PD in a S-n-a-p!

How to have a bang-up PD session- even on a whim!

Honestly, if you were to put into every professional development session what you would your best session with teachers, you’d be spending ALL of your time doing nothing but prepping for PD.  As amazing as that would be, instructional coaches simply don’t have the time (or resources) to create bang up, incredible PD sessions every time BECAUSE sometimes, a PD session or event happens with very short notice or no notice at all.  And then there are other times when you simply forgot about professional development you were leading (or it was unclear that you were, in fact, the one leading it). Yes, it’s a stressful situation to find yourself in.  But thankfully, there is a way to be ready for professional development in a S*N*A*P!
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"S" is for Structures

Have a handful of no-prep structures in mind.  ​We all know that the BEST PD sessions are those that encourage active responses and conversations among participants.  Thinking about how to make this happen to its maximum potential can take a lot of thought and planning.  But having a variety of no-prep structures in mind can make this possible in any PD session.  The most common (and simple) structure presenters use is a "Turn and Talk".  While this is an easy go-to, there are several others that can provoke the depth of conversation and participation you so  desire.  Even better?  These require NO PREP and can all be found on my TPT store

• Four Corners​​:  Participants move to one of four corners that represent a theme, topic, idea, or interest.  Once in these groups, participants work with or discuss the content being presented.  Each group should share out new ideas, questions, or thoughts with the whole.
• Hostess:  The presenter calls for "Table for (two, three, four, etc.)".  Participants gather in groups of that many people and discuss the topic.
• Take Sides:  This can take many forms!  It may be that you're having participants take sides based on some "would you rather" phrases.  You might ask participants to take sides based on the topic at hand and their agreements/ disagreements.  Once they have physically moved to a side that represents each of two choices, participants turn and talk to discuss their thoughts on the topic.
• Inside Outside Circle:  Some of your audience will formulate an inner circle facing out, and the remainder of the audience will formulate an outer circle facing in.  Each person should have a partner they are facing.  Either the inside circle, the outside circle, or both can move in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction to move to a new partner and continue discussion.
• Snowball:  This structure is great for sharing what participants plan to take away from the session.  Simply have each person take a scratch sheet of paper or sticky note, jot their take-away, and join in a large circle or group.  They will have a minor "snowball fight" by tossing their crumpled paper into the mix.  Each participant then picks up a nearby "snowball", opens it up, and reads the statement allowed to the group.
• Connect Cards:  This is one of my favorite structures and really encourages critical thinking.  Either the speaker or participants take 6 to 9 cards, sticky notes, or pieces of paper, labels each with a word or brief phrase related to the topic presented, and sets them out in 2 rows of 3 or 3 rows of 3.  Participants think about how to create a complete statement using connecting cards, but they can only create statements for cards that touch sides or corners.

"N" is for Niche

Consider your niche. Think about how can you fit the PD topic on the agenda into your niche. Are you great at delivering mini lessons?  Structure it as a mini lesson with a connection, teach point, active engagement, and link.  Are you particularly talented in leading conversations?  Make it a conversational session and provide talking points on the topic.  Perhaps you love ice breakers and team-building activities.  Incorporate these into your PD.  Chair Tag, Count to Ten, or Edu-Charades are a few that come to mind.  Is technology your jam??  Have some go-to tech tools with which you're familiar and enjoy using.  After all, your participants most likely will all have devices on hand.  Some easy and quick-to-use favorites are Mentimeter, Jamboard, and Padlet.  Regardless of the topic for the PD session you're leading, find your niche and use it to your advantage.
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"A" is for Analyzing Your Audience

Get in the mainframe of your audience and find ways to capture their attention with a matching narrative.  We are all naturally drawn to stories and their metaphorical and analogical nature.  When a presenter uses a story to match, in one way or another, our situations, we are more likely to engage in the presentation, be more receptive to the message, and hold on to the information for a longer period of time.  But before you throw any old story out there, you first have to analyze your audience and the PD topic.  My suggestion is to have a running list of personal stories (that may be yours or borrowed) on your handy-dandy phone.  Sift through them and think about what story might make for a great analogy to the topic at hand.  

Here's an example:  

• PD Topic:  Class Management during Whole Group Lessons
• Personal Story:  "I'll never forget my last year teaching first graders.  I loved my job.  I loved the kids.  But I had my hands completely full and although I had been teaching for 10 years, I felt like I just wasn't doing things right.  There was one day that the students met me at the rug after independent reading.  As we sat there in a large circle, I attempted to teach... but nothing came out of my mouth.  I simply started looking around the circle.  At least three kids were laid out on the floor, two were sitting like frogs on their feet, one was making spit bubbles and wiping them away with the back of his hand, several others were making as many random noises as possible.  A teacher friend sat with us on the rug and I glanced at her smiling face and, with crocodile tears begging to spill from my eyes, said, "I can't."  Then I left the room while she so graciously took over."
• As Stored in My Phone:  "The time I couldn't handle first grade anymore"

Does that story fit every PD topic?  Absolutely not.  But I have several other stories logged in my Notes app that hopefully do fit each PD topic I present.
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"P" is for Participants as Presenters

Make the teachers (or your audience) the presenters.  I can't lie... this is something I turn to quite often, but what a great thing to turn to!  Chances are that, a lot of the time, your audience can come up with so many great thoughts and ideas that you hadn't even considered in relation to your topic.  Allow for opportunities for your audience to collaborate and then present their findings.  In order for this to work well, you WILL need a broad agenda mapped out in your mind.  This could be mapped out in the form of questions the audience will consider, talking points you want them to discuss, or action steps to take collaboratively.  Using "structures", as mentioned above, can support this method of delivery as well.  What's great about this method is that your audience will feel empowered as they take ownership of the material!
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Next time you’re in a pinch for PD, try these suggestions so you’re ready for PD in a snap!