uLead2025 - Pre-Conference

What we see in our classrooms and schools today has changed substantially from when most in the profession did their formal training for teaching and leading. Demographics are shifting, classrooms are becoming more diverse, and mental health concerns are on the rise. In addition to that, the priorities for education and the context of the politics of education and society continue to create uncertainty and change. What exactly is going on, not only in our classrooms and schools, but in society and how do we respond?
This pre-conference will be in three distinct parts intended to provide participants with content intended to provoke your thinking, choice where you have an opportunity to engage in streams that are of most interest to you, and then an interactive opportunity to share and learn with colleagues from across Canada and beyond as a way to see our common challenges and to consider how to respond.
The first part of the pre-conference will begin with a look at what we have learned about Canada and its changing demographics and how these changes are descending upon schools including the growing urban/rural divide. Next, we will look at the growing impact of mental health concerns rooted in a current student body where phones, the internet, and COVID have played a significant role in their ability to sustain relationships and interact with each other. Finally, to close of the introduction for the day, we’ll take a brief look at how the needs of the workforce are changing and how political discourse continues to impact schools.
The second part of the pre-conference provides opportunities for participants to select from three sessions to allow them to further explore their own leadership and context. Participants will choose 2 of 3 sessions and have an opportunity again to gain new knowledge and to consider it in light of their own work.
Finally, the pre-conference will close with participants brought back together as a whole for a facilitated interactive session where you will engage with your colleagues to share your learning on the day and to consider what implications it has for your work. What might you take away to use in your practice as you leave the conference?