Upskilling Together: A Day of Faculty Professional Development

St. George’s is dedicated to developing intellectually curious individuals and passionate lifelong learners. On January 5, our faculty modeled that mission by stepping into the role of learners themselves. The School’s latest Faculty Professional Development Day transformed the campus into a dynamic lab of professional growth. Using a hybrid approach, the day blended peer-led workshops with sessions from external specialists, covering everything from Artificial Intelligence and Media Literacy to French oral communication.

“This day was about relevance. By combining the internal expertise of our staff with targeted external specialists, we ensured that every session addressed the real context of our classrooms.”

— Dani Jansen, High School Teaching & Learning Coordinator

A Unified Approach

A defining feature of this Faculty Professional Development Day was the intentional collaboration between Elementary and High School faculty. Teachers from both campuses worked together to align teaching practices and ensure a smooth learning journey from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Specialists in music, drama, and physical education worked in cross-campus teams to share work from their respective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). They focused on strengthening formative assessment, looking beyond the “final concert” or “game score” to assess individual growth. By differentiating instruction, such as adapting a musical score or an exercise drill, teachers ensure students at varied skill levels can progress and demonstrate learning with confidence.

Innovation in Practice: Science and Memory

In the sciences, Jennifer Hunter and Jason Arthur introduced Ambitious Science Teaching. This framework replaces standard lessons with compelling real-world events, such as the Lac-Mégantic train derailment, to drive inquiry. Students examine the impact of chemicals entering the ecosystem and use their knowledge of reactions to brainstorm solutions. It shifts the focus from memorizing facts to solving complex problems.

Meanwhile, Elementary School Learning Enrichment Coordinator Patricia Harries led a session on Retrieval Practice. Based on the science of learning, this strategy helps students pull information from long-term memory to strengthen neural connections. Instead of passively re-reading textbooks, teachers are using “brain dumps”, where students write down everything they remember, to make learning stick.

Enhancing French Competency

Directly supporting Pillar 3 of the Strategic Plan—Thriving Community, the entire French faculty worked with Dr. Christian Dumais, a specialist in French oral communication from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. The workshop equipped teachers with research-backed tactics to boost student oral fluency across all grade levels.

“Spending the day today as a full school French department was a very enriching experience. Thanks to the expertise of M. Dumais, we were all able to learn alongside each other, further strengthening our alignment from Kindergarten to Grade 11.”

— Laura Officer, Elementary School Teaching and Learning Coordinator

Future-Ready Skills: AI and Media

Digital Moment provided essential training on Artificial Intelligence, helping teachers identify bias in AI and explain Large Language Models to young learners. Building on this, parent and Media Literacy expert Andrea Borod led a session offering insights on helping students evaluate claims, identify bias, and think critically about the content they encounter online.

Creating “Thinking Classrooms”

Active engagement was a priority in every session. High School English teacher Charles Scarlett-Smith demonstrated the use of Mini Whiteboards to create “thinking classrooms,” where non-permanent writing surfaces encourage risk-taking.

“We are shifting the culture in class from ‘getting it right immediately’ to ‘thinking through it together.’”

— Charles Scarlett-Smith, High School English Teacher

Similarly, High School Math and French Department Head Nathalie Roy led a session on “Test Talks,” where students discuss math problems in peer groups before independent evaluations. This reduces anxiety and models the collaboration skills needed for life beyond school.

Designing for Belonging

The day further reinforced the School’s commitment to an inclusive community. Learning Enrichment Specialist Allyson Cooperman led a deep dive into Executive Functioning, moving beyond agendas to practical scaffolds for organization and attention. Complementing this, Head of School Michael O’Connor facilitated a workshop on Inclusive Physical Education & School Events. Staff identified physical and social barriers to participation, committing to small design choices that ensure meaningful inclusion for every student.

“Our colleagues and their unique teaching strategies are some of the best resources we have at St. George’s. Why not leverage opportunities to learn more from each other?”

— Maria Szuber, English & Performing Arts Teacher