Professional Development Events I Have Attended:
Growing Up WILD/Getting Little Feet WET (February 2, 9 & 23, 2021)
This three-session webinar, put on by SaskOutdoors, focused on strategies and ideas for early years educators to involve their students in outdoor learning.
STAYLIT! (January 2021)
This new conference, by Dr. Jody Carrington, is a continuation of RELIT! to help give educators a boost of energy and inspiration as the hit the middle of the school year. Presentations by George Couros, Jesse Thistle, Shelley Moore, Jessica Janzen & Ronnie Olstad.
RELIT! (August 2020)
This annual conference, put on by Dr. Jody Carrington, gets teachers RELIT! to start the school year fresh and inspired to bring their best to their students. Presentations by Joe Dombrowski, LaNesha Tabb, Naomi O’Brien, Jeremy Allen, Dr. Jody Carrington & Laurie McIntosh.
Rethinking Sharing, Remembering Play (June 26, 2020)
This webinar, put on by Dr. Diane Kashin and members of Louise Kool&Galt explored ways that educators could rethink classroom environments and interactions while still remaining health and safety conscious.
Helping the Pandemic Generation Thrive (Now and Later) (June 25, 2020)
Webinar by Michele Borba on helping children with resiliency skills and responding to the pandemic.
Environment as Third Teacher: Rethinking Responsive Spaces in the Time of COVID (June 10, 2020)
This webinar, put on by Dr. Diane Kashin and RECEs at Senece ECE Lab School in Ontario discussed how early childhood environments can rise above the challenges of COVID to be responsive and engaging for children.
Decolonization in Education (June 9, 2020)
Webinar with Michelle McKay and Naween Rostayee, early years educators in Ontario, about using decolonization practices with young children.
Co-Piloting with Parents (May 2020)
This webinar, put on by the STF Professional Learning branch, discussed ways educators could work with families during (and after) the pandemic.
RELIT! (August 2019)
This annual conference, put on by Dr. Jody Carrington, gets teachers RELIT! to start the school year fresh and inspired to bring their best to their students.
Mindfulness in the Classroom (May 25, 2019)
Put on by Sask ECEC, this PD day (presented by Trina Markusson) was about using mindfulness as teachers and with children in the classrooms.
The Power of Story: Story Workshop and Playful Storytelling Across the Curriculum (October 27, 2018)
Michelle Hikida and Janice Novakowski, educators from BC, were brought in by Sask ECEC to present on the Story Workshop method.
RIRO Resiliency Skills Training (October 25 & 26, 2018)
RIRO (Reaching In, Reaching Out) is a two-day PD event that focuses on resiliency skills in adults and young children.
Stick and Stone Friends Forever: The Intersection of Math, Literacy, and Nature (May 26, 2018)
This one-day conference, put on by Sask ECEC and presented by Dr. Diane Kashin explored ways that educators could use the story “Stick and Stone” to inspire STEAM learning with young children.
Responding to Children’s Interests (January and April 2018)
A 2-day workshop by SPDU focusing on project and inquiry work in order to be responsive to children’s curiosities and wonders in an early childhood classroom.
Fairy Dust Teaching Winter Conference (online) (March 2018)
An online conference for early childhood educators featuring 10 one-hour sessions on a variety of relevant ECE topics, ranging from classroom environments to outdoor learning to loose parts.
Reggio-Inspired Mathematics (October 2017)
Three educators from BC were brought in by Sask ECEC to present on the teaching practices in their book: “Reggio-Inspired Mathematics.”
Playful and Emergent Literacy (July 2017)
Put on by two Saskatchewan Pre-K/K educators, this SPDU summer event was a two-day workshop about instilling rich literacy practices within an early childhood classroom. Also discussed was storytelling workshop, creation of invitations/provocations, play schema, and project work.
Alberta ECEC Conference (November 2016)
This phenomenal 3-day conference, specifically for Early Childhood Educators, was hosted in Edmonton, Alberta. It held a plethora of mini-sessions, as well as keynote speakers all focused on early learning topics.
STF Forum for New Teachers (October 2016)
This annual event, put on by the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation, is a 2-day workshop for new teachers to learn everything there is to know about their profession.
Pre-Kindergarten Basics (September 2016)
As a new Pre-K teacher, I got to attend this 2-day SPDU event in Regina with my EA in order to learn about the basics of a Pre-K program.
Walking Together (volunteer) (April 2016)
Walking Together is a full-day event focused on Reconciliation, put on at the University of Regina, where middle and high school students in and surrounding Regina come together to engage in this important work. During this day, I led a group of Gr 7 students to various events around the university campus.
Resistance & Reconciliation (April 1, 2016)
This PD event, by STARS Regina, focused on building reconciliation between settlers and FNMI people. This was done in the style of a fishbowl forum.
Treaty Ed Camp (November 7, 2015)
Organized by STARS Regina, Treaty Ed Camp saw teachers from around Saskatchewan come together to share strategies and practical activities to infuse Treaty Ed into daily classroom practices. Included in the workshop was the Blanket Exercise, an immersive activity that leads participants through the history of colonization that First Nations people experienced. Various workshops were available for attendance.
Play and Exploration: Phases 1 and 2 Workshops (June 2, 2015 and November 6, 2015)
These 6-hour workshops were held at the Sun West School Division Learning Centre in Rosetown, SK. They were both collaboration days wherein Pre-K and K teachers in the division met explore the Play and Exploration guide in detail, as well as share ideas about invitations to learning, philosophies in ECE, and personal classroom experiences.
Sun West School Division “iLearn” Day (August 25, 2015)
-Project Approach for Kindergarten and Pre-K
-Phonological Awareness in the Primary Classroom – Tier 1 Interventions
Response Ability Pathways (RAP) Training (April 2015)
This two day workshop, run through Reclaiming Youth International, focused on brain research and strategies to create meaningful relationships with all types of students. Role play, viewing of videos, and in-depth discussions were they key methods of instruction during this workshop.
HOPE (Health, Outdoor, Physical Education) Conference (March 21, 2015)
This full-day conference focused on teaching students Health, Phys Ed, and Outdoor Ed in a meaningful way. There were presentations from Sask Outdoors, as well as the province’s educator associations for Health and Physical Education. Dr. Stu Robbins was the key note speaker. Most of the sessions included hands-on activities and engaging discussions about current issues and instructional strategies.
Coping with Grief (February 24, 2015)
This PD event was facilitated by Sylvia Keall of the Greystone Bereavement Centre in Regina. It offered common reactions that adults and children have to grief and loss, as well as ways in which to help a student through these difficult times.
Dealing with Drugs and Alcohol in the School (October 21, 2014)
A Regina Public School Division Resource Officer came in to talk about drugs that may be seen in schools, and also showed samples so that we, as teachers, can be familiar and aware if any of these illegal substances are present in students’ lives.
Teaching Treaties in the Classroom (October 9 & 10, 2014)
This two-day workshop was geared towards future educators. It went over the historical context of treaties, their lasting impact on Saskatchewan, worldview differences between Western and First Nations perspectives, the Treaty kits, lesson planning, and included Elders as guest speakers.
Learning By Doing: Interactive Lessons to Teach About Social Justice (October 1, 2014)
Engineers Without Borders conducted this event, which focused on teaching students about social justice issues using a hands-on approach. Participants got to experience a clean water activity wherein groups were assigned a country of the world and given corresponding amounts of resources in order to attempt to build a water filter.
Below Zero (March 15, 2014)
Below Zero is a one-day workshop that teaches educators how to use the cold winters to their advantage through outdoor lesson plans that teach a variety of topics in all subject areas.
Integrating Technology into the Classroom (March 13, 2013)
Put on by Joanna Sanders, this event showcased a variety of resources that can be used to facilitate lessons while infusing technology.
Effective Presentations and Public Speaking Skills (February & March 2013)
This 6 week workshop was run by Jocelyne Lang of Prairie Chick Consulting. Each of the sessions included a chance for each participant to practice their speaking skills in a variety of contexts. The workshop extensively looked at strategies for successful public speaking and, in order to receive a certificate of completion at the end, each participant was required to deliver a short 5-minute speech to the group.
Removing Language Barriers: Teaching EAL Students (January 30, 2013)
This event involved real life experiences of educators in Regina Public School system involving EAL students and their needs/abilities. It also gave tips for how teachers can assist ELLs along their journey.
Interprofessional Collaboration (October 17, 2012)
Twyla Salm facilitated this event on the efficient collaboration between all types of professionals that may be involved in the school (including educational psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, etc.). It had a focus on clear communication and cooperation in order to best meet the needs of the school’s learners (a common goal among all of these professionals).
Techno Babble: Incorporating Technology into your Classroom (September 19, 2012)
This PD event about the many resources available to make classroom life more technologically inclined was run by Alec Couros. It showcased many projects and examples of resources that would be useful in a learning environment.
Training I Have Completed:
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) (February 2014)
SafeTalk (October 25, 2012)
Last Updated: January 2021
KKF Learning to Teach 