BTC 2026 - Calgary: Full Schedule

WELCOME TO THE 2026 CALGARY BEGINNING TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE!

Teachers new to the profession are invited to attend the 2026 Beginning Teachers’ Conference, October 2-3, Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, Calgary. There is no registration fee. Space is limited; apply early.

School principals, school jurisdictions and local associations work together to provide substitute teacher coverage as per the collective agreement to facilitate the attendance of beginning teachers at the conference. Substitute teacher coverage must be organized and approved in advance. Please ensure you meet with your school principal to discuss release time and obtain the appropriate absence code to attend this conference.

Teachers in charter, federal and private schools must be associate members of the Association to be eligible to attend the Beginning Teachers Conference.

10:15am MDT

Art Games for Mental Health in the Language Classroom (K-12)

LIMITED

Friday October 2, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am MDT

Plaza 3

Limited Capacity seats available

This workshop explores the integration of art-based games to support mental health while fostering language learning. Participants will discover creative, interactive activities that reduce anxiety, build resilience, and enhance communication in the classroom. Drawing from principles of social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, and art therapy, this session will equip educators with practical tools to create a safe and engaging environment for students

Speakers

Maria Herrera

Friday October 2, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am MDT
Plaza 3

English Language Arts, Division I, II, III and IV | Inclusion, Division I, II, III and IV

10:15am MDT

The Power of Connection in Early Learning Classrooms (K-3)

LIMITED

Friday October 2, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am MDT

Plaza 5

Limited Capacity seats available

Beginning teachers often enter the classroom focused on routines, curriculum, and classroom management strategies, yet one of the most powerful influences on student success is frequently overlooked: relationship and connection. This session explores how meaningful relationships with students create the foundation for regulation, engagement, belonging, and learning. Participants will reflect on the ways connection impacts behaviour, emotional safety, and readiness to learn, while leaving with practical strategies to build trust, foster co-regulation, and create responsive classroom environments where all students can thrive.

Speakers

Meghan Clark Jamieson

Science Council

Meghan has been an early year's educator for over twenty years with the CBE. She believes that all children have the right to a rich and engaging school experience. Most recently, Meghan has been a Kindergarten teacher at a science alternative school in Calgary where field studies... Read More →

Friday October 2, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am MDT
Plaza 5

English Language Learners, Division I | Inclusion, Division I

10:15am MDT

Belonging Starts with YOU! Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Every Student (K-12)

LIMITED

Friday October 2, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am MDT

Deerfoot

Limited Capacity seats available

Creating an inclusive classroom is not about following a checklist—it's about fostering a learning community where every student feels seen, valued, and respected. Through discussion, reflection, and interactive activities, participants will explore how their own identities influence their teaching while considering how to create classrooms that honour students' diverse cultural, religious, sexual, and gender identities. Participants will also be introduced to Alberta Teachers' Association resources and Diversity and Equity Networks that support inclusive teaching and provide opportunities for ongoing professional learning and connection. This session invites you to see inclusion as a lifelong professional practice rooted in reflection, curiousity and a commitment to ensuring every student belongs.

Speakers

Andrea Berg

Associate Coordinator, Professional Development, Alberta Teachers' Association

Friday October 2, 2026 10:15am - 11:30am MDT
Deerfoot

Hot Topics for Professionals, Division I Division II Division III Division IV | Inclusion, Division I Division II Division III Division IV

12:30pm MDT

Less Overwhelm, More Impact: High-Yield Universally Designed Strategies for Real Classrooms (K-12)

LIMITED

Friday October 2, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT

Plaza 5

Limited Capacity seats available

A few weeks or months into your new teaching career, are you wondering how you're going to get 'all the things' done and still deliver quality teaching and learning to your students? Does it seem like everyone expects you to meet the needs of EVERY student in your classroom EVERY day, i.e. to do the seemingly impossible? Then this is the session for you. In this session you'll learn about high-impact universal supports that reduce planning, teaching, assessment, and reporting strain; support inclusive classrooms; and provide deep learning opportunities for students across K–12 settings. Come and rid your 'backpack' of almost everything but the most high yield/lower prep teaching tools and protocols, in order to become the most nimble (and better rested!) teacher you can be!

Speakers

Cathy Wiederick

Friday October 2, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Plaza 5

Inclusion, Division I Division II Division III Division IV | Teacher Wellness, Division I Division II Division III Division IV | Technology in the Classroom, Division I Division II Division III Division IV

12:30pm MDT

Supporting Struggling Mathematics Students with Evidence Based Pedagogy (1-8)

LIMITED

Friday October 2, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT

Plaza 3

Limited Capacity seats available

Mathematics achievement has quality of life implications for students who struggle with mathematics and/or have a diagnosed mathematics learning disability. As grade 1-8 educators, we must fully understand the barriers these students must overcome in learning mathematics and the effective practices that can be enacted to better support them. In this session, we off the results of our research on evidence-based intervention strategies that support students who struggles with mathematics. We will discuss the role of explicit instruction related to number sense along with automaticity and fluency. In addition, we will discuss how strategies such as manipulatives, visual representations and schema-based instruction are supporting elements within explicit instruction.

Speakers

Jennifer Steiner

Tanya Braybrook

Council for Inclusive Education

Friday October 2, 2026 12:30pm - 1:45pm MDT
Plaza 3

Mathematics, Division I, II, III | Inclusion, Division I, II, III

BTC 2026 - Calgary

10:15am MDT

Maria Herrera

10:15am MDT

Meghan Clark Jamieson

10:15am MDT

Andrea Berg

12:30pm MDT

Cathy Wiederick

12:30pm MDT

Jennifer Steiner

Tanya Braybrook

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