of Math!

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

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Did you know that anyone who thinks they're "not a math person" typically has math trauma they haven't worked through, and that most adults never move on from negative experiences with math? This crash course in math therapy will dive into what math trauma is, how it’s different from math anxiety, why math trauma is at the root of all math-related anxiety, and provide you with practical steps you can implement in your classroom right away to help students (and teachers!) heal their math trauma. Add "Math Therapy" to your list of teachable and change the lives of your students far beyond the classroom!

Speakers

Vanessa Vakharia

Known as the Lady Gaga of math education, Vanessa is the founder and director of The Math Guru, a super cool boutique math & science tutoring studio in Toronto that's changing stereotypes about what math education looks like. She is also the host of the Math Therapy podcast, author... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 10:20 - 11:20 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Mathematics (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

11:40 MST

The search for Earth 2.0

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

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

One of the leading questions in modern astrophysics is how do stars and planets form and evolve? As a discipline that is primarily driven by technology, the technological advances that we see all around us have been contributing to equally significant advances in our capabilities to observe the formation of stars and planets in the Universe.
I will review the physics of star and planet formation, provide a summary of the number and type of planets detected to date and discuss how our strategies have evolved in the search for Earth 2.0.

Speakers

Dr. David Naylor

David Naylor, Professor and Board of Governors’ Research ChairDirector, Astronomical Instrumentation GroupSpace Astronomy Division, Institute for Space Imaging ScienceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Lethbridge As a Commonwealth Scholar David received his PhD... Read More →

Thursday February 20, 2025 11:40 - 12:40 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Science (TQS 3), 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

13:00 MST

How to Motivate EVERY Student by Connecting to What Matters

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

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

If you’re tired of trying to find creative ways to answer “But when will I ever use this IRL,” this session is for you! We have been told that the only way to motivate students is through reward-based incentives but the truth is that the key to motivating every single student lies in connecting to what drives each and every one of us: love, meaning and a sense of purpose. No matter who you are or what your teaching style is, this session will equip you with three solid strategies to motivate your students that will require you to do less - not more - in your classroom. You will leave with concrete steps, resources and actions you can take into your classroom immediately on Monday that will transform your students’ relationship with learning. Ready to motivate your students in a way that matters? Let’s do this!

Speakers

Vanessa Vakharia

Thursday February 20, 2025 13:00 - 14:00 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Keynotes and Special Events, 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

14:20 MST

Freedom to Fail: Redefining Success in ALL Classrooms

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

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Let’s get real—fear of failure is one of the biggest reasons students don’t engage in the classroom. But here’s the truth: Lizzo, Taylor Swift, and Albert Einstein all faced failure before hitting it big, and real-world mathematicians and scientists get paid to fail every day! In this session, we’re flipping the script on success. I’m going to show you how to help your students embrace failure, redefine what success REALLY means, and use every stumble as a stepping stone to finding meaning and purpose in all classrooms. You'll leave with impactful, actionable strategies you can use right away to turn setbacks into comebacks and make failure your classroom’s secret weapon for growth!

Speakers

Vanessa Vakharia

Thursday February 20, 2025 14:20 - 15:20 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

09:00 MST

Beyond Superwoman - Embracing Imperfection and Prioritizing yourself

Friday February 21, 2025 09:00 - 10:00 MST

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Are you a high-performing teacher feeling overwhelmed by the relentless demands of your professional and personal life? As a mother/parent, leader, and multitasker extraordinaire, it's easy to find yourself at the bottom of your own priority list, constantly striving to meet the needs of others while neglecting your own well-being.

In this transformative presentation, we address the all-too-common experience of high-performing women/parents who feel stretched thin, anxious, and perpetually behind. Drawing from real-world experiences and expert insights, I unveil the 6 essential keys to reclaiming ownership of your needs and your life, granting yourself guilt-free permission to rise to the top of your own to-do list.

Speakers

Andrea Mishio

Teacher

With 17 years of invaluable experience in the education field, Andrea brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. After spending 15 years teaching in a junior high school setting, she now finds herself in the world of early childhood education as a dedicated kindergarten... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 09:00 - 10:00 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Keynotes and Special Events, 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

Fast Facts and Fractions

Friday February 21, 2025 10:20 - 11:20 MST

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Mastering multiplication facts and fraction operations are two common obstacles that hinder the success of middle and high school students. See how I helped my lowest performing students master all fraction operations and learn their multiplication facts in just five minutes per day. A ready-for-Monday handout is included.

Speakers

Brad Fulton

Educational Consultant, Enterprise Elementary School District

Friday February 21, 2025 10:20 - 11:20 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Mathematics (TQS 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

I Like Good Books And I Cannot Lie

Friday February 21, 2025 11:40 - 12:40 MST

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Let's talk books!
Laurie will book talk more than 30 picture books (from popular to the unknown) and infuse the conversation around each one with strategies, activity ideas and writing templates for each one so that teachers can use them in their classrooms starting this Monday morning.

Speakers

Laurie McIntosh

Some of the best lessons are taught in the moments between literacy and numeracy. These golden moments based on kindness, connection, and community are the moments Laurie lives for. With compassion and thoughtfulness, Laurie has an incredible way of acknowledging the accomplishments... Read More →

Friday February 21, 2025 11:40 - 12:40 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Language Arts (TQS 3), ECE (Pre K-K), Div1 (Gr 1-3), Div2 (Gr 4-6)

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

13:00 MST

Teachers These Days

Friday February 21, 2025 13:00 - 14:00 MST

Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Based on the bestselling book 'Teachers These Days' by Laurie McIntosh and Dr. Jody Carrington, Laurie will hold a discussion and reflection around what we have been taught is a "good" teacher. We will examine in depth the stories we have been told about what makes a successful teacher, what elements within our teacher culture need to change and spend time discussing safe places to land in these trying times. This session is all about the connection. Teachers can expect to leave with strategies especially surrounding connection to themselves, their school community, their learners and the families they serve.
What people will remember most about you, your legacy, will have so much more to do with a felt sense than it ever will with words or numbers. It will remind our teachers that their job is to shine the incredible light that brought them into this profession in the first place. It will remind them that whatever you got on any given day is (more than) enough which is something all teachers deserve to hear right now.

Speakers

Laurie McIntosh

Friday February 21, 2025 13:00 - 14:00 MST
Macleod Hall D - CTCC

Fostering Effective Relationships (TQS/LQS 1), 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 General overview for novice learners
Presentation Language English
Is Pre-registration required No