Each year, OTF and the Affiliates co-sponsor a conference on teacher education that brings together the Liaison Officers who sit on our Teacher Education Liaison Committees (TELCs) at the 14 Faculties of Education across the province, along with faculty members and teacher candidates from those institutions, to discuss current trends and issues in pre-service teacher education.
Once again this year, members of the OTF Curriculum Forum, a network of some 50 subject/division associations that operate in Ontario, will also participate in the program.
The chosen theme for this year’s event, Empowering teachers for today & tomorrow, invites a focused and collaborative inquiry into the evolving realities of early career teachers. Together, we will critically examine the complex challenges beginning teachers encounter—including those related to mental health and well-being, the emergence of generative AI, and the rising incidences of violence and hatred in schools—and consider the competencies required to navigate them successfully.
Our discussions will centre on how Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs and early professional supports can best equip beginning teachers to thrive in the profession. Specifically, we ask: What forms of learning, mentorship, and systemic support most effectively prepare early career teachers for the dynamic and often demanding contexts in which they work? And, which skills and dispositions are most essential for fostering their resilience, confidence, and professional growth?
This year’s Symposium offers an opportunity to reflect collectively on these pressing questions and to contribute to a shared vision of what it means to empower teachers—both for the challenges of today and the possibilities of tomorrow.
The Symposium will be held in person on Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Hilton Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga.
View the full program for the symposium.