Superintendent’s Conference Day yields lots of learning, sharing, teamwork and laughter

A teacher leads professional development for colleagues A teacher leads professional development for colleagues A teacher leads colleagues in professional development Teachers and staff engage in a team building activity during professional development

Administrators, teachers and staff from both school buildings gathered at Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School for a day of professional learning, sharing best practices and participating in a friendly team-building and problem-solving competition to round out the day’s activities.

Building leaders and teachers offered a rotating sequence of hourlong turnkey trainings on the use of programs including IXL, an online platform that helps students build math and ELA skills; ParentSquare, a communications tool for building the home-school connection; the increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence in teaching; strategies to create engaging learning experiences; community-building teacher circles; and much more.

A team of teachers participate in carry and conquer challenge  A team of teachers participate in carry and conquer challengeTeachers high five after winning carry and conquer race

The day concluded with team-building and problem-solving challenges, where educators and staff collaborated in groups of six to build widgets. Their success with that first challenge determined each team’s rank on the bracket to compete in the next contest — a spirited carry-and-conquer race that required speed, focus, and a unified effort.