Professional Pursuits
The registration link for all the sessions can be reached by clicking: HERE
Through OECTA's Professional Pursuits sessions, members can explore important issues for Catholic teachers beyond classroom pedagogy. Not sure about how your pension works? Do you want to engage in discussion on educators and the law? Wondering how you can prepare for a successful TPA? Are you concerned about mental health for yourself or your colleagues? Come explore topics which impact teachers beyond your classroom walls.
Session Title: The Teacher Performance Appraisal for NTIP and Experienced Teachers
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: Looking to approach your Teacher Performance Appraisal with confidence? This workshop supports both NTIP and experienced teachers in preparing for successful TPAs. We will review the Annual Learning Plan, break down the TPA process, clarify what is required, and outline practical strategies for meeting expectations. We will also address how to navigate if you are asked to provide elements that go beyond legislative requirements. Participants will leave ready to engage in an appraisal experience that genuinely supports professional growth.
Audience: All Teachers
Session Title: Your Financial Future: Your Money, Your Pension for Mid-Career Teachers
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: This workshop is intended for members who want to know more about their pension. The focus will be on items especially important for mid-career teachers. Teacher data reveals that members will spend more time as retirees than as classroom teachers. Members will learn to make the best decisions when: taking leaves of absence, such as maternity leaves or unpaid leaves; changing careers; upgrading your qualifications to maximize both your salary and your pension income. As well, other advantageous features of the Teachers' Pension Plan will be reviewed. This valuable information is for you: whether you are a new teacher, or a mid-career teacher, don't miss the opportunity to listen in and be better informed about your money!
Audience: Mid-Career teachers (10-20 years' experience)
Session Title: 1.6 Million Reasons to Understand Your Pension as a Beginning Teacher
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: This workshop is intended for members who want to know more about their pension. It is especially important for members in their first ten years of teaching. Teacher data reveals that members will spend more time as retirees than as classroom teachers. Members will learn to make the best decisions when: taking leaves of absence, such as maternity leaves or unpaid leaves; changing careers; upgrading your qualifications to maximize both your salary and your pension income. As well, other advantageous features of the Teachers' Pension Plan will be reviewed. This valuable information is for you: whether you are a new teacher, or a mid-career teacher, don't miss the opportunity to listen in and be better informed about your money!
Audience: Teachers in the first 10 years of their career
Session Title: Mental Health and Wellness Resources
Date: Monday, October 26, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: Looking to approach your Teacher Performance Appraisal with confidence? This workshop supports both NTIP and experienced teachers in preparing for successful TPAs. We will review the Annual Learning Plan, break down the TPA process, clarify what is required, and outline practical strategies for meeting expectations. We will also address how to navigate if you are asked to provide elements that go beyond legislative requirements. Participants will leave ready to engage in an appraisal experience that genuinely supports professional growth.
Session Title: What is Resilience and Self Care?
Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: How many people have you spoken to who tell you that they are 'burned out'. Maybe you have experienced feelings of burn-out. The term 'resilience' is often used when someone says they are feeling tired, exhausted or burned out, but how many people take the time to actively work on developing resiliency or know what it means? In this workshop, we will look at the terms resiliency and self-care and share some best practices with each other. Self-care is about prioritizing yourself and finding things that you enjoy doing that brings you joy. As teachers, self-care is critical as we navigate the school year.
Session Title: Identifying and Addressing Psychosocial Hazards
Date: Monday, November 16, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: It can be easier to identify and address physical hazards in a workplace, such as a tripping hazard or overhead dangers. It is not always as easy to identify the psychosocial hazards educators face on a daily basis. Psychosocial hazards that are not identified or addressed can lead to greater stress and anxiety, which can lead to feelings of burn-out, as well as impact us physically. In this workshop, we will address some of the psychosocial hazards that you might face. We will share ideas on how these might be addressed.
Session Title: Your Financial Future: Your Money, Your Pension
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: This workshop is intended for members who want to know more about their pension. Teacher data reveals that members will spend more time as retirees than as classroom teachers. Members will learn to make the best decisions when: taking leaves of absence, such as maternity leaves or unpaid leaves; changing careers; upgrading your qualifications to maximize both your salary and your pension income. As well, other advantageous features of the Teachers' Pension Plan will be reviewed. This valuable information is for you: whether you are a new teacher, or a mid-career teacher, don't miss the opportunity to listen in and be better informed about your money!
Audience: ALL
Session Title: Whole and Holy: The Clobber Passages
Date: Saturday, November 28, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Session Description: Join Biblical scholar and Catholic theologian Dr. Murray Watson, and Dr. Yvonne Runstedler OECTA Provincial Staff Officer and researcher on the intersection of queerness and Catholic schools, as they contextualize the 'clobber' passages often weaponized against 2SLGBTQIA+ Catholics. In this trauma-informed dialogue, Murray and Yvonne will share their theological knowledge on Biblical interpretation and the Catechism and offer a space for honest conversations on tension points within the Catholic church. You will leave with greater confidence to engage in conversations in our polarized world.
Audience: ALL
Preparing for the Holidays: Mental Health Considerations Over the Holiday​
Date: Monday, November 30, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: Christmas and New Years can be a fun time, but it can also create stress and anxiety for the classroom and for your life at home. Grief can also feel overwhelming during the holidays. What happens when the stress of the holidays spills out into the classroom? How can you balance your work obligations with your personal obligations when you are experiencing grief? Join us for this one-hour workshop to explore how to recognize when the stress of December is impacting us and some ways to help you manage grief over the holidays.
Session Title: Pregnancy and Parental Leave
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2027
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: Are you planning a maternity leave or considering one in the future? This workshop will help teachers better understand the leave process, including important timelines, benefit considerations, and relevant collective agreement provisions. Participants will leave with practical information, helpful resources, and greater confidence in planning their leave.
Session Title: Your Financial Future: Your Money, Your Pension
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2027
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: This workshop is intended for members who want to know more about their pension. Teacher data reveals that members will spend more time as retirees than as classroom teachers. Members will learn to make the best decisions when: taking leaves of absence, such as maternity leaves or unpaid leaves; changing careers; upgrading your qualifications to maximize both your salary and your pension income. As well, other advantageous features of the Teachers' Pension Plan will be reviewed. This valuable information is for you: whether you are a new teacher, or a mid-career teacher, don't miss the opportunity to listen in and be better informed about your money!
Audience: All
Session Title: Whole and Holy: Because Catholicism Should be Inclusive
Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2027
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: Join us for a discussion on the overlap between Catholic theology and accessibility, inclusion, diversity and equity with a specific focus on gender and gender identity. We review Catholic church teaching on contextualism and Biblical interpretation. We demonstrate the connections between the human dignity found in scripture and tradition, and equity-centered approaches in Catholic Education. We will also create space for meaningful dialogue on queer inclusion in Catholic spaces.
Audience: 7 - 12
Session Title: 1.6 Million Reasons to Understand Your Pension as a Beginning Teacher
Date: Thursday, February 18, 2027
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: This workshop is intended for members who want to know more about their pension. It is especially important for members in their first ten years of teaching. Teacher data reveals that members will spend more time as retirees than as classroom teachers. Members will learn to make the best decisions when: taking leaves of absence, such as maternity leaves or unpaid leaves; changing careers; upgrading your qualifications to maximize both your salary and your pension income. As well, other advantageous features of the Teachers' Pension Plan will be reviewed. This valuable information is for you: whether you are a new teacher, or a mid-career teacher, don't miss the opportunity to listen in and be better informed about your money!
Audience: Teachers in the first 10 years of their career
Session Title: Whole and Holy: Trauma-Informed Teaching for the Religious Education Context
Date: Saturday, April 3, 2027
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Session Description: In this workshop, we demonstrate the need to take seriously Pope Francis' synodal call to listen to one another by reviewing the concept of non-sexual spiritual abuse. We will discuss how small changes in language can have a big impact on student well-being and feelings of belonging, especially if their identity has traditionally been marginalized in Catholic spaces. This workshop will review the concept of non-sexual spiritual abuse, alongside testimony from queer students in Catholic spaces demonstrating their difficulties in obtaining affirmation in religious contexts. We will also share the joys students have articulated, and the best practices for inclusion.
Audience: ALL
Session Title: Pregnancy and Parental Leave
Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2027
Time: 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Session Description: Are you planning a maternity leave or considering one in the future? This workshop will help teachers better understand the leave process, including important timelines, benefit considerations, and relevant collective agreement provisions. Participants will leave with practical information, helpful resources, and greater confidence in planning their leave.
The registration link for all the sessions can be reached by clicking: HERE