With experience spanning four international schools in different countries, an independent school, and various public school settings in Canada, I’ve had the privilege of working with diverse groups of students and educators. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to present at municipal, provincial, and national conferences in Canada, as well as facilitate and be a participant at workshops in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the U.S., both online and in person. All of these experiences have reminded me of the value of teachers learning from one another.
In Part 1 of this blog series, I discussed the importance of valuing teachers' voices in professional development (PD) and the gaps that arise when PD doesn’t align with educators’ lived realities. In this continuation, I’ll explore the challenges educators face when their contributions go underappreciated and offer suggestions for fostering equity in how teachers are recognized and compensated at conferences—especially in the international school setting.
The Disconnect Between PD and Educators' Realities
Through these exchanges, I've also seen firsthand how professional development (PD) can miss the mark when it doesn’t align with the day-to-day realities that teachers face. There is so much to be gained when professional development honours the expertise of those living the rewards and challenges educators face every day. This is why it’s essential to consider the perspectives of educators who are fully immersed in the work.
One moment stands out. At an international school where I was teaching, our PD session featured a guest presenter from, and living in, the U.S.—a high school teacher brought in to guide us on online teaching. The irony was clear: several of my colleagues, who teach elementary, had already been teaching online for over a year, managing classes across different grade levels and dealing with challenges unique to our setting. Meanwhile, the consultant had only briefly explored online teaching and shared strategies (that might have worked with 16-year olds but not 6-year olds) that felt disconnected from our complex realities. It became apparent that, however well-intentioned, the session wasn’t equipped to address the nuanced needs of our specific context. Without lived experiences and an actual understanding of the audience’s background and challenges, even the most polished sessions can fail.
Honouring Teachers' Expertise at Conferences
Experiences like this highlight the importance of teachers’ contextual insights and underscore why educators’ unique expertise should be valued—and compensated—at professional gatherings. I share this perspective with full respect for the dedication involved in organizing educational conferences and the invaluable contributions of researchers, whose work often informs and enriches my teaching practice, as well as that of others. However, it’s important to have a conversation about compensation for educators who bring practical, real-world expertise to these conferences—particularly within the field of Health and Physical Education.
In many settings, for-profit conferences depend on teachers to deliver sessions that provide attendees with practical, classroom-tested strategies. Teachers are invited to share their best practices and innovations, often with the understanding that presenting offers them a chance to contribute to the profession and enhance their CV’s. However, some conferences frequently profit from the expertise teachers bring without adequately compensating them. Organizers sometimes rely on phrases such as, "As a thank you, presenters will receive a small discount/refund," with some stipulating that this benefit is contingent on the conference achieving a specific attendance threshold.
Why Teachers’ Perspectives Matter
Hattie (2008) underscores the critical value of teacher expertise in fostering student achievement, noting that hands-on experience in the classroom is indispensable for improving student outcomes. Teachers’ daily, context-specific insights offer an impact that often cannot be replicated by academic knowledge alone. Ball and Forzani (2009) further argue that the knowledge teachers gain from direct practice is unique, with a distinct value that complements academic research. This distinction reinforces why teachers' practical insights deserve to be spotlighted—and compensated—at professional conferences.
Typically, keynote and featured speakers are selected with a preference for academic qualifications, such as a PhD, which can sometimes overshadow the valuable insights of teachers with current, hands-on experience. This is particularly true in international school settings, where it is uncommon to find academics who have personally lived, worked, and navigated the unique challenges of these environments. These speakers are often compensated, whereas practicing international teachers typically are not—suggesting that academic credentials are valued more highly than the contextual understanding gained through direct experience. This practice can feel disheartening for educators who face complex challenges in the classroom daily. According to Gay (2018), diverse perspectives enhance empathy and understanding; by including teachers who directly represent the diversity of their students, conferences could better foster cultural responsiveness in education.
Empowering Diverse Educator Voices
Educators often work in diverse and complex environments where backgrounds can vary widely. Sometimes, international schools are “capped” with only 15-20% of students from the host nation, many who don’t speak English as their home language. Families investing in tuition at independent and international schools have high expectations, and without the union protections common in some other countries or in public school systems, these educators face unique accountability. Bunnell (2019) emphasizes that these educators often face challenges not encountered in traditional settings, which underscores the value of their input in professional settings.
To truly champion teachers, we should consider a model where they are recognized and compensated fairly for their expertise, right alongside researchers. Empowering more PE teachers to present as keynote speakers and featuring their voices on main stages validates their work and strengthens our professional community by ensuring diverse perspectives are acknowledged and valued. Imagine if, at the next conference, keynotes were delivered by a balance of PE teachers and researchers - with both getting paid.
Creating More Inclusive Conferences
Conference organizers should also seek out educators from a variety of backgrounds to present. International education, for example, is enriched by its diversity, and this should be reflected in the speakers who represent it. Simply stating that no one from a particular background “applied to present” is not enough—organizers should instead actively reach out to underrepresented educators. Wenger (1998) highlights the value of fostering diverse communities of practice, which enrich learning and build meaningful professional connections. Inviting teachers who reflect the diversity of our students—by race, language, or identity (to name a few)—would inspire empathy, enhance cultural understanding, and strengthen educational practices.
Toward Fair Recognition and Compensation
A more equitable approach would recognize that being able to list a conference presentation on a CV is valuable, but it should not replace fair recognition and remuneration for the work that makes these events successful. Johnson and Papay (2009) discuss how fair compensation models impact teacher motivation and respect in the profession. By providing adequate compensation for educators’ time and expertise, conferences could elevate the status of teachers’ contributions and ensure a sustainable model for professional development.
Schools’ Role in Supporting Teachers at Conferences
Some, but obviously not all, schools demonstrate their commitment to professional growth by fully supporting teachers who present at conferences. They may cover registration fees, and even cost of travel and accommodations. This helps ensure that their educators can focus on delivering high-quality sessions without financial strain. These schools recognize that empowering teachers to share their expertise not only elevates their institution’s profile but also contributes to the global exchange of ideas and practices.
Conclusion: Advocating for Equitable Recognition
Together, educators can advocate for financial recognition of the expertise and unique insights they bring to conferences, ensuring that their contributions are valued not only symbolically but also through equitable compensation. As teachers, taking a united stand on this issue sends a powerful message: that the voices of teachers—those who navigate the daily complexities of diverse classrooms—are essential to the success of these events and deserve both acknowledgment and fair pay. By promoting a model that values both academic research and current lived classroom experience, the professional community can create conferences that are richer, more inclusive, and more genuinely reflective of the field's diversity.
This blog is Part 2 of a two-part series on PD in PE. If you missed Part 1, follow the link here. Thanks for reading!
References
Ball, D. L., & Forzani, F. M. (2009). The work of teaching and the challenge for teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(5), 497–511.
Bunnell, T. (2019). Teachers in international schools: A global educational dilemma. Routledge.
Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press.
Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.
Johnson, S. M., & Papay, J. P. (2009). Redesigning teacher pay: A system for the next generation of educators. Economic Policy Institute.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.
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