GETCA 2025

In the midst of numerous demands on educators' time, adapting teaching practices in subjects like Language Art and Mathematics can be a daunting task. However, we invite educators to embark on a journey toward grading reform success, emphasizing incremental changes and practical strategies. Recognizing the pivotal role grading practices play in shaping student learning experiences across these key subject areas, this session is crafted to equip educators with the necessary tools and insights for implementing impactful reforms in their classrooms. Join us as we empower educators to navigate the path toward effective grading practices and enhancing the student learning experience.

With the increasing demand for personalized learning experiences and the need to align assessments with curriculum objectives, AI presents a powerful solution. This session offers valuable insights and practical strategies to incorporate AI into your educational toolkit. Join us as we explore the frontier of assessment innovation and discover how AI can help you create effective and fair student assessments. This session is designed for the teachers who are not yet using AI to create classroom assessments and who want to learn practical tips and tricks to get started!

This session will provide staff with practical strategies on trauma-informed practice that focus on establishing safety, building relationships, the importance of play, and teaching social emotional skills. Using these strategies will help participants set up their learning spaces and connect with students in meaningful ways.

This session will introduce teachers and instructional leaders to the basics of Indigenous pedagogies as informed by lived experience, Indigenous knowledges, and research. Using a holistic approach to teaching and learning, participants will develop an understanding of approaches to Indigenous pedagogies and reflect upon how their new learning can be woven into their professional practice.

Whether you're a novice educator looking for guidance in creating your assessment plan or a seasoned teacher seeking to optimize your time, this session will equip you with the tools and insights needed to start mapping out a cohesive and impactful assessment plan for the academic year. This session will include exemplars from current K-12 Mathematics and Language Arts Curriculum and Programs of Study.

Join us for an engaging and enlightening session where we demystify the new elementary science curriculum! Designed specifically for elementary science teachers, we'll tackle common misconceptions in earth systems, matter, energy, computer science, scientific methods, living systems, and space. Discover innovative ways to teach these concepts, equip your students with critical thinking skills, and inspire a love for science. Let’s break down the barriers and ignite curiosity in our young learners

Dive deeper into the connection between scientific discourse and visible learning in this engaging session. Discover how oracy in the classroom serves as a powerful assessment tool. We will backward plan using action verbs across organizing ideas and explore the significance of "Inquiry" and "High Impact Questions" to foster increased student talk and engagement. Join us to enhance your strategies and create a more interactive and thoughtful learning environment.

Join us for a captivating session, "From Play to Learning: Embracing Fun and Learning Together." Through hands-on activities and discussions, participants will explore how play can serve as a potent tool to teach academic concepts across various subjects. By effectively scaffolding play experiences, educators can ensure that they are not only enjoyable but also educational, aiding students in developing crucial cognitive, social, and emotional skills. Additionally, attendees will learn strategies to foster a positive attitude towards play among students and parents, emphasizing its significance in early childhood development. Don't miss this opportunity to blend fun and learning in your classroom!

When good students suddenly “stop caring”, it’s shocking and disheartening for teachers and parents. No matter what anyone does to try to get them back on track, it seems impossible to motivate them to even try (or in some cases, even show up). From the outside, it looks like they got in with a bad crowd and are hijacking their academic career to fit in. Threats and punishments do little to pull them up from their free fall and often yield the opposite result: pushing them toward even riskier behaviour. Believe or not, even the so-called “lazy” kids secretly wish they were doing better in school. The problem is no amount of “shaming” them or their parents is going to get them care about school. So what then? Parenting coach and teen advocate, Aly Pain talks about what’s going on behind the lack of motivation and why traditional intervention methods don’t work. She discusses how the developing teenaged brain influences their ability to cope with stressors and how focusing on emotional support is the key to success. Key Take-Aways: · The Bad Kid/Bad Parent Myth – Aly busts the belief that if you could just get the parents to engage with their student, everything would be fine. The reality is most parents are doing everything they can think of to get their student to perform. · The Most Common Reasons WHY Good Students Go Bad – Aly shares what troubled teens and their parents tell her is behind the lack of motivation (and what teachers and parents can do about it). Spoiler alert: it’s not what you think. · How to Support Students and Engage the Parents – Aly discusses concrete strategies to support struggling students in school and how to engage parents to do the same at home.

Why is it the “favourite” teachers have the best-behaved classes? Is it the secret candy stash in their desk, their silly mental health breaks, their ability to make a boring subject fun, or something else? Chances are it’s their boundaries. Those teachers have mastered the ability to command the respect of their students and in doing so, their students understand and adhere to the rules of the classroom. That doesn’t mean teachers need to tighten their rein. On the contrary, traditional views about power and authority only lead to more rebellion. The trouble is the concept of boundaries has become twisted to mean greater compliance using more controls. Parenting coach and teen advocate, Aly Pain will share why teachers and parents need to model the respect they want from teens. She discusses the toxic cycle of resentment, retaliation, revenge and resignation that is triggered by teen defiance and how shifting your behaviour is the key to changing theirs.