Professional Specialist Association workshops

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The workshops listed below are available for locals, schools, and school districts to book in order to support their Professional Development needs. PSA workshops are developed and provided by PSA facilitators. Workshop availability and prices vary depending on a number of factors, including the cost of release time for the facilitators and the travel costs associated with the call-out. Please communicate directly with the PSA at the email address provided regarding options and details for the workshops you would like to book.

Please note that PSAs are volunteer-run organizations; it is recommended that you reach out to them with at least a month’s lead-time when requesting a workshop.

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Anti-Oppression Educators’ Collective (AOEC)

Session Title and Description	Grade Level	Contact
Anti-Oppression 101 This workshop will explore the central questions of how and why an anti-oppression analysis is crucial for all educators. We will delve into concepts such as positionality, intersectionality, and power and investigate how each operates in systems of oppression which are rooted in colonial ways of being, doing and thinking. Participants will engage in conversation with each other and come up with ways they can enact concrete actions within their school sites. This workshop is 4 hours and can be tailored to meet the needs of the school or local.	K-12	aoec@bctf.ca
Anti-Oppressive Classroom Management This workshop invites educators to explore anti-oppressive approaches to classroom management with an emphasis on practical strategies for everyday use. Participants will critically examine how traditional classroom management can reproduce inequities, and consider alternatives grounded in care, accountability, and restorative practices. Classroom management will be framed not as a neutral set of techniques, but as a practice shaped by, and capable of challenging broader systems of power in schools. The workshop will also explore institutional resistance to anti-oppressive pedagogy, including policy constraints, administrative pressures, and school culture, and will support participants in developing strategies to navigate and respond to these barriers in their own settings.	K-12	aoec@bctf.ca
Creative Resistance: Using Art to Explore Identity, Power, and Justice How can art help students explore difficult topics with care, honesty, and critical thinking? This workshop explores how creative practices can open conversations around identity, racism, power, belonging, and social justice in accessible and student-centered ways. Through discussion, hands-on activities, and classroom examples, participants will examine how art can be used as a tool for dialogue, storytelling, inquiry, and resistance. The workshop will offer practical strategies for embedding anti-racist and equity-centered approaches into arts and cross-curricular teaching while creating classroom spaces where students feel invited to think critically, share experiences, and engage with complex social issues.	8-12 (can be adapted for elementary)	aoec@bctf.ca
Establishing Classrooms that Support 2SLGBTQIA+ Students and Communities BC curriculum and school district policies have increasingly recognized the importance of supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ students and communities. This workshop invites educators to explore how an anti-oppressive lens can strengthen their teaching practice. Through discussion and interactive activities, participants will examine concepts such as positionality, intersectionality, identity, and power while exploring 2SLGBTQIA+ histories and lived realities. Educators will leave with practical strategies and planning tools to create more inclusive, affirming classrooms where all students can thrive.	K-12	aoec@bctf.ca
Teacher Rejuvenation in a Time of Burnout Participants will explore how setting boundaries and practicing resistance, especially to systemic and institutional pressures can be powerful tools for protecting their well-being and reigniting their passion for teaching. In this workshop, teachers will reflect on and identify the real-life obstacles such as: excessive paperwork, staff shortages, and administrative demands that drain joy from their practice and will begin the work of unlearning colonial norms in order to foster more just, equitable, and joyful educational spaces for both them and their students.	K-12	aoec@bctf.ca

BC Art Teachers' Association (BCATA)

Session Title and Description	Grade Level	Contact
Art, Not Just Craft, in the Elementary Classroom This workshop highlights the importance of offering open-ended art lessons in the elementary classroom. It will give you best practice with various materials and introduce visual art techniques. Full of lesson ideas and shared resources you can put to use in your classroom immediately.	K-6	bcata@bctf.ca
Arts Integration Across the Curriculum This workshop dives into the value of integrating art-based methods across the curriculum. It includes specific ideas in a variety of subject areas and can be tailored to specific subjects or lesson themes as requested. Includes hands-on highly accessible examples of potential methods using simple materials. 90 - 120 mins in-person	K-12	bcata@bctf.ca
Getting Messy in the Classroom without the Mess This workshop will introduce tips and tricks for managing supplies and cleanup in an art room or art-based classroom. Whether you do art on a cart or have a room without a sink, we can help you navigate any space and still do the ‘messy’ and creative work you want to do but haven’t yet stepped into. 60-90 minutes in person or on-line	K-6	bcata@bctf.ca
Learning in the Primary Years - Part 1 This workshop goes through part one of the new Learning the Primary Years ministry document. In this hands-on workshop, primary teachers will explore topics like SEL, play based learning, literacy, numeracy, and more. The workshop facilitators are experienced primary teachers with years of experience teaching the Primary years from a play-based perspective.	K-3	bcata@bctf.ca
Learning in the Primary Years - Part 2 This workshop goes through part two of the new Learning the Primary Years ministry document. In this hands-on workshop, primary teachers will go deeper into topics like motivation and joy, outdoor learning, and assessment. The workshop facilitators are experienced primary teachers with years of experience teaching the Primary years from a play-based perspective. (These two workshops can be booked together for a whole day session.)	K-3	bcata@bctf.ca
Surviving as a TTOC in the Art Room This workshop will go through the important safety aspects of teaching in an art room as well as some norms that will make TTOCing in an art room easier. Attendees will go away with practical activities that can be easily delivered by novice teachers in any art space. We’ll look at the art curriculum and discuss entry points for non artist/art-teachers to get students engaged. Prompting ideas for students who are ‘DONE’ Vocabulary for discussing student work. What to say and what not to say to encourage ongoing creation and safer space. Includes hands-on activities using basic materials and supplies. In-person is best but can be delivered on-line with adequate pre-planning. 75-90 minutes.	8-12	bcata@bctf.ca

BC Association of Math Teachers (BCAMT)

BC Association of Teachers of Modern Language (BCATML)

Session Title and Description	Grade Level	Contact
Balancing Input and Output! We know that rich compelling Comprehensible Input (CI) is the foundation of language acquisition - but is it the whole story? While input builds the mental representation of language, students also need scaffolded, low-stakes opportunities to actually interact with the input and move learners from passive comprehenders of language to active communicators. In this workshop, you will discover how this is possible through the co-creation of stories and other low anxiety high success output strategies that you can begin to use immediately.	K-12	bcatml@bctf.ca
Engage, Inspire, Teach: Core French Strategies for Grades 5-7 Teaching grades 5-7 Core French can be fun and rewarding! In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a joyful learning environment using games, music, and activities that keep students engaged while using the French language. Facilitator Tanya Campbell (oneschoolroom.ca) will share practical strategies you can use immediately. Discover engaging games, curated YouTube videos, and techniques for creating authentic learning experiences. You'll also explore simple digital tools that support French learning. Walk away with ideas and ready-to-use activities to make French lessons fun for you and your students.	5-7	bcatml@bctf.ca
Proficiency Based Assessment in the Communicative Language Classroom Assessment can often feel like a "gotcha" moment for students, but when aligned with proficiency, it becomes a roadmap for growth. This workshop is designed to help Second Language educators move away from testing grammatical accuracy, memorization of thematic vocabulary and rehearsed and prepared speech toward assessing what students can actually do with the language in real-world communicative contexts. We will explore the fundamental differences between achievement (learning what is in the textbook chapter/unit) and proficiency (spontaneous communication), how Proficiency Based Assessment is aligned with what we know about Second Language Acquisition as well as more equitable standards-based grading practices. Participants will learn to design assessments that reflect communicative competence, mirror widely accepted Proficiency Guidelines and provide students with actionable feedback.	K-12	bcatml@bctf.ca

BC Early Career Teachers’ Association (BCECTA)

BC Science Teachers’ Association (BCScTA)

Session Title and Description	Grade Level	Contact
90 Hands-On Science Opportunities in 90 minutes Looking for practical, low-cost ways to bring science to life in your classroom? This fast-paced workshop delivers 90 hands-on science activities in 90 minutes, designed specifically for non-specialist teachers in grades 4–9. Explore engaging science that uses simple materials, requires minimal prep, and aligns with BC curriculum goals. Participants will leave with ready-to-use ideas that build curiosity, support inquiry, and make science accessible and fun for all learners. Perfect for boosting confidence and expanding your instructional toolkit.	4-9	bcscta@bctf.ca
Asking Questions and Making Observations This workshop starts with a discussion about science: What is it? Why is it important? What does it look like? The goal is to help participants recognize the science skills they already bring to class. In the second hour, participants will complete a simple lab as a tool for exploring standards-based assessments in science. Participants will leave with two complete activities they can bring to their classes (grade 8 level) and some strategies they can use to adapt or create labs to make assessments faster.	7-9	bcscta@bctf.ca
Elementary Science Made Simple Using hands on activities that you will take part in, this workshop aims to develop teachers’ confidence around leading strong science education in the elementary classroom. Using basic supplies gathered from the grocery or dollar store, we will explore how you and your students can develop rich science learning. Participants will have opportunities to walk through the scientific process based around the 5E framework (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) to build confidence in your own science teaching. By the end, you will leave this workshop having completed hands-on full lessons in four different topic areas to bring back to your classroom.	K-2 and 3-5	bcscta@bctf.ca
Exploring Real‑World Science with Smartphone Sensors Smartphones are packed with powerful sensors—accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, microphones, barometers, GPS, and more—that can transform everyday devices into engaging scientific tools. In this hands‑on session, participants will explore practical, classroom‑ready activities that use these sensors to investigate motion, sound, environmental data, magnetism, light, and real‑world phenomena across middle and high school science curricula. Teachers will experience each sensor through quick demonstration challenges, complete mini‑experiments, and receive ready‑to‑use student lab templates. No specialized equipment required—just a phone and curiosity. Perfect for science educators looking to deepen inquiry, support data‑driven exploration, and make science learning more accessible and authentic.	9-12	bcscta@bctf.ca
From Whoa! to Why?: Simple Ways to Spark Real Science Thinking in Your Classroom Ever feel like science time turns into worksheets, vocabulary lists, or activities you’re not totally comfortable explaining? This hands‑on workshop is designed especially for elementary teachers. No science degree required. Those who want to spark curiosity and confidence in their classrooms. We’ll explore how simple phenomena and surprising demonstrations can hook students instantly and naturally lead them into meaningful questions, investigations, and scientific thinking. Using everyday, low‑cost materials and real classroom examples, you’ll experience science the way your students should: noticing, wondering, testing ideas, and revising thinking together. You’ll leave with ready‑to‑use strategies, concrete examples you can try the very next day, and a clearer sense that you don’t need all the answers to teach great science. You just need the right starting point! This session is about making science feel manageable, engaging, and genuinely fun for both you and your students.	K-9	bcscta@bctf.ca
Measuring and Uncertainty Science students often struggle with reporting sources of error. In this workshop, Mike will demonstrate a hands-on lesson he teaches all of his science students about different types of error. At the end of the demo, Mike will lead a share-out for other ideas and strategies for reducing students’ mistakes when discussing errors. Participants will get a full lesson plan for leading their own demos (grade 8 level).	7-9	bcscta@bctf.ca
Science That Sticks—Low-Prep, High-Impact Activities for Grades 4 & 5 Elementary teachers know science matters — but prep time, cleanup, and curriculum uncertainty can make hands-on science feel out of reach. This workshop is designed to change that. Participants will experience low-cost, low-mess student learning activities directly connected to BC Grade 4 and 5 science curriculum, including forces, matter, and energy. Each activity requires no specialized equipment, costs under $5 per class, takes less than 10 minutes to set up, and cleans up in five. Teachers leave with print-ready student handouts they can use the following week. No science background required — just curiosity. Because the best science lessons don't have to be complicated to be powerful.	4-5	bcscta@bctf.ca
Standards-Based Assessment with Science Labs The science curriculum is a wonderful tool for assessing science, but it can easily get overwhelming. This workshop uses one example science lab to explore how science can be assessed using proficiency language that aligns with the curriculum from K to 12. Participants will get a copy of the inquiry lab with a lesson plan (grade 8 level), and a deeper understanding of how to plan science activities for assessment.	K-12	bcscta@bctf.ca
What is Science? Teaching science as a non-scientist can be challenging. In this workshop, Mike leads a discussion about what science is, why it’s important, and how it is done. The goal of this discussion is to remove barriers to learning (and teaching) science by identifying the knowledge and skills students and educators bring to the classroom and identifying what skills should be focused on when teaching. Participants will learn some vocabulary and exercises that they can use to help students build strong foundational skills in science.	K-12	bcscta@bctf.ca

BC Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (BC TESOL)

Environmental Educators’ Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA)

Session Title and Description	Grade Level	Contact
Challenging Social Constructs Through Outdoor Learning The goal is to provide teachers with a holistic framework to explore Outdoor Learning while challenging social constructs. Sometimes when we engage in learning outside, we approach it from a position of power and dominance. How can we de-centre ourselves and learn from and with the Land? What other dominant narratives can we explore? Sexuality and gender? Animism? This workshop will support teachers to build capacity and confidence to challenge these social constructs.	K-7	eepsa@bctf.ca
Curriculum Linked Ideas to Get Outside Tomorrow Get ready for a fast paced workshop! We will provide you with outdoor curriculum linked ideas in every subject area and will explore differentiation across all grade levels. Participants will also learn about core routines to use with your learners outside and risk assessment. Join us for an outdoor session filled with activities that will help you get outside tomorrow. We will also share a large google doc filled with resources so you can revisit these activities and more.	K-7	eepsa@bctf.ca
Embracing Risky Play in Schools: Challenges and Opportunities Outdoor play and learning (OPAL) in elementary schools exists along a continuum that is highly supportive for academic growth, student health & well-being. When OPAL is supported in the elementary school context, the conditions for risky play can emerge. This session will 1) review the research on risky play & the health & wellbeing implications for children, especially in the school context; 2) offer a framework for understanding how risky play supports academic learning and student wellness at school; and 3) recommend tools and resources for addressing and overcoming risky play challenges in K-8 schools.	K-8	eepsa@bctf.ca
Getting Hiking: Inquiry through Badges An inquiry-based approach to learning in nature not only keeps students engaged, but also nurtures their sense of wonder, connection, and appreciation for the natural world. Lead your students through an inquiry project of creating badges, a reward for completion, that could be earned by completing certain tasks out on the trail. Questions to guide badge creation could include: What is the focus? What is the challenge? What age range is it for? And What should be learned while out in nature? Using badges as an incentive, others may also want to get out on the trail. As a teacher leading this inquiry, you don’t need to be an expert—just bring a genuine sense of curiosity.	K-7	eepsa@bctf.ca
Nature Narratives: The Language Experience Approach Outdoors The outdoor environment can be a highly motivational place for students to develop language skills. Because students learn best through experiences that engage all of their senses, being outside is an ideal place to learn. Join this participatory workshop where participants will actively be lead through the Language Experience Approach (LEA), one that develops literacy skills of oral language, reading, and writing. Learn how to differentiate this technique for a class with learners at different literacy proficiency levels.	K-3	eepsa@bctf.ca
Outdoor Learning and Literacy Join us to learn several classroom proven strategies for weaving the outdoors into your literacy lessons. We will share exercises to support skill development with descriptive writing, figurative language and poetry. The exercises shared are modified exercises and lessons from author Lynda Barry (Drawn and Quarterly, author of What It Is?), Adrienne Gear (BC teacher and literacy expert), and various BC poets. Each exercise has the added benefit of building grounding skills, core routines and introducing participants to place based writing. If you're looking for a workshop that will send you home with lessons to do with groups or students next week, you will appreciate this workshop. If you're looking to experience the exercises yourself and build nature writing skills, you will also appreciate this workshop. Each exercise is something that can be adjusted for most age groups. We have used them successfully with Kindergarten students through to adults.	K-7	eepsa@bctf.ca
Storying the Land: Youth Films, Plant Kin, and Eco-Justice in Motion This highly interactive workshop invites participants into a dynamic, arts-based approach to land-based learning through youth filmmaking. Participants will create short “plant kin” films using simple materials and accessible technology (e.g., stop-motion apps, Capcut, iMovie). We will explore how storytelling, technology, and inquiry can deepen ecological understanding, center student voice, and foster meaningful relationships with the land. br>Emphasis will be placed on ethical engagement with Indigenous perspectives, collaboration, and creating opportunities for public sharing and celebration. Participants will leave with practical tools, inspiration, and adaptable frameworks to bring this engaging, community-connected learning experience into their own classrooms, schools, and regions.	K-7	eepsa@bctf.ca
What is Environmental Learning? In this interactive session, we will share the revisions to the 2007 BC Environmental Learning & Experience Curriculum Guide, which formed the new framework document “What is Environmental Learning?” published in 2026. We will then engage in experiential activities that model inquiry and stimulate discussion about two-eyed seeing, experiential learning, and guided inquiry. Join the session to: - Explore barriers to climate education among teachers - Discuss best practices for place and land-based approaches to climate education - Increase awareness of Indigenous knowledges and worldviews related to environmental learning practices A copy of the new BC Framework will be provided.	K-12	eepsa@bctf.ca

Learning Assistance Teachers' Association (LATA)

Provincial Intermediate and Middle Years Teachers’ Association (myPITA)

Session Title and Description	Grade Level	Contact
AI in Adobe Express for Image and Video Creation Adobe Express is an easy-to-use graphics tool from the makers of Photoshop and Illustrator. It lets you quickly create images, graphics, and videos for your classroom, supported by powerful generative AI features. With a simple prompt, you and your students can produce unique images and animations, making it a great introduction to how AI works in creative contexts. In this workshop, I’ll show you how to get started with Adobe Express and use its AI tools in meaningful ways with students. Please bring a computer with a microphone and mouse.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Backward Design Dive deeper into understanding the curriculum by planning with competencies and concepts with the end in mind.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Beyond the Basics of Digital Portfolios Explore how to use digital portfolios to encourage students to demonstrate learning and make connections.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Core Competencies and the Daily Classroom Learn a variety of ways to connect and integrate Core Competencies into daily learning. Students regularly make connections to activities and behaviour, rather than only three times a year.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
From Flipbook to Digital Animation Experience a unit that develops students' creativity, storytelling, and computational thinking skills through this unit that teaches animation by creating traditional flipbooks and transforming them into digital animations in Scratch—no prior Art or Scratch experience required. A slide deck, assessment ideas, and practical teaching strategies will be shared. Bring a laptop with a Wi-Fi connection and in advance, create a Scratch Educators account, https://scratch.mit.edu/educators/. In-person or online delivery available. Recommend that it be delivered as a half-day workshop.	6-9	mypita@bctf.ca
How do I Mark This? When we dive into inquiry or open space for student choice, the questions How do I assess this, and What am I looking for inevitably surface, and it can feel overwhelming to evaluate such diverse demonstrations of learning. Let’s explore realistic, teacher-friendly ways to address these concerns by rethinking assessment practices so they work for us instead of consuming our evenings with endless paragraph marking while the NFL plays in the background or stealing our lunch breaks from actually eating. Together, we will look at how assessment can be meaningful, manageable, and responsive to a wide range of curricular competencies, creative products, and student-chosen approaches without drowning in paper or clutter across our desks.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Implementing Digital Portfolios Using digital Portfolios as a formative assessment and communication tool to support student growth and progress.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Inquiry in the Classroom Using inquiry to dive deeper into the Big Ideas of the curriculum and engage students in personalized learning.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Introduction to Graphic Design Using PowerPoint, OR Google Slides, OR Canva (Pick one app to be the focus.) Revise workshop title and description to only mention the selected app. Teaching how to use a slide app for graphic design is liberating and awesome. Bring your laptop to this cross-curricular workshop for teachers with minimal or no experience creating and teaching graphic design. You will learn how to use and teach layout and typography to create visual assets like posters, presentations, social media assets, and more. Digital literacy topics like copyright and fair use will also be discussed. Project ideas and resources will be shared. Bring your laptop (NOT YOUR PHONE OR TABLET) with ##name of selected app e.g. Canva, Google Slides, PowerPoint, or an Adobe product.##. A tablet or phone is insufficient for participating in this workshop. In-person or online delivery available.	6+	mypita@bctf.ca
Introduction to Photoshop Using Pixlr OR Photopea OR Photoshop (Depends on which app has been approved for use in your district. Please pick one and revise the workshop title and description.) Photoshopping images engage students in challenging tasks that allow them to exercise choice and incorporate their own passions and interests. No prior experience is required for this hands-on introduction to Pixlr, a free online photo-editing website for altering, retouching, and creating images and graphic design. Through guided and open-ended creative activities, you will create and tinker while learning. Ways for students to creatively use this tool and ethical considerations will be discussed. You will need to bring a Wi-Fi-enabled laptop, mouse or tablet. Pixlr works on a Chromebook and doesn't require an account. Pixlr is an accessible high-tech tool that can be included in any Grade 7-12 classroom. Bring a laptop with a Wi-Fi connection. Must be a laptop. A tablet or phone is insufficient. In-person or online delivery available.	7	mypita@bctf.ca
Proficiencies & Percentages, Oh My! How can I personalize learning in impactful and authentic, but manageable ways? Explore how to communicate student growth and progress with proficiency and percentages. Utilize observation and conversation to formatively assess and offer strength-based feedback for personalized learning.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Responsive Teaching This session helps support you with personalized learning in all contexts by exploring data, planning, conferring and student agency. This can be one session or a series of sessions depending on the needs of the group.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Spreadsheets Aren’t Scary: The Basics In this interactive, beginner-friendly session, participants will learn how to use spreadsheets for real-world and classroom applications. Through this hands-on activity, you will gain foundational spreadsheet skills while exploring budgeting. Bring a laptop with Excel or Google Sheets. Must be a laptop because a tablet or phone is insufficient. In-person or online delivery available.	6	mypita@bctf.ca
Strength-Based Feedback and Conferring Learn ways to personalize your communication and focus on student competencies through strength-based feedback.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Student Agency in Assessment Explore practical ways to build agency in formative assessment. How to use goal setting, curricular competencies and proficiencies together with students to build agency through formative self-assessment.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Talking about Student-Facing AI Usage in Your Classroom How do we effectively manage and use AI with students in our classroom? Great question, as there’s so much to consider. In this session, we will look at some AI guidelines from the Ministry of Education in BC, some AI policies that you could implement in your classroom and have a common language that may be helpful for all the students in your district. We will also look at resources you can use to teach your students about artificial intelligence from Common Sense Education and beyond.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Unlocking Student Potential: The Art of Co-Creating Learning through Formative Assessment Explore practical strategies for co-creating learning through formative assessment and engaging students in the process. This experiential session will discuss and examine ways to involve students in assessment and shift their thinking from being grade-focused to learning and growth over time.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca
Unpacking the Proficiency Scale Shifting from marks to proficiency, understanding the proficiency scale, and exploring how it can be used to communicate student growth and progress.	4-12	mypita@bctf.ca

Specialist Association of Gifted Educators - BC (SAGE-BC)

Teachers of Home Economics Specialist Association (THESA)

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