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

Making with Your ATA Library (K-12)

LIMITED

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

Garden Court 2

Limited Capacity seats available

In this hands-on session, you’ll learn to use a button-maker, transfer an image in heat-transfer vinyl to a bandana using a heat press, and make paper flowers cut with a Silhouette machine. Want to borrow these machines from the library? We’ll cover that too! And we’ll tell you about some of the other awesome things your library has for you.

Speakers

Sandra Anderson

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

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

12:30pm MDT

Culturally Responsive Teaching—Fostering Inclusive Classrooms (K–12)

LIMITED

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

Garden Court 2

Limited Capacity seats available

This workshop explores approaches for examining beliefs, attitudes, policies, structures and practices to enable schools to effectively work cross-culturally. Participants will begin to learn how to develop a greater capacity to engage in cultural self-assessment and become more conscious of the dynamics of intercultural interactions.

Speakers

Uroog Quraishi

ATA Learning Facilitator, The Alberta Teachers' Association

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

Inclusive Education, Division I Division II Division III Division IV

2:00pm MDT

CSI: Learning - What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Assessment (K-12)

LIMITED

Friday October 2, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT

Garden Court 2

Limited Capacity seats available

Great teachers are educational detectives. Every day, students leave clues about what they know, understand, and can do, but learning is often invisible unless we know where to look. In this session, participants will explore practical assessment strategies that work across grade levels and subject areas. Grounded in the research of Black and Wiliam, McTighe, Shepard, Sadler, Brookhart, and Hattie, this session will help teachers move beyond grades and discover how assessment can be one of the most powerful tools for informing teaching and improving learning.

Speakers

Leanne Watson

Executive Staff Officer, Teacher Employment Services, ATA

Leanne Watson is an Executive Staff Officer for Teacher Employment Services with the Alberta Teachers’ Association. Leanne's previous roles include teacher, former K – 12 Administrator, School Improvement Coach and AAC casual consultant. Leanne’s commitment to enhancing educational... Read More →

Friday October 2, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
Garden Court 2

Hot Topics for Professionals, Division I, II, III and IV

3:30pm MDT

South East—Your Representatives and You (Mandatory)

Friday October 2, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm MDT

Garden Court 2

We’re thrilled to have you join us for this session where you’ll have the opportunity to meet and engage directly with your representatives. This is your moment to connect, ask questions and share insights.

Attendance and sign-in for Grant-In-Aid (GIA) to your local.

Locals

Grasslands Local 34

Medicine Hat Catholic Teachers Local 39

Medicine Hat Local 1

Prairie Rose Local 2

Prairieland Local 36

Three Drums of Wheat Local 20

Friday October 2, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm MDT
Garden Court 2

Hot Topics for Professionals

6:00pm MDT

BTC #LevelUp Social with the Educational Technology Council

Friday October 2, 2026 6:00pm - 9:00pm MDT

Garden Court 2

When: 7:00-9:00PM
Where: Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre in the Garden Court 2
RSVP: https://bit.ly/BTCCalgary

ETCATA Beginner Teachers Social 🎉
Keep the conference momentum going by joining ETCATA for an engaging evening at the Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre in the Garden Court 2!

Connect with fellow educators in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere while enjoying delicious (FREE) food, great conversation, and hands-on technology demos. Explore the latest trends in educational technology, discover practical tools you can bring back to your classroom, and exchange ideas with others.

Whether you're looking to grow your professional network, spark new classroom ideas, or simply unwind after a full day of learning, this social is the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded educators and leave feeling inspired.
Come for the (FREE) food, and leave with fresh ideas, meaningful connections, and a growing community of educators!

Friday October 2, 2026 6:00pm - 9:00pm MDT
Garden Court 2

Technology in the Classroom

9:00am MDT

Effortless Assessment: Digital Rubrics for Creative Classrooms (7-12)

LIMITED

Saturday October 3, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am MDT

Garden Court 2

Limited Capacity seats available

Streamline assessment and enhance feedback in your classes. In this interactive session, you'll learn to design your own digital rubric in Google Classroom using your program of studies outcomes. These rubrics can then be used live during student performances and presentations saving time and paper while increasing marking efficiency. Most importantly, they offer students and parents transparent, real-time insight into their achievement. Designed for junior high and high school Fine Arts and CTS teachers—but welcoming to educators from all subject areas—this session will help you bring clarity, consistency, and confidence to your assessment practice.

Speakers

Victoria Reid

Saturday October 3, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am MDT
Garden Court 2

CTS/CTF; Fine Arts; Heath and/or Physical Education; Religion; Technology in the Classroom, Division I, II, III and IV

10:30am MDT

UDL Meets EAL—Empowerment for All Learners (K-12)

LIMITED

Saturday October 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am MDT

Garden Court 2

Limited Capacity seats available

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a powerful framework that can significantly enhance educational outcomes for all students, including students who are English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners. This workshop aims to empower educators with practical strategies to create inclusive and effective learning environments where all students, including those with diverse linguistic backgrounds, can thrive.

Speakers

Sinead Dullaghan

ATA Learning Facilitator, The Alberta Teachers' Association

Saturday October 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
Garden Court 2

English Language Learning, Division I Division II Division III Division IV

10:15am MDT

12:30pm MDT

2:00pm MDT

3:30pm MDT

6:00pm MDT

9:00am MDT

10:30am MDT

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