Wood County Schools Technology Integration Specialist Eric Murphy talks to educators from the district about artificial intelligence Wednesday during the Teaching and Learning Academy at Williamstown Middle/High School.

WILLIAMSTOWN — Wood County Schools is in the middle of its third annual Teaching and Learning Academy at Williamstown Middle/High School.

The academy is a week-long professional development event designed for teachers, administrators and classroom aides.

“During the week, we have just over 100 sessions planned. We have over 3,000 individual session registrations throughout the week, and there are a variety of topics being covered,” Director of Curriculum & Instruction Ashlee Beatty said.

Each day begins with a keynote session with this year’s speakers including Paul Gavoni, who discussed behavioral science; Kerry Magro, who spoke about inclusion and autism, and Sasha Long, a board-certified behavioral analyst who addressed defiance and de-escalation in the classroom.

Beatty said the latest trends and feedback from staff indicated the need to learn more about those latter topics.

Wood County Schools Technology Technology Integration Specialist Jimmy Stewart talks to educators from the district about artificial intelligence Wednesday during the Teaching and Learning Academy at Williamstown Middle/High School. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“Some of the trends we’ve really seen are requests for support and behavior. So we are doing things like talking about defiance and de-escalation, executive functions. They’re digging deeper into students’ disabilities and how they can respond. Currently, there’s this session taking place about self-regulation,” Beatty said. “Dr. Doug Pfeifer is a certified psychologist, and he’s doing sessions on becoming a resilient educator and taking care of yourself and your well-being, so that you can be the best person for your students. That has been one of our biggest requests.”

She said another notable trend this year is the focus on artificial intelligence.

“We have had at least five sessions this week about ChatGPT and artificial intelligence in the classroom. It’s a trend that we’re seeing. … We want to find ways to harness it and make sure we’re using it responsibly and teaching our students the same thing,” Beatty said.

Supplying teachers in the district with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in the classroom will in turn help their students do the same, Beatty said.

“Our educators and our staff are the best asset for Wood County Schools, and if we can take care of them, then they take care of the students,” she said. “Our goal for this is to give them the support and what they feel they need for professional learning, so that they can feel energized, supported, prepared, and go into the school year ready to go.”

Sasha Long, a board-certified behavioral analyst, spoke to educators in Wood County Thursday about deescalation techniques at Williamstown Middle/High School during the district’s Teaching and Learning Academy. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Two of those educators are Williamstown Elementary kindergarten teachers Hannah MacIver and Laura Wagner. The pair said the academy continues to make a significant impact on educators in the region with the number of session choices they have to make themselves better teachers.

“I love how diverse the options are, and there is something for everyone to choose,” MacIver said. “It just ranges from the young teachers to the older teachers, and there’s something for everyone. And I love that.”

Wagner, who is leading an autism class this year, said there is also value in connecting with colleagues and sharing the things they have learned with each other.

“You get your best ideas from different people, and you can troubleshoot different things and talk up different scenarios and just get different people’s perspectives,” she said. “It doesn’t seem so daunting, because you know that they’ve gone through the trenches too; they are doing the same things that you are.”

The pair said one of the key themes during this year’s sessions was meeting students where they are.

Wood County Schools educators gathered at Williamstown Middle/High School this week for the third annual Teaching and Learning Academy. This year’s academy featured over 100 sessions planned with more than 3,000 individual session registrations. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“Because ultimately, they are human, and we are connected to them because we are all human,” MacIver said. “There is no authoritative, like, ‘I’m in charge of you and control of you.’ I’m supposed to be here to help you, to help you grow, and I’m never done growing.”

Both teachers expressed appreciation for the support from the administration and board for arranging the academy each year.

“They really are connected. They do care about us, even though sometimes they seem like they’re not,” MacIver said.

Wagner added, “It’s a lot of work and money to help us succeed as teachers and for our students.”

Beatty said there are also sessions for service personnel, ensuring that all staff have access to professional development and support.

“Throughout the week, our classroom aides are invited to attend, so there are sessions that are designed just for them, or they’re able to join other sessions that teachers speak to as well,” Beatty said. “On Friday, we’re trying something new. This was based on feedback from our service personnel, and that’s the Wood County Works sessions. These sessions are focused on support and question-and-answer for the inner workings of Wood County.”

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com.