Frequently Asked Questions

Please look through the list of frequently asked questions down below for more information on our professional development opportunities. If you have any further questions, please contact our VP of Professional Development, Olivia, at esaprofdev@ucalgary.ca.

What are Professional Development (PD) sessions?

PD sessions are a series workshops aimed at enhancing the professional learning of pre-service teachers. Their wide variety of topics makes them a great opportunity to acquire significant and applicable knowledge in a reduced amount of time.

​Where are PD sessions held?

PD sessions are either held online through Zoom or in-person in EDT 202. For online sessions, the Zoom information will be sent to each participant through email on the same day of the session.

How do I know which PD sessions are being held this month?

You can view our list of sessions in several places:

• Our weekly emails sent to your ucalgary.ca email address. You will receive a complete list of sessions and descriptions as well as the links to register.

• Our website, under the “Professional Development” tab.

• Our Instagram account @esaucalgary, which highlights our PD sessions on a regular basis

How can I register for PD sessions?

Click on the Registration Link for the session you want to attend. These are available on our website or in our monthly email.

Fill in the form.

Note: You will need to register with your ucalgary.ca email address in order for this to count towards your Record of Professional Learning

The PD I want to register for is closed. Why?

This may be for one of two reasons:

1) The session registration is closed: Our registration closes approximately 24 hours before the session begins in order for our instructors to prepare adequate materials for the number of attendees.

2) The session is at full capacity: In this case please email esaprofdev@ucalgary.ca if you would like to be placed on a waitlist.

I am on the waitlist for a session. What does that mean?

Being on our waitlist means that you are not registered in the session until you get an email inviting you to the session. You will be invited to attend if there is a cancellation from one of the registered attendees. This invitation may come on the day of the session. You will NOT be given an unexcused absence if you decline to attend a session while on the waitlist.

What is the “ESA Professional Development Unexcused Absence Policy”?

The ESA PD Unexcused Absence Policy is a policy set in place to ensure our instructors are prepared for their sessions adequately. We close registration 24 hours before the session begins in order to send expected attendance numbers to our instructors.

Should you need to cancel attendance of a PD session, you must do it one full day before that session (ie: outside of 24 hours before the session begins). For example, if an attendee needs to cancel their registration for a session on September 17th at 5:00pm, they must do so before 5:00pm on September 15th in order to avoid a strike.

The unexcused absence list is only valid for one academic term. For the following term, all unexcused absence records are dismissed and a new blank list is created.

How can I get an unexcused absence?

• Missing a PD

• Showing up more than 15 minutes late to a PD

• Cancelling your attendance at a PD within the 24-hour cancellation window.

I cannot attend my PD session and it is within the 24 hour cancellation window. What should I do?

Email esaprofdev@ucalgary.ca with your regrets. You will be placed on the unexcused absence list, as per ESA policy, PD cancellations must be received 24 hours before the session begins.

I have a special circumstance that prohibits me from attending PD sessions. Do I still get an unexcused absence for my cancellation within the 24-hour mark?

If cancellation within the 24-hour mark is due to illness (including mental health), personal emergency or family emergency, please notify the ESA at esaprofdev@ucalgary.ca or esa@ucalgary.ca.

Will I be notified if I receive an unexcused absence?

You will be notified via email.

What happens if I get two unexcused absences?

Upon receiving two unexcused absences, you will no longer be permitted to attend PD sessions hosted by the ESA during the academic term. Note that the unexcused absence records are only valid for one academic term and a new unexcused absence list is created for the following term.

I am a community based student. Can I attend PD sessions?

Yes! Our online modality enables us to extend our learning opportunities to Community- Based Students. For any in-person events the ESA has purchased a video camera that will stream the session for you over zoom.

I am an on-campus student. Can I join the community based zoom link for any in-person events?

If you are an on-campus student, we assume that you are able to attend in-person events. Presenters were offered the choice on how they would like to present. Therefore if they are in-person events, the presenter feels like this is the best modality for their PD session. We want to ensure that attendance levels remain high for their session so we ask that you register for the in-person events and commit to being on campus. If you have extenuating circumstances please email esaprofdev@ucalgary.ca to discuss how we can support you in your learning journey.

Since we will not receive a certificate of participation for each session, how can I prove my attendance to PDs?

The ESA will keep the records of the sessions attended by each member in order to issue a Record of Professional Learning, available upon request by emailing esaprofdev@ucalgary.ca

In what format will I get my Record of Professional Learning?

You will receive it in a PDF format via the email address you provide during registration.