Before proceedings get underway, this short explainer session will demonstrate how you can get the most out of our conference platform. The OSME team will run through how to make virtual connections, creating networking meet ups, accessing content on demand and how to use our new Q&A, chat functions and virtual polling tools.

In her opening statement, Professor Samantha Twiselton will provide a short introduction to some of the key challenges in the sector and will set out the main themes that will be addressed throughout the day, these include:

• The pandemic’s impact on education: one year on
• The importance of continuing professional development
• Prioritising teacher wellbeing and satisfaction
• Improving retention and supporting newly promoted middle leaders

• Exploring the role of intention and purpose in teaching, and understanding the crucial role teachers play in the future of mankind and the need to effectively support their development and growth within the school
• Discussing how to empower teachers in the classroom and within the wider school setting, in order to raise the importance of their profile in our society
• Highlighting how this will have an impact on how we retain and sustain the best teachers in the world

• Understanding key leadership principles that school leaders can adopt to get the best out of their teams, even in times of crisis
• Growing your own teachers: effectively responding to recruitment and retention challenges by investing in and supporting the professional growth of existing staff
• Taking an adaptive and holistic approach to teacher education and talent development to successfully harness and enable professional growth and improvement within the school environment

Delegates can join the speed networking meeting room for a chance to meet and greet other delegates, putting faces to names. Delegates will be paired off 12 times for 1 minute for informal introductions. Delegates are then free to continue the conversation with any of these new connections later in the day

Alternatively delegates can start their own meetings by clicking on “Attendees” > send connection requests > start a text chat or click on the video icon to start a video meeting

Delegates should switch back to the Live Agenda Page on Swapcard to tune in for the next session

A short break for delegates to take refreshments and to connect with other attendees via the chat function or 1-to-1 video meetings on the event online platform. To start a meeting click on “Attendees”, search through the delegate list and send connection requests, then start a text chat or click on the video icon to start a video meeting

Delegates should switch back to the Live Agenda Page on Swapcard to tune in for the next session

• Establishing what strong CPD leadership looks like and how to create clear pathways between CPD and school development
• Optimising CPD to empower teaching and enable innovation in the classroom
• Sharing best-practice and evidence-based solutions to key challenges such as adapting to the online environment and implementing best practice in one’s own professional development
• Adapting to the changing face of CPD – stepping away from generic CPD activities, and creating personalised CPD that engages staff properly while still establishing significant connections and relationships

A short break for delegates to take refreshments and to connect with other attendees via the chat function or 1-to-1 video meetings on the event online platform. To start a meeting click on “Attendees”, search through the delegate list and send connection requests, then start a text chat or click on the video icon to start a video meeting

Delegates should switch back to the Live Agenda Page on Swapcard to tune in for the next session

• How do you motivate teachers to take professional development seriously and encourage them to put CPD first?
• How do you effectively rally interest in self-directed CPD?
• What are some key methods to plan effective professional development programmes?
• How do you lead an efficient and engaging professional development session?

• How effective is professional development in enhancing teacher retention, and how effective has it been during the pandemic?
• How can we champion professional development, starting with initial teacher training, to create a culture of support and engagement between teachers and senior leaders?
• How do we create a professional development programme which can significantly reduce the long-term costs that come with staff turnover?
• How can we deal with the reality vs. expectation dilemma?
• How can we support trainee teachers transitioning to NQTs during the pandemic
• Supporting staff and making them feel listened to and valued – how can the SLT do more?

• How can we boost wellbeing through professional development during challenging times?
• How can we tackle burn-out and emotional exhaustion without compromising teaching and learning?
• Can we advocate for a ‘positive psychology’ approach in whole-school settings to enhance teacher efficacy and productivity?
• What are the early signs of teacher burn-out and how can senior leaders and colleagues effectively intervene to support wellbeing?
• How can we celebrate success during distant learning?

A break for delegates to take lunch and to connect with other attendees via the chat function or 1-to-1 video meetings on the event online platform. To start a meeting click on “Attendees”, search through the delegate list and send connection requests, then start a text chat or click on the video icon to start a video meeting

Delegates should switch back to the Live Agenda Page on Swapcard to tune in for the next session

In this special keynote session, Dr Saamdu Chetri, Bhutan’s dedicated happiness guru, will explore the philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and how we can cultivate these values in the teaching profession. He will share his knowledge and expertise on different practices including the Relationship-Integrity-Compassion-Humanity (RICH) model that can be implemented to create happiness in the school community to ultimately improve teacher productivity, satisfaction and happiness.

• Exploring the benefits of fostering a coaching culture in international schools to improve teacher satisfaction and retention
• Understanding how professional coaching can support teacher leadership, professional development, and wellbeing during the pandemic and beyond
• Outlining coaching and mentoring methods for supporting early leadership in newly qualified teachers and how this supports their long-term progression and retention
• Highlighting how transformational leadership can help achieve success through workplace autonomy
• Supporting newly promoted middle leaders with professional development

A short break for delegates to take refreshments and to connect with other attendees via the chat function or 1-to-1 video meetings on the event online platform. To start a meeting click on “Attendees”, search through the delegate list and send connection requests, then start a text chat or click on the video icon to start a video meeting

Delegates should switch back to the Live Agenda Page on Swapcard to tune in for the next session

• Discussing the importance of implementing emotional wellbeing within all aspects of professional development to build resilient teachers
• Sharing practical advice on how to build resilience to effectively lead during a pandemic and beyond
• Exploring strategic approaches to tackling burn-out, stress and anxiety, and build resilience among teachers
• Highlighting the need to also focus on and address the needs of school leaders
• Outlining the most effective steps that schools can take to support teachers and leaders’ mental health and wellbeing

• Discussing the importance of building cohesive and dynamic learning communities that enable teachers to collaborate and share best practice, engage in meaningful PD, reduce workload and enhance wellbeing
• Understanding how collaboration contributes to professional development and self-efficacy
• Exploring the concept of a ‘thinking school’ and how to develop a learning environment that maximises opportunities for formal and informal teacher learning
• Sharing experience of implementing a collaborative learning platform, and how useful it has been during the pandemic
• Highlighting tools, methods and resources that have proven to impact the provision of teacher learning activities and enhance teacher collaboration within and across schools

In this session, Don and Rob will cover the importance of taking a unique and strength-based approach to teacher development and retention.

Key learning and discussion points will include:

• Exploring the strenghts-based approach to teacher development, and how this will help you build on and maximise the strenghts of your teachers
• Reflecting on your teacher attrition, recruitment and retention process – how do you effectively support your teachers from the onboarding process and throughout their time at the school
• Understanding the changing needs of teachers and how, as administrators, you can effectively support them and address their need
• Understanding how to make the entire process a transformative experience, where you are proactive in helping create the environment in which all your teachers will thrive, and, ‘grow stronger, stay longer’

In this session, Jessica will discuss how schools can support and retain effective teachers by helping to develop staff efficacy around the five social emotional learning competencies.

Key learning and discussion points will include:

• Providing insight on how administrators can foster resilience through a personalized, asset-based approach to CPD
• Learning how to retain your most effective staff by personalizing their CPD experiences
• Exploring how to develop teacher wellbeing within the framework of the CASEL five core competencies
• Exploring the relationship between resiliency, social emotional learning, and teacher wellbeing

*Final programme subject to change