#CEESA2026 Speaker Spotlight: Azra Pathan

Meet Ewan McIntosh at CEESA 2026

In March 2026, international educators will gather in Sofia, Bulgaria for the 36th Annual CEESA Conference at Grand Hotel Millennium, hosted by the Anglo American School of Sofia. The conference theme invites educators to explore teaching as both a craft and a calling, strengthening engagement, connection, and joyful purpose in learning communities.

If you want professional learning that is practical, thoughtful, and design driven, plan to join Ewan McIntosh, CEO of NoTosh, for a series of workshops that connect learning environments, leadership habits, and school storytelling to meaningful change.

About Ewan McIntosh

Ewan leads projects with schools around the world through NoTosh and is known for helping educators and leaders think differently, work differently, and build learning environments that support agency and belonging.
He is also a Life Fellow of the RSA for contributions to education and digital media, and a Member of the Royal Company of Merchants Edinburgh.

Featured sessions with Ewan McIntosh at CEESA 2026

Designing for Growth: How Classroom Layouts Shape Learning

Date: March 13, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium

This workshop explores how classroom layout shapes relationships, learning behaviours, and student agency. Using examples from learning environments NoTosh has co designed, participants will reimagine their classrooms as spaces with clear purpose and belonging.

What you will take away:
-A classroom audit tool to surface hidden messages in learning spaces
-Simple design shifts that improve engagement without major budgets
-A clearer view of the meta skills students develop when space, pedagogy, and people align

The Provocation: Three Lessons from 400 Questions About Teaching and Leadership

Date: March 13, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium

Built from patterns found in The Provocation newsletter, this thinking focused session uses structured discussion and reflection to help educators connect big lessons about change to their own classroom, team, or leadership context.

What you will take away:
-Shared language for reflection and decision making
-New clarity about what drives meaningful change
-One concrete shift you are ready to make

The One Hundred Story School: Building Brand Strategy Through Everyday Narratives

Date: March 14, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium

Every school already tells stories. This workshop focuses on how to build a simple, repeatable structure for spotting everyday moments of learning and turning them into narratives that reflect values and strategic priorities. It also explores responsible ways custom GPTs can support faster drafting and alignment without losing authenticity.

What you will take away:
-A clear story structure for capturing learning, belonging, and impact
-A rapid story lens for finding stories across school life
-Practical examples of responsible GPT supported story workflows

Fail Before It Matters: Using Pre Mortems to Design Stronger Teaching and Leadership

Date: March 14, 2026
Location: Grand Hotel Millennium

This interactive workshop introduces the pre mortem as a practical method for stress testing ideas before launch. Participants learn how to surface hidden risks, strengthen collaboration, and increase the chances that initiatives last.

What you will take away:
-A step by step method to run a pre mortem with staff or students
-Templates for capturing risks, opportunities, and creative fixes
-A framework for turning likely failure points into design improvements

Why Ewan’s sessions will resonate with international educators

International schools move fast, with complex priorities and constant change. Ewan McIntosh brings a design lens that helps educators slow down in the right places, align learning spaces and leadership habits, and build systems that make improvement more sustainable. His sessions are especially valuable for teachers, instructional leaders, and school leadership teams looking for practical tools they can use immediately.

See you in Sofia

Join CEESA in Sofia, Bulgaria, March 12 to 14, 2026, with pre conference learning on March 12 and the main conference on March 13 and 14 at Grand Hotel Millennium. Build your learning plan around Ewan McIntosh’s workshops and register to be part of a CEESA experience designed to strengthen both the heart and the art of teaching. 

Thanks to Our Sponsors

CEESA 2026 is strengthened by the generous support of CEESA partners and sponsors, including the  Office of Overseas Schools, Insurance Services International, International Schools Services, Clements Worldwide, a Gallagher Company, ISAM360, HMH, NWEA, Consilience Learning, COGNIA, S+B Furniture, Integrated Financial Planning Services, NEASC, Wilkes University, Search Associates and Endicott College.