Students see the annual Teacher Conference Day as a day off from school. But for local teachers, the all-district Hawks Conference at Marshwood High School was anything but a day off. With 67 course offerings to choose from, they spent the day as students , learning new ways to teach.
Some 305 teachers attended Hawks Conference 2026, which for the first time included teachers from Rollinsford, whose Grades 7-12 students have attended Marshwood schools for a decade.
The March 13 conference was the third year the district has used a multi-session format that “allows each educator to focus on subject matter more relevant to their interests and grade level,” said Katie Gilpatrick, conference organizer.
Past teacher conferences offered a single topic of general interest for a full day, said Gilpatrick, Middle School teacher and a curriculum coordinator for the district.
The daylong program featured 28 presenters from Maine Administrative District 35 and 25 presenters from outside organizations, including the Maine Department of Education, Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Maine Youth Thriving.
“The consistent theme and message for all our Hawk Conferences is kindness, compassion, empathy,” said Gilpatrick.
Keynote speaker Irvin Scott, faculty member in Harvard University’s Doctor of Education Leadership Program, “highlighted the importance of leading with empathy in his inspiring keynote address to the staff,” she said.
The sessions were targeted to teachers working at specific grade levels – high school, middle school or elementary school.
Among the offerings, a single full-day session for Grade 6-12 teachers – Reducing Substance Use through BARR, or Building Assets, Reducing Risk – centered on understanding adolescent risk-taking and supporting student well-being. It explored how to identify behaviors of concern and respond effectively when concerns arise.
Shorter sessions for all grade levels also covered ways for educators to identify and effectively respond with empathy to behavioral and learning issues.
Other sessions addressed subjects ranging from technology and potential uses of artificial intelligence to personal finance and economics for high school students and Play to Learn activities for Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers.
Some sessions addressed innovative tools for standard classes such as reading, writing and math, among them board games for teaching math at all levels.
“The day was about coming together as a district and building on the strengths that we possess as a group of educators,” said Gilpatrick.
The cost to the district was minimal, with Title 2 federal funds covering fees for the 25 outside presenters, she said. The 28 district presenters earned hours toward their teacher recertification but didn’t receive a monetary stipend.
Horace Mann Insurance Co. provided lunch and a presentation on how to plan for retirement; Congdon’s Doughnuts supplied donuts and Aroma Joe’s brought coffee for breaks; and the district Parent Teacher Organizations donated raffle prizes.
