Inclusive education specialists need to be constantly learning in order to ensure that their teaching is best practice and evidence backed. The Teachers of Inclusive Education of British Columbia (TIE-BC) is a worthwhile provincial specialist association of the BC Teachers’ Federation. While the resources on its website are fairly dated, TIE-BC hosts a meaningful annual conference that can support teachers in staying up-to-date with new research and strategies relevant to students.
Professional learning is often most easily accessed through experienced educators in your school and region. Mentorship programs are usually available through your local union or district. Informal mentorship connections can be developed through direct connections and friendships at your school.
All specialized teachers should pursue specialized learning relevant to their specialization. In British Columbia, because we are in the midst of a teacher shortage, some teachers begin learner support and resource jobs before beginning specialized training for such jobs. Programs that can be taken while teaching include British Columbia teacher-oriented courses and certification programs through Queen’s University, which has worked well for the author of this website. If you are in a continuing, full-time position, most school districts and unions will pay for about one (each) of these Queen’s courses per year, depending on your agreement and accumulated professional development funding. I look forward to continuing to learn more through such courses in the future.
References
TIE-BC. (n.d.) Teachers of Inclusive Education British Columbia. https://www.tiebc.com
Queen’s University. (2025). Courses for Teachers: British Columbia. https://coursesforteachers.ca/bc