Professional Development

Professional Development and Autonomy

Professional development is a process of ongoing growth through programs, services, and activities designed to enable teachers, both individually and collectively, to enhance their professional practice. 

The purpose of professional development is to assist members in:  

  1. building and strengthening themselves as a professional body.

  2. establishing and maintaining a professional relationship with students/parents.

  3. initiating curriculum and instructional reform directed to improve teaching and learning.

  4. developing, discussing, revising, and applying educational theories.

  5. improving the quality of professional practice through career-long professional development.

  6.  engaging in professional and collegial conversations.

Professional Development & Mentorship Forms

Local Specialist Associations (LSA)

The BCTF includes 32 provincial specialist associations (PSAs). PSAs are channels for members to exchange ideas on research, teaching strategies, curriculum development, and other shared interests.  Each local specialist associations is connected to a PSA.

LSA’s host meetings where you will meet to plan locally and identify local needs relating to your LSA. They can be used as bodies to advocate for the needs of the group, to organize professional learning activities, or to explore other interests relevant to members.  Each LSA has a chair who acts as the contact for the group and who calls meetings as needed, please see below for a list of LSA’s that are running and their chairs.

Local Specialist Association Chairs

  • Indigenous Education – Tammy Saigeon

  • Career Ed -

  • Counsellors – Sue Bailey

  • Distributed Learning –

  • Early Career Teachers – Nicholas Horton & Sophia Dagher

  • Environmental Ed – Edmond Aube

  • Home Economics – Ann Allen

  • Music – Steve Karagianis

  • Elementary Literacy – Kathy Stoddart

  • Primary – Megan Fraser

  • ELL Teachers – Karen Broom

  • Teachers of Inclusive Education – Michelle Crosby

  • Teacher Librarians – Nancy Sharkey

  • Trades Exploration –

  • Anti-Oppressive Educators - Sharlene Prasad

  • School Gardens - Michey Stevens

Mentorship

The SCTA Mentorship Program is a self-directed, independent program designed to provide essential support and encouragement for teachers. There are opportunities for group meetings and training sessions. The goals of this program are: to provide support and information for teachers, to provide professional development that is based upon the needs of the mentee, to foster collaboration between teachers and to increase the retention rate of beginning teachers in the profession. Participants will be provided with time for consultation, observation, and visitation. Evaluation of the program will be ongoing and devised by the participating teachers. Participants in the SCTA Mentorship Program will submit a summary of their activities and a description of how the program supported their practice, at completion of the Mentorship. 

If you are interested in applying for a mentorship, you can find the form here.

SCTA Inquiry Grants Pilot Program

SCTA Inquiry grants are a pilot project of the Joint Professional Development Committee for the 2024-25 school year. These grants are intended to help release teachers to collaborate on a question or topic of professional interest, where they otherwise don’t meet the criteria for the existing mentorship program. The collaborations can be school-based and/or disciplinary based. We are looking forward to hearing your project ideas, and to celebrating the outcomes of your inquiries with you at the end of the year at our teacher celebration.

PD Representatives 2024/2025

  • PD and Mentorship Chair – Vanessa Marie

  • SCTA President – Alison Liddicoat

  • Cedar Grove Elem. – Renee Shaw & Kate Haxton

  • Davis Bay Elem. – Laurie MacHale

  • Gibsons Elem. – Kathleen Wood, Lynne Thomas, Meghan Campbell

  • Halfmoon Bay Elem. – Robyn Anderson

  • Kinnikinnick Elem. – Dee-Ann Andronyk

  • Langdale Elem. – Kathryn Gregory

  • Madeira Park Elem. – Ursula Hardwick

  • Roberts Creek Elem. – Megan Fraser

  • West Sechelt Elem. – Reegan Mackenzie

  • Chatelech Sec. – Ann Allen, Nancy Sharkey, Darcy Vogel

  • Elphinstone Sec. – Melissa Bell

  • Pender Harbour Sec. – Daniel Vallee & Shannon Lloyd

  • SCAS – Dave Heskin

  • District ISS - Michelle Crosby / Indigenous Ed - Tammy Saigeon, Laurie Davis, Lindsey Benger

Local Specialist Association Chairs

  • Indigenous Education – Tammy Saigeon

  • Career Ed -

  • Counsellors – Sue Bailey

  • Distributed Learning –

  • Early Career Teachers – Nicholas Horton & Sophia Dagher

  • Environmental Ed – Edmond Aube

  • Home Economics – Ann Allen

  • Music – Steve Karagianis

  • Elementary Literacy – Kathy Stoddart

  • Primary – Megan Fraser

  • ELL Teachers – Karen Broom

  • Teachers of Inclusive Education – Michelle Crosby

  • Teacher Librarians – Nancy Sharkey

  • Trades Exploration –

  • Anti-Oppressive Educators - Sharlene Prasad

  • School Gardens - Michey Stevens