One Minute PD

The idea of one minute professional development came to me after the outpouring of information and technology resources in education when the pandemic hit. I felt overwhelmed and found I couldn’t focus on a topic or new piece of technology to increase student learning. I feared the same was true for teachers.

In the past, I’d seen mentions of quick PD tips via social media on Instagram and Twitter. I thought they were a great way to share information without overwhelming teachers. That’s when the idea sparked for me to create my own versions! Read on to learn two different avenues in which I provide one minute PD for those I support.

Videos

I wanted to create videos that shared an instructional strategy, technology tool, or social-emotional learning idea. I envisioned these videos being watched by teachers, shared at department meetings or faculty meetings, and used by instructional coaches.

I used the Chrome extension Screencastify, which allows you to create up to 5 min videos for free, along with the ability to download the videos or add them directly to YouTube.

Each video was created based on communicated needs, reflection conversations I had with teachers and leaders, or sharing how a highly-effective in-person strategy could be used virtually.

I’m including links to a couple of videos I created below. Feel free to scroll through and subscribe to the YouTube channel to get a notification when future One Minute PD videos are posted!

• My Favorite Not: Have students pick their favorite wrong answer, and explain why.
• 7 Little Words: Have students summarize content in 7 words but have them wait to press enter. Then countdown and have them blast the chat!

Weekly Emails

The second way of creating quick PD options for teachers is through weekly emails. The idea developed after conversations with my colleagues this year, where we discussed finding ways to  help and support teachers without overwhelming them.

My goal for these resources is to be timely and intentional. In the emails, I share a resource or strategy with an image and a brief description which can be read in under a minute. I try to make what I’m sharing applicable immediately to the current unit of study, or else I share a strategy they can use at any time. I strive to be intentional in the reason I am sharing the strategy or resource, which can help reduce the feeling of information overload.

In order to stay organized, I keep a running list of the weekly emails I’ve sent to teachers so I can track which strategies have already been shared, as well as the technology or platform paired with the strategy. I review this list to plan for a mixed variety of instructional strategies, technology tips and sites, and content specific information. To my surprise, teachers are comfortable using a variety of different platforms—such as Peardeck and Google—which helps me reach all teachers at various times.

Final Note

In a school year where circumstances are continuously changing, it’s important to build expertise and capacity to teach in all environments. Through these quick PD opportunities, teachers can learn a new instructional strategy, technology tool, or content specific strategy within a minute and have plenty of time to reflect upon and implement it.

Reflection upon what is currently working and what is not can lead teachers to seek out professional development to grow in areas that need support. My hope is these videos and emails can provide “on demand” learning opportunities as well as inspiration for implementation, reflection, and growth.

About Our Guest Blogger

Rachel Mane is a secondary Math Specialist in the North East Independent School District located in San Antonio Texas. She supports both Middle and High School instructional coaches and teachers. Rachel also supports district curriculum and designs professional development.

Rachel has been in education for over 10 years, with teaching experience in multiple states and grade levels. Outside of her organization, she has presented nationally on Gamification in Secondary Mathematics. Be sure to follow Rachel on Twitter @manelymath!