School assembly talk
A ten-minute assembly for teachers, principals or student leaders: a hook, a theme like kindness or resilience, a story, a challenge for the week and notices.
Presentation9 cardsAbout 60 min to speakAdvancedWork
Staff professional development workshop
Facilitator cards for a one-hour staff PD session: why it matters, a current-practice reflection, the strategy, modelling, planning time, sharing and follow-up.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Welcome and purpose (5 min)
Thank you all. I know time is precious, so this hour will be practical. You'll leave with [something ready to use in your next lesson / a plan].
Today's focus: [strategy or topic].
- 2
Why this, why now
We chose this because [what you've noticed in school: student work, feedback, a whole-school goal].
[If useful: research or guidance behind it, summarised honestly, with a source on the handout.]
- 3
Reflect on current practice (8 min)
In pairs: [e.g. "How do you currently check understanding mid-lesson?"]
Note one thing that works and one frustration on a sticky note.
- 4
The strategy (10 min)
- What it is: [plain description]
- Why it works: [mechanism in one sentence]
- What it isn't: [common misunderstanding]
- 5
Model it (8 min)
I'll teach you a short piece using the strategy. You are the students for five minutes.
Then: what did you notice I did? What did it feel like as a learner?
- 6
Plan it (15 min)
Work with [department / year team / a partner]. Choose a lesson next week and plan where you'll use it.
Planning template on [handout / shared drive].
- 7
Adapting for your context
- Primary or early years: [simpler version]
- Secondary or senior years: [subject example]
- Students with additional needs: [adjustment]
Which one is closest to your class?
- 8
Share and troubleshoot (8 min)
Two or three groups share their plan. What might go wrong? How would you adapt it for [younger students / a large class / students with additional needs]?
- 9
Commit and follow up (5 min)
Write on your card: I will try [strategy] with [class] on [day].
Follow-up: [peer visit, short check-in at the next staff meeting, shared folder of examples].
Feedback: [form or QR code]. Thank you.
How to use this template
This template is for teachers, instructional coaches, heads of department and school leaders who run a staff professional development workshop, inset day session or CPD meeting. Staff learn the same way students do: they need a clear purpose, a chance to reflect on what they already do, a concise explanation, to see the strategy modelled, time to plan it for their own classes and a follow-up that makes it stick. The cards follow that path across about an hour, with timings in each title. Fill the brackets with your chosen strategy, school context and follow-up plan. The cards suit any focus, from questioning and feedback to behaviour, literacy, inclusion or using new technology. A card on adapting the strategy helps colleagues across year levels and subjects see how it fits their own students.
Tips
- Respect expertise in the room: invite experienced staff to share examples rather than presenting yourself as the only expert.
- Spend at least a quarter of the time on planning; staff value leaving with something they can use next week.
- Summarise any research honestly and cite the source on the handout; avoid overstating what it proves.
- Model the strategy rather than describing it, and keep the modelled lesson short.
- Agree a specific follow-up date before people leave, or the session is likely to be forgotten by the next busy week.
- Collect anonymous feedback and share back what you will change next time.
Make it fit
- For a 30-minute staff meeting slot, keep the purpose, the strategy, a short model and the commitment card.
- For a whole-day inset, repeat the cycle for two or three strategies and add longer planning time with departments.
- For an online session, use breakout rooms for reflection and planning, and a shared document for the commitments.
- For support staff, teaching assistants or a mixed group, choose examples that fit everyone's role in the classroom.
- For a session led by an outside trainer, add a card introducing them and linking the topic to school priorities.
Updated October 28, 2026