North Central Teachers' Convention 2020

Singing of the National Anthem, Indigenous acknowledgement and presentation of 2020 Honorary President (Walley Porter).

Be the educator... THAT YOU ARE! Too many times we compare ourselves to individuals we deem as better than us. WHY?! Joe uses his humor and engaging speaking skills to help educators find the spark within them that makes them... well... THEM! Kids learn best from an authentic individual, not from a cookie cutter mold of the teacher they had the year before.

This workshop is a follow-up from the keynote and is intended for those who want to spend some time re-imagining what sport in their school could (should?) look like. The session will examine challenges and opportunities within a variety of contexts, allow time for discussion, sharing of promising practices and application of evidence-based practices.

Anxiety is one of the leading issues among children and teens today. From school to home, anxiety can happen anywhere and can take on many forms from worrying, obsessions, compulsions, phobias and other perplexing behaviours. What is clear is we cannot treat something we do not understand. In this unique presentation, Deborah will provide a fresh perspective on anxiety by weaving together medicine, developmental psychology, neuroscience, attachment research, and cultural tradition. Application to the classroom environment and school setting will be addressed.

Stemming from her award-winning book Seven Fallen Feathers, the story of seven Indigenous high school students who mysteriously died in Thunder Bay, Tanya Talaga creates an intimate experience for her audiences. She imparts audiences with in-depth knowledge on Indigenous culture and history, while leaving them empowered through a hopeful message that we can learn from our past and set forward on a new path for our nation based on inclusivity and equity.

The digital world is here to stay, changing our society in a way that has far-reaching consequences for our children. What are the implications for raising children? How do we harness the spectacular connecting potential and yet avoid the pitfalls of attachment technology gone awry? How do we prepare them to live in this new world and yet preserve what is required for healthy development to take place? We have followed our children into the digital world and yet for their sakes as well as ours, need to restore our lead in order to avoid the insidious dangers that live in the shadows of this potent technology. We will consider the digital revolution through the lens of developmental science, committed to helping adults help children reach their full human potential.

In this brief address prior to keynotes, Dr. James Makosis and Anthony James, Jason Schilling will highlight the critical issues facing teachers and education today and why the ATA must continue to defend public education.

As a Cree two-spirit doctor, Dr. James Makokis has an incredible firsthand understanding of the resilience of not one but two underrepresented communities. He has one of one of the most unique perspectives on the importance of acceptance and equal treatment regarding cultural, gender, sexuality and racial differences. Canada is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Many individuals face personal challenges in achieving success. He combines his story, everyday life experiences and areas of expertise to deliver practical insights on how to create accepting spaces and to implement strategies where EVERYONE can prosper by incorporating an accepting attitude to anyone that is outside of social norms. He will share insights from trans patients, LGBTQ2 and First Nation peoples experience in facing different types of challenges and discrimination. He will shed light on the type of support individuals and organizations can provide in order to create an equal and accepting workplace. Anthony Johnson grew up on a First Nation community in the USA, he faced similar challenges, social circumstances, and lack of access that many First Nation communities face in Canada. As a youth, Johnson struggled to find personal value and social acceptance within the societal structures such as family, peer groups, and members of his community. He knew that things had to change for him and that he was going to have to work harder to accomplish more than an average citizen because of his social circumstances. It was in these years' which propelled Anthony to focus and find value through education and giving back to his community. He found that through human connection, Anthony was able to remove stereotypes and prejudices people might of had of race, gender and sexuality. Johnson went down a new path of restoration with a passion to make real change in each other which will then change systems and social structures that promote inequality. Dr. James Makokos and Anthony Johnson were married during the 2017 BMO Harris Vancouver Marathon. The married couple then represented the LGBTQ2 community as the first Two-Spirit Team (Team Ahkameyimok) on AMAZING RACE CANADA. They faced many obstacles during the season, escaping elimination on three separate occasions. Their resilience, teamwork and communication improved episode after episode and their “never give up” attitude showed the world the inner strength of Two Spirit resilience. Dr. James Makokis and Anthony Johnson teach audiences how to identify and remove unconscious bias, stereotypes and stigmas so that individuals can improve on their perspectives and focus on solutions for a brighter future. They focus on how to lift each other up and incorporate acceptance for anyone so that we can do more together without focus on matters that separate us from ourselves and other people. This presentation will provide key introspective learning for individuals and organizations that work and create new inclusive programs for diverse populations. By creating inclusive and accepting environments, we will be able to create new leaders, stronger teams and a united strength for success and equality.

Candy will, through personal stories, explore the impact educators have had on her life. Participants will leave feeling uplifted and empowered.

Countless students are in pain, and many are uncertain how to manage this pain. As a result, some individuals turn to substance use, self-harm, or even suicide. Sadly, many students are suffering in silence. A smile can appear on the outside while they are in pain on the inside. For years, this was Allan. A university professor saw beneath Allan’s mask and changed his entire life through a simple process. Allan shares this approach in his message, and reassures his audience that nobody needs to be fixed, but that the value of being seen and heard is immeasurable. Drawing from personal and professional experiences, Allan explains what drives students to engage in destructive behaviors. Through a fun and interactive quiz, teachers will gain an increased understanding of mental illness, trauma, resilience, and wellness. Allan ensures that teachers will walk away feeling better equipped to deal with the countless challenges that our students face.

In this presentation, Timothy Caulfield will explore all the things we all stress about in a typical day, from when we get out of bed to how much coffee to drink to how our kids get to school to how we handle our email to how we can be more productive to whether we should sit on that dirty toilet seat. We make, and worry about, a thousand big and little decisions during our waking hours. Too often these decisions are dictated by concerns or beliefs about our world that simply aren’t true. These misperceptions impact our day-to-day decisions and, I will argue, unnecessarily stress us out and cause us to waste time and money.

L"histoire de la creation, l' utilisation des Sept Enseignements Dan's un contexts scolaire. Appropriation ou Appreciation ainsi que l"utilisation des enseignements autochtones dans vos classes.

In his thirteen years as a Member of Parliament, Hon. Mike Lake has had many unique opportunities to raise awareness of autism. He’s spoken to spouses of world leaders at the UN in New York City; traveled to London, Paris, Geneva and Washington to speak with fellow elected officials from across the political spectrum; and addressed global leaders at the WHO and in the international research community. His presentation uses video clips from interviews and news stories centered around his son, Jaden, who has autism. Mr. Lake's message can be easily adapted for a very wide variety of audiences, from education or healthcare students to political science or business groups. In the end, his goal is to use Jaden's personal story to change the way we think about the people around us - their abilities, their challenges and the unique contributions that they can make to the great benefit of all of us.

Legend of creation put in context with First Nation's belief and use of the Seven Teachings plus Appropriation versus Appreciation and how to incorporate more Aboriginal teachings into the curriculum.

If kids are going to learn literacy and numeracy well, they need to be connected first. Sadly, in the history of the free world, we have never been more disconnected than we are right now. Some of the most significant corrective relationships for children who struggle the most happen within the walls of our schools, and it is time that we focus on our educators first. If they're not okay (and, by the way, they're not okay), our kids don't stand a chance. We will talk leadership, culture, and staff connection as we talk about a plan to change the face of education in North America.