GETCA 2025

Are you hoping to reignite your students’ curiosity and empower them to take ownership of their own learning journey? In this session, we'll dive into strategies to move beyond ineffective, traditional motivators like guilt-driven pressures and external rewards. Instead, we’ll equip you with fun and practical ways to spark authentic engagement and enthusiasm for learning through creative, hands-on activities and dynamic classroom experiences.

Teachers must captivate students' attention to facilitate effective learning. This session doesn't require every lesson to be action-packed but emphasizes the need for intentional engagement. Kevin will guide attendees through several of his favorite engagement activities and academic games, applicable to any grade level or content area. Participants will experience these activities firsthand, leaving with hands-on manipulatives and samples. Please bring a device that connects to the internet.

Engagement is often an elusive yet critical component to educators. We know it is essential, but what does it mean, exactly? What does it look like? This session will break engagement into six+1 categories, offer tangible insights and practical tools, and empower educators and students. Join me as we unravel the intricacies of engagement and chart a course toward enhanced classroom dynamics and academic achievement.

And...Action! While teachers don't train to be entertainers, capturing students' attention is crucial! This session explores the importance of engaging students in active learning for effective 21st-century teaching. Participants will discover how to transform their lessons to create authentic learning experiences and incorporate quick activities to get students moving. Engage in interactive activities and learn how to apply them in your classroom. Kevin will discuss the significance of building a positive classroom culture and share strategies to make students feel safe, included, and heard. He will also provide his favorite resources suitable for any grade level or subject. The session concludes with a reflection on Kevin’s personal WHY, emphasizing the importance of remembering our motivations in the teaching profession.

Drawing on our extensive experience and the latest research in neuroscience and education, we will explore the impact of FASD and provide actionable strategies that educators can immediately implement in their classrooms. Our interactive session will present evidence-based strategies tailored to address the unique needs of our learners with FASD during critical transition periods, such as moving between activities, grade levels, or school environments. You will discover practical tools and techniques, including: 1. Personalized Transition Plans: Learn how to craft individualized plans that address specific challenges and strengths, facilitating smoother transitions and reducing anxiety. 2. Visual Supports and Schedules: Explore the use of visual cues and structured schedules that help students understand and anticipate transitions, fostering a sense of security and predictability. 3. Collaborative Strategies: Engage in discussions on fostering collaboration among educators, specialists, and families to create a cohesive support network that promotes successful transitions both in and out of the classroom. 4. Mindfulness and Self-Regulation Techniques: Discover how incorporating mindfulness practices can empower students to manage stress and build resilience during challenging transitions. Join us for this engaging session and become a catalyst for change in supporting our students with FASD!

Are you looking for new ways to engage difficult students? Are you seeking strategies for curbing challenging behaviours? Do you ever just want to hear from others about what helps them steer their challenging students back on track? Then come to this session and learn all about consequence focused classroom strategies used in mainstream and BLA classrooms. We will review specific techniques used to clearly communicate with students what they are doing correctly, what they aren’t, and what they can do to be empowered to focus on their studies and stop being disruptive(!).

Are you looking for new ways to engage difficult students? Are you seeking novel strategies for teaching Numeracy and Life Skills curriculum? Do your students love (the idea of) money? Then come to this session and learn all about how to run a classroom economy in your classroom that will take little setup, is not demanding to maintain, and can operate within the strictest of budgets. (Seriously, I run mine spending NO money, and my students love it.) Classroom economies, in the context of this presentation, describe methods of classroom management that feature a points/currency based reward system that gives students choice in how they want to be celebrated for showing positive behaviour at school. This session will describe the speaker’s successes and experiences running classroom e economies in mainstream classroom and Behaviour and Learning Assistance (BLA)/Connections program settings. Why is this session relevant to Teachers?: - Teachers will develop their classroom management skills by expanding their knowledge of classroom economies. - Teachers with experience running classroom economies will learn beneficial tips and strategies for running efficient and effective classroom economies. - The use of Class Dojo and Classcraft app will be reviewed. Participants will have a chance to earn points themselves, and it will be fun!

This session is guided by the following focusing questions; What is effective classroom management? How is effective classroom management different for a substitute teacher compared to a contract teacher? How can substitute teachers create and reinforce learning environments that enable all learners to thrive?