Catholic school teachers from across the diocese gathered at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington Sept. 28 for a full day of professional development centered on the theme “In Christ the Teacher, We Are One.”
The diocesan Office of Catholic Schools brings together all K-12 teachers for a professional development day every two years. The day began with Mass in the chapel and included two keynote addresses, breakout sessions by topic, and grade-level sessions.
Joelle O’Brion, national programs director at CatholicPsych Institute, opened the day with a talk on student mental health, and Meghan Crowley Sullivan, curriculum and professional learning developer at the iDEAL Institute at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, closed with a talk on AI literacy and why it belongs in K-12 curriculum. In grade-level sessions, teachers shared lesson plans and strategies that are working in their classrooms.
Leslie Lipovski, assistant superintendent for student learning and teaching excellence, said the topics reflect challenges teachers are facing. Students today exhibit more mental health and behavioral needs than before, she said, and the diocese wants teachers to know it is aware and working to support them.
On AI, Lipovski said the diocese already has a policy and wants teachers to guide students in using the technology responsibly. High school students may use it within limits, she said, so they are prepared for college and not at a disadvantage to peers elsewhere.
Lipovski said the day also gives teachers a rare chance to gather as one diocese. “We are all here for the same purpose: to make our kids saints,” she said, “to help them get to heaven as well as prepare them academically for the world.”
