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Professional development is a requirement for many teachers in Massachusetts. At Emmanuel College, it’s also an opportunity for them to grow as educators and draw inspiration from peers.
That spirit was felt and appreciated by many area teachers at the 2025 summer session of the Carolyn A. Lynch Institute.
Among that number was Lynne Callahan, who teaches at the Immaculate Conception School in Revere. She took the “AI for Teachers/Administrators” workshop and found it both thought-provoking and useful--something that will pay dividends in her classroom this year.
“It’s really hard to have professional development that helps veteran teachers like myself, because so much of it is sitting through stuff that you’ve already seen,” said Callahan. “This was really good, because it was a lot of new things that I can actually go back and use.”
The workshop provided an overview on the current state of AI and how it’s being used in education. It was taught by Emmanuel Director of Academic Technology and Innovation Brian Larkin, who outlined how AI can help teachers, both behind-the-scenes and in the classroom.
“We’re specifically looking at strategies to mitigate misuse by students, while also highlighting ways that faculty can use it with students-- to expose them to the idea of it,” said Larkin. “I think the biggest hit in this workshop was the AI tools that teachers can use to improve their lesson plans and make things a bit easier.”
Callahan was no newcomer to AI, but she left the workshop with some new ideas for instruction prep this fall. Even so, she found the discussions about teaching AI to students the most impactful.
“The AI tools we discussed were a highlight, but more important for me was coming back and talking about the ethics of it,” said Callahan. “I teach fifth grade, and that's sort of a perfect age for introducing students to AI; discussing what is ethical, what is not ethical, and why we use it sometimes and not others.”
A Collaborative Approach to Professional Development
Established in 2002 through a generous grant from the Lynch Foundation, the Lynch Institute is dedicated to improving the quality of education in Boston in the surrounding urban areas.
The overall goal of the Lynch Institute is to address a shortage of highly qualified mathematics and science teachers in the area, so the programming tends to focus on math, science and technology.
Professional development is a key piece of that puzzle, with the School of Education committed to developing workshops that help teachers grow and thereby enrich the educational experience for their students. It’s a collaborative process, with ongoing discussions between the School of Education and its 32 partner schools in the area playing an important role.
“We plan high-quality workshops based on the needs of the schools who host our teacher candidates, pre-practicum, and service-learning students,” said School of Education Dean Sr. Karen Hokanson SNDdeN, Ed.D. “Schools are asked to suggest topics for the Carolyn A. Lynch Institute, to meet the current needs of practitioners.”
A Culture of Collective Inquiry
In practice, Lynch Institute workshops take their cues from the Emmanuel School of Education, which focuses on building inclusive learning communities that teach all students.
It starts with establishing a culture of collaborative inquiry. The School of Education trains new educators how to do this in the classroom, and the Lynch Institute brings that philosophy to professional development.
Longtime teacher Amy Fitzgerald connected with the institute about 10 years ago and has returned many times since. She enjoys the topics covered by the workshops, and being part of groups that are so committed to growing as teachers.
“What I love about Emmanuel is that it's such a wonderful group of professionals,” said Fitzgerald. “You have both Catholic school and public-school teachers that you can interact with…it’s always great to have these discussions-- to talk with peers and compare things.”
The community aspect was also big for Dot West, who attended the Special Education workshop. She’s been teaching for 42 years, and has never really stopped learning about her craft. West said she always learns something new and worthwhile at the Lynch Institute.
“All of the instructors I've had are excellent, they bring their real-life experiences of the education process into their work with us,” said West. “I love the back-and-forth relationship between the students and instructors in the workshops.”
“I feel rejuvenated, inspired, and refreshed when I return here,” added West. “It's a good place to come…and when you get a few extra teaching strategies, that’s like golden nuggets.”
