Registration closed!
​​TESL WW Annual General Meeting:

Date of AGM: May 21, 2026
Time: 5:30PM - 9:30PM
Theme: Teaching English as an Entrepreneur / Small Business. 
Location: Camellia Bake Shop (305 Northfield Dr. E, Waterloo ON N2V 2N4) AND Online (Hyflex).

We are thrilled to announce that registration for the 2026 Annual General Meeting for TESL Waterloo-Wellington is now open! The event will be held in person and online on Thursday, May 21!

This year's AGM will run from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM and includes coffee or tea, a light meal (vegan and gluten-free options available) and PD workshops at Camellia Bake Shop (305 Northfield Dr. E, Waterloo). You will also have the option of attending the AGM and participating in the workshops online from the comfort of your own home.

The theme of the event this year is Teaching English as an Entrepreneur or Small Business Operator. Based on popular demand from our membership, our keynote and workshops will provide information and advice from professionals with firsthand experience. There will also be time for a question and answer period for those of you with questions about starting a small business for teaching English. One of our workshops will also involve creating a vision board to help manifest our dreams and goals for the future. You will learn about how to use vision boards in the classroom with students as a means of goal-setting. All materials for in-person attendees will be provided. Online attendees will be given information on how to create a vision board from home, and will have the option of joining a break-out room to discuss with other online attendees.

Presenters:
Stefania Vaclavioka

• Stefania (Stefy) is a teacher and life-long learner, who doesn’t only teach mindset strategies, she lives them. For years, she felt underpaid, undervalued, and uninspired, making minimum wage and with no clear direction about the impact she wanted to make. That all changed during a teacher-entrepreneur program, where she learned how to define her ideal students, find them offline or on social media, and market herself effectively. Stefy learned her worth and made herself a niche teacher-entrepreneur, eventually charging $100/hour, feeling respected and experiencing a level of freedom she hadn’t felt before.
• In Stefy’s session, “What’s Possible for You as a Teacher in an AI-Shaped World,” you will learn to challenge limiting beliefs, build thriving teaching businesses, and get paid what you’re worth. By session’s end, you can feel more clear, more confident, and more positive about where you’re going next, especially with everything changing regarding AI. After all, teachers shape the future, teaching tomorrow’s presidents, doctors, and leaders. You deserve to be prosperous, prestigious, and respected.

Joan Hartwig

• Through 17 years of teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP), Joan Hartwig has developed a practical, student-centered approach to language instruction. She holds a Master of Arts in TESOL (MATESOL) from Trinity Western University, where she focused on the integration of technology in language learning—an area that continues to shape her professional practice. Ongoing, Joan explores a range of digital platforms to expand her opportunities and generate additional income streams.
• Joan will share her valuable firsthand experience and insights into the evolving landscape of online ESL instruction and platforms that can help connect you with learners worldwide. Her session will equip you with practical tools and ideas for diversifying your teaching practice in a global, digital environment. 

AGM Schedule: 

• 5:30pm-5:50pm - In-person attendees arrival (coffee + food)
• 5:50 - 6:00pm - Online attendees join Zoom meeting
• 6:00pm-7:00pm - Stefania Vaclavikova keynote speaker (Key Note + Q&A)
• 7:10pm-7:25pm - AGM
• 7:30pm-8:15pm - Joan Hartwig workshop
• 8:20pm- 9:00pm – Vision boards
• 9:05pm - Prize draw for in-person attendees

**** Please note that there is a limit on the number of in-person attendees for health and safety reasons. If you plan on attending in-person, please sign up as quickly as possible to reserve a space.*****

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