The Alberta Teachers’ Association

This issue of the ATA Magazine gives me an opportunity to wish you all Merry Christmas. December is when we look forward to a well-deserved break from classroom duties and spend time with family and friends.

Professional development for teachers has always been an important part of my mandate as Association president. In the months ahead, your Association will re-examine how teachers support teaching and learning in Alberta.

The trend in teacher learning is tilting toward job-embedded and practice-based learning experiences that are defined by each teacher’s needs. As a result, teachers will need time, resources and assistance during the school day to learn, implement, discuss and reflect upon new teaching approaches and strategies. An ongoing focus will be collaborative professional learning teams that support improvements in practice.

In the year ahead, our profession will undertake a comprehensive review of many professional development issues. Following is a snapshot of some of those issues:

Time constraints—The Association is concerned with teachers’ lack of time to prepare for classes and to collaborate with their colleagues.

Class size and makeup—Larger classes and a diverse student population are major challenges facing teachers. The Association continues to address this concern and the issue of time constraints with Minister of Education David Hancock.

Teacher retention—Our profession is experiencing a haemorrhaging of young teachers, as almost 30 per cent of teachers leave the profession in their first five years of practice. One remedy is to support induction programs that emphasize mentorship programs.

Teacher-directed PD—Initiatives in teacher-directed professional development must be supported with time and resources.

Informed transformation—Professional communities of practice must be created. Teachers collaborating in the design of curriculum and participating in the exchange of teaching practices is the way of the future.

Setting the Direction—Teachers and their Association have outlined what conditions are needed if the government’s initiative is to succeed and if teachers are to do their best work. Teachers can’t do more with less. Education is a joint responsibility between teachers and the government.

Influencing decision making—Teachers must have a say in decision making. In many nations, teachers influence school-based decisions, especially in developing curriculum and assessment, and designing their own professional learning.

Managing tasks related to teaching—The OECED (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) reported that progressive nations are ensuring their teachers have 15–20 hours per week to spend on tasks related to teaching, such as preparing lessons, meeting with students and parents, and working with colleagues.

Online reporting tools—Many school jurisdictions use online reporting tools to provide parents with information about their children’s educational progress. The Association is concerned about the online tools’ growing appetite for teachers’ time and school resources.    

The Alberta Teachers’ Association will continue to advocate on behalf of teachers and address their concerns.

On behalf of Provincial Executive Council, I wish you a wonderful Christmas holiday. We have so much for which to be thankful.