Beaufort County School District students enjoyed a vacation day Monday, Feb. 17, but their teachers were hard at work.

Nearly 2,000 classroom teachers and school staff attended a full day of professional development training at multiple sites as the school district hosted its first “Best Practices Day.”  The inaugural mid-year event was an opportunity for local educators to expand their knowledge and enhance their classroom techniques.

More than 300 sessions, with topics ranging from “Sparking Idea Creation” to “Globalization in Education” and “Classroom Management Strategies” were offered to teachers and staff at the early childhood, elementary, middle and high school levels. Presenters were teachers and leaders from the district who were experienced and well-versed in their topics.

“When teachers and staff are more effective in the classroom, the big winners are our kids,” said Superintendent Jeff Moss. “We’re fortunate to have many highly qualified and experienced professionals here in Beaufort County, and this is a great way to leverage that expertise to everyone’s advantage — and at minimal cost.”

N’Kia Campbell, who coordinates professional development for the district, said “Best Practices Day” was an additional networking and learning opportunity for staff intended to supplement the annual Summer Institute activities in June.

“Our teachers are committed to improving their professionalism and effectiveness,” Campbell said, “and their participation today demonstrates that.”