County Educators Learn Strategies for Job-Related Stress

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — More than 80 educators from across the county gathered at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts to learn how to cope with job-related stress.

"It's about being aware of what you do every day and the impact that your work has, but also the impact the work has on you," said Michael Smith, who led the participants in the professional development workshop.

Smith, a therapist for Optimal Healing in North Adams, and Scott Balawander, the school adjustment councilor for Hoosac Valley Middle School, put the workshop together. It was one of more than 50 offered to the county's educators on Tuesday by Berkshire Educational Resources K12 (BERK12) for its Fall 2022 Professional Development Day.

"They are acknowledging the inherent stress in their work. And now they want to figure out a way to deal with it," Smith said. "So we've done a lot of base-work around trauma and the trauma they see in their classrooms. And then the stress that they see from three different angles: their organization, their professional expectations, and then their personal stuff, too."

Throughout the day, participants engaged in journaling and other self-care activities, such as creating a work-life balance plan, as part of the exercise. Smith encouraged the educators to continue with this kind of planning after the workshop.

"What I do hope is that you'll take the opportunity to apply that plan in some way, shape or form in your world," Smith told the teachers to start the workshop's afternoon session.

Smith said the workshop's goal is to offer practical strategies to educators that they can use to help both themselves and students. During afternoon session, he stressed the importance of creating a support network made up of colleagues, formal and informal mentors, and others.

Smith said most of those in attendance were front-line teachers who work directly with students.

"The teachers who we're working with are amazing. And they deal with situations that none of us can ever imagine," he said. "And all while they're expected to not only provide education, but social emotional support at the same time. So having a basic understanding of where trauma is and what it does to kids becomes really important for them."

The educators, according to Balawander, seem to agree that job-related stress is a significant factor in the field. He said more than 100 people signed up for the workshop, initially limited to 30 participants, and about 85 were in attendance.

"All of the attendees seem to be very engaged in some of the activities and conversations that Mike has been having. So it feels like they are, they're getting some good stuff out of it ... When we had first decided to do it, they had us capped at 30. And I am like, 'No, we are going to need more than that,'" he said. "And sure enough, when people see, I think this was the most popular one looking at roster."

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith explained, have been especially difficult for both teachers and students. He said having such a workshop is even more important, given this.

"We're seeing an impact of two years worth of COVID. So we're seeing kids developmentally being behind two years," he said. "So a kid in the third grade is really, sometimes, functioning at a first grade level and demonstrating behaviors that aren't third grade, but rather what we would see or expect in first grade. And that includes having been isolated, not being able to socialize, being exposed to trauma and all the things that prevent them from learning."

In addition to MCLA, BERK12 offered workshops at the Linde Center at Tanglewood, the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield, Arrowhead, the Berkshire Museum, the Mount Greylock Visitor Center and others.

Former Country Club Reopens as The Venue at Skyline

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:30PM / Monday, February 02, 2026

The new Patty Barnaby's name is all over the venue. 

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A new but familiar space is opening for event rentals as The Venue at Skyline.

Patty Barnaby recently leased the former Skyline Country Club building at 405 South Main St. Barnaby used to attend events there, including holding her own "Jack and Jill" wedding shower.

"I've been to the golf tournaments. We've been to fundraisers. We've been to benefits. Actually, sports banquets for our girls, my oldest daughter. We had quite a few of her sports banquets here, just town events, truly, but our Jack and Jill was here," she said. "I had my stepfather's retirement party here, so, we've had a lot of events here as a family."

The golf course closed in 2021 after 58 years and sold to Mill Town Capital, which is using the course for a solar installation. The town's eyed the driving range for a new police station, and the club has been used intermittently, such as for the town's winter festival last year.

Barnaby is active in the community, including serving on the Lanesborough Community Development Committee. She enjoys hosting events and having get-togethers.

"I just have always loved to bring people together, like at our house, doing parties. And our house is very small, so it's always a big summer party," she said.

Barnaby wanted a place for people to host events that may be too big or busy for their homes, but also in an open and beautiful area.

"We need a space like this, not only in Lanesborough, for Lanesborough residents, but in general, for people to be able to come and have events, whether it be inside or outside when the weather permits," sshe said. "It's a beautiful spot, it really, truly is. And I didn't want to see it sit because it really is one of those staples in our town that everybody just knows."

Barnaby had indicated interest in the space after the Winter Festival. She signed the lease on Oct. 31 and has worked hard to make it her own.

She's painted, added new seating, redone the bathrooms, and some other cosmetics upgrades. She also added six televisions, more bar equipment, and will be adding a jukebox.

Barnaby kept the name Skyline because of the location's history and just added "The Venue" to make it her own.

"I just love this space. It is just one of those spaces that, like you don't want to see ever sit," she said.

The former pro shop will be turned into a thrift store. She currently sells clothes out of her house and hosting pop-up thrift events but is now excited to have a permanent space. It will have hours outside of events and will be listed on her social media page once it is ready. 

Barnaby is asking that vendors should reach out so that she can compile a list for those who want to host events. She is also looking for a food vendor to sublease the space.

"I would love to have people reach out to me as I have reached out to them, to be put on a list of like vendors that we can suggest to people that are coming up for events," she said.

Barnaby said she'll help with planning at the location and that she wants to create a comfortable and joyous environment that people would like to come back to.

"It's family friendly, like I am very community-oriented and being very family oriented, so I understand when you're trying to plan a birthday party, or you just need a space, or you're trying to put little details together. I want to be able to help with that," she said.