Submitted on behalf of Neil Leveridge, Assistant Professor of Teaching and Chair of BC TEAL 2023 Conference
As the chair of the upcoming British Columbia Teachers of English as an Additional Language (BC TEAL) 2023 Conference, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Faculty of Forestry for your exceptional support and for graciously hosting this year’s event. It is with great enthusiasm that I share the news of securing a lineup of distinguished speakers who will delve into pertinent topics and challenges identified by esteemed professors within our faculty.
To offer you a glimpse of what to expect, I have outlined a few highlights from the Pre-conference Experience-Based Workshops taking place on May 4, 2023:
- Writing in Place with Lindsay Cuff will give you an opportunity to experience using the land around us to inform teaching writing skills.
- Anti-Racism Training withBobbi Mand, Carolyn Moi,Taslim Djami, Vesna Radivojevic, and Tanya Cowrie: This skilled group of facilitators will lead you in an exploration of this topic including suggestions for use in your teaching practice.
- Courage to Care: Trauma-Informed Practice in Education with Leanna Inokoshi and Anastasia Sapelnikova welcomes practitioners of all disciplines no matter what your current level of expertise with the topic is.
- Making Local Connections by Employing a Métis Approach: Otipemisiwak( selves governing), Wâhkotowin ( all related) and Manito ( good vibe) (OWM) with Sharon Jarvis will encourage you to develop your practice with an awareness of indigenous perspectives.
- Decolonizing Grading Practices: A Pathway to Equitable Assessment with Neil Leveridge is a session for instructors teaching in content areas who have EAL students in their classes. Or, anyone who is interested in learning more about how to assess student learning with less bias.
- Engaging Science: Scaffolding novice writers’ interpersonal positioning with Alys Avalos-Rivera and Jodie Martin will give those teaching in the sciences a model to help their EAL students write better essays for science courses.
- Writing Accessible Instructions With Amber Shaw will give you the tools to write instructions that don’t unintentionally exclude learners.
*Special pricing for Faculty of Forestry: Registration for Pre-Conference workshops is available with the purchase of either a one-day or two-day ticket to the conference. These sessions have limited capacity.
We are also excited about the high level of engagement with the Forestry students which will truly enrich the experience for all involved:
- The Drag show is being organized by Batty Banks who is also performing in the show
- The music for the Wine & Cheese Event is being organized and performed by Chunyu Pan
- Live conceptual artwork by Carolina Rodrigues
- Forest Bathing by Yawei Wei.
- Volunteers from the 3+2 Programs (Thank you, Guangyu Wang!), the English Language Institute (Thank you, Jas Gill), and Vantage College (Thank you, Brian Wilson).
Special guests include:
Please do not hesitate to reach out if there is any way I can support you in motivating faculty members to seize this exceptional learning opportunity, ultimately benefiting the entire faculty and fostering growth within our academic community.
Early Bird pricing ends April 7th More information can be found on the BC TEAL 2023 Conference website linked here.