Planning meaningful Orange Shirt Day professional development should not fall entirely on individual classroom teachers. A thoughtful school-wide approach begins with giving staff the time and support they need to choose meaningful Orange Shirt Day activities for their students.
Staff need opportunities to reflect, ask questions, and consider whether their plans are contributing to meaningful education or simply filling a space on the September calendar.
That is exactly why I created this ready to use Orange Shirt Day staff meeting kit.
A Ready to Use Staff Meeting for School Leaders
Principals and administrators already have a lot on their plates, especially in September. Creating a complete professional development presentation from scratch probably does not need to be added to the list.
This ready-to-use staff meeting kit helps school leaders guide thoughtful learning about Orange Shirt Day without needing to be experts in Indigenous education.
It includes:
- 23 ready to present staff meeting slides
- Detailed speaker notes for every slide
- A separate presentation guide
- A two page staff handout and reflection worksheet
- Practical next steps for teachers and schools
Principals can review the notes, open the slides, and lead the session. No late night slideshow building required.
Moving Beyond One Day Orange Shirt Day Activities
There are many Orange Shirt Day activities available for classrooms, but an activity alone does not always lead to meaningful learning.
A craft, colouring page, or bulletin board can support a lesson, but it should not replace the lesson itself. Students need context. They need age appropriate opportunities to learn about residential schools, listen to Indigenous voices, and understand why September 30 matters.
This Orange Shirt Day professional development presentation helps staff think more carefully about the purpose behind the activities they choose.
Instead of only asking, “What should my class make?” educators are encouraged to consider questions such as:
- What will students learn from this activity?
- Have I provided enough context?
- Am I centring Indigenous voices and experiences?
- Is the learning appropriate for the age of my students?
- What will happen after September 30?
The goal is not to make teachers afraid of doing something wrong. It is to help them move forward with more confidence, understanding, and care.
Practical Learning Without Overwhelming Your Staff
Professional development about Indigenous education can feel like an enormous topic for one staff meeting.
This presentation does not try to cover everything. Instead, it gives staff a meaningful and manageable place to begin or continue their learning.
Teachers will have opportunities to reflect on their current practices, discuss common mistakes, and choose realistic next steps for their classrooms.
Those next steps might include:
- Learning whose lands the school is on
- Reviewing an existing Orange Shirt Day resource
- Looking for Nation specific learning opportunities
- Including Indigenous perspectives throughout the school year
- Reconsidering an activity that lacks meaningful context
The focus is on progress and continued learning, not perfection.
Orange Shirt Day Professional Development That Leads to Action
A good staff meeting should give educators something they can actually use.
The included handout helps staff follow along during the presentation, record their thinking, and identify an action they can take after the meeting. This makes the session more than a slideshow that everyone watches and forgets.
It can also help create a more consistent approach across the school.
Rather than every teacher planning disconnected Orange Shirt Day activities, staff can begin with shared understanding and work toward a school-wide approach that is thoughtful, respectful, and grounded in learning.
Who Is This Staff Meeting Kit For?
This resource was created for:
- Principals and vice principals
- School administrators
- Indigenous education leads
- Professional development committees
- Teacher leaders facilitating staff learning
- District teams supporting Orange Shirt Day planning
You do not need to be an expert in Indigenous education to lead the presentation. The detailed speaker notes are there to support you through each slide.
If you are a classroom teacher and you are not responsible for staff meetings, you can still share the resource with your principal, administrator, or professional development committee. You might just save them several hours of planning.
Plan a More Meaningful September Staff Meeting
Orange Shirt Day deserves more than a last minute activity chosen on September 29.
When educators are given time to learn and reflect together, they are better prepared to choose Orange Shirt Day activities that have a clear purpose and support meaningful student learning.
The Orange Shirt Day Professional Development Staff Meeting Kit gives school leaders everything they need to begin that conversation with their staff.
Explore the Orange Shirt Day Professional Development Staff Meeting Kit here.
One September staff meeting planned. Now someone just needs to remember the snacks…😂
