One Minute Teaching

One small communication habit that can be very helpful for teachers is using scheduled emails. Teachers send a lot of messages.  Course reminders, assignment instructions, follow ups, announcements, check ins, and replies to student questions. Scheduling emails can help us communicate at the right time instead of only when we happen to remember. For example, a teacher might schedule an assignment reminder to go out two days before the due date.  They might schedule a Monday morning welcome message for a new module. They might even schedule a follow up after class with helpful resources while the lesson is still fresh. Scheduled emails can also help when responding to student questions. Sometimes, we do not need to reply immediately. A student may ask a question that they could answer by reviewing the instructions, checking the rubric, or thinking through the problem for a few more minutes. Giving them a little time can encourage independence and problem solving. But here is th...

One small thing that can make a big difference in a Zoom meeting is lighting. Not the camera. Not the background. The real secret to looking more professional on Zoom is getting as much light as possible directed toward you, not behind you. When the brightest light is behind you, your camera struggles. You can end up looking dark, shadowy, or washed out. But when light is coming toward your face, everything looks clearer, warmer, and more professional. A simple place to start is with the lights you already have. Turn on the big light in the room. Turn on the lamps. If it is daytime, open the drapes and let in as much natural sunlight as possible. You can also move lamps closer to you and place them at better angles. The goal is not to create a movie studio. The goal is to make sure your face is well lit and easy to see. Even better, consider using two small key lights placed in front of you at slight angles. They do not need to be expensive. I use low cost Neewer key lights fro...

A student-centric mindset is more than a teaching approach. It is a way of thinking that should shape decisions across the entire education system. At its core, a student centric mindset means asking one important question: How will this affect the student experience? That question should not only belong to teachers. It matters for everyone who works in education. Teachers, administrators, support staff, managers, and leaders all shape the way students experience learning. A teacher might show it by making instructions clearer, giving thoughtful feedback, or creating a classroom where students feel capable and supported. An administrator might show it by responding with patience, helping students navigate a process, or making sure communication is clear and timely. A leader might show it by designing policies, systems, and programs that consider what students actually need to succeed. That matters because students experience education as a whole system. They do not separate the ...

One simple teaching habit that can make PowerPoint lessons more effective is adding mini checkpoint questions throughout the presentation. Every four or five slides, a teacher can pause and ask three or four short, straightforward questions about the concepts that were just covered. Nothing complicated. Just a quick chance for students to recall, respond, and reset their attention. That can make a big difference. When students move through slide after slide without stopping, it is easy for the lesson to become passive. But a mini checkpoint changes that. It gives students a reason to stay mentally engaged because they know they may need to use what they just learned. It also helps the teacher. If students answer confidently, the lesson can keep moving. If they seem unsure, the teacher has a chance to clarify before the confusion builds. For example, after a few slides on project scope, a teacher might ask: What is scope? Why does clear scope matter? What can happen if scope is...

One communication idea that can help motivate and energize students is the yes set . The basic idea is simple.  You begin with a few easy questions or prompts that students are likely to agree with. That kind of small initial commitment fits with what persuasion research often calls consistency or the foot in the door effect, where a small early agreement can make later participation feel more natural. That can be helpful in teaching when it is used supportively, not manipulatively. For example, a teacher might begin class by saying,  “Can everyone see the example on the screen?” Yes.  “Does this look manageable if we take it one step at a time?” Yes.  “Are you willing to try the first part with me?” Yes. By the time the activity begins, students have already started moving in the direction of participation. What I like about yes sets is that they can shift the energy in the room. Instead of starting with hesitation, students start with agreement, movement, an...

One skill I think can be surprisingly helpful for teachers is learning a little basic HTML. You do not need to become a web developer. But knowing a few simple tags can make a big difference when working in an LMS. Have you ever clicked to edit a page and then noticed that not all of the content appears on the edit screen?  You know the part you want to change is there somewhere, but it seems to have disappeared. That can be frustrating. But if you click the code symbol in the toolbar and open the HTML view, you can usually find exactly what you are looking for there. Even better, you can press Ctrl + F to use the find feature, type in a word from the sentence you want to change, and the matching section will appear right away in the code. It can also help when the LMS editor does not display things the way you want. Have you ever added an image to a course announcement and noticed that the text wrapping around the image is way too close to it, making the whole thing look strange ...

One teaching learning theory that I keep coming back to is connectivism. Connectivism is the idea that learning does not happen only through direct instruction. It also happens through connections with other people, digital spaces, and networks of shared knowledge.  It reminds us that students do not only learn from us. They also learn from one another. Because of that, teachers can encourage students to build their own peer networks outside of class. For example, students in a Health Insurance program might create their own WhatsApp group where they can ask questions, remind one another about deadlines, share study tips, and support each other as they move through the program. That kind of student-led space can be powerful. When students explain ideas to one another, solve small problems together, and stay connected outside of formal class time, learning becomes more continuous and more collaborative. It also helps students feel that they are part of a learning community, no...

One small shortcut that can make a big difference for teachers is Alt Tab . It is easy to overlook because it seems so simple, but being able to switch quickly between open windows can make teaching feel much smoother. A teacher might move between slides, attendance, an LMS page, a spreadsheet, a rubric, and a video all within the same class.  Alt Tab helps make those transitions faster and less awkward. That matters more than it may seem. For example, if a teacher is presenting in PowerPoint slide show view and wants to show a YouTube video or another resource, the usual habit might be to press Esc , exit the slide show, and then use the mouse to hunt around for the right window.  That can interrupt the rhythm of the lesson.  But if the teacher is prepared and uses Alt Tab , they can move much more quickly between the presentation and the other open resource. The transition feels smoother and more intentional. It can also help teachers feel more confident. Instead o...

One tool that can be surprisingly helpful for teachers is uploading screenshots to ChatGPT. Sometimes a screenshot is clearer than a long explanation.  A teacher can upload a screenshot of a rubric, a slide, a discussion prompt, a Brightspace page, or even a spreadsheet and ask for help improving clarity, organization, or wording. It can also be very useful when a teacher is working in a digital tool and is not quite sure how to complete a task. For example, a teacher might be working in their LMS, Excel, or gamification platform and feel stuck on a setting, layout, or feature. Instead of trying to describe the whole screen in words, the teacher can upload a screenshot to ChatGPT and ask, “How do I do this?”  That can make the help much more specific and much easier to follow. To take a screenshot on a Windows computer, you can use the Snipping Tool by pressing  Windows + Shift + S on your keyboard. What I like most about screenshots is that they reduce guessing. Som...

One communication method I keep coming back to is the Point Evidence Impact model. I like it because it gives teachers a simple way to explain ideas clearly and persuasively. The model is a way to structure each main idea: first make your point, then support it with evidence, and finally explain the impact on the audience or bigger picture. That is helpful in teaching because students do not just need information. They need to understand why it matters. For example, in a project management class, a teacher might say, “Clear scope helps prevent project failure.” That is the point . Then the teacher might give evidence by sharing a case where a project went off track because expectations were not clearly defined. Finally, the teacher explains the impact : when scope is unclear, time, cost, and team alignment can all suffer. Now the concept feels more real and more important. What I like most about this method is that it keeps a lesson from becoming flat. Instead of simply stating ideas, ...

Hello, I hope this message finds you well. One small email habit that can make a big difference for teachers is using a send delay. Teachers send a lot of email. Messages to students, colleagues, administrators, and sometimes parents.  When things are busy, it is easy to hit send too quickly. A send delay gives you a short buffer to catch a typo, notice a missing attachment, rethink your tone, or realize you sent the message to the wrong person.  Gmail’s built in Undo Send can be set for 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds, and Outlook also offers ways to delay or schedule messages. That small pause can save a lot of stress. In Gmail , go to Settings , then See all settings , then under Undo Send choose a send cancellation period and save your changes. You can choose 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds. In the new Outlook desktop app , go to the gear icon , then Mail , then Compose and reply , then Undo send . Sometimes, the smartest email you send is the one you pause before sending. Warm R...

One model that can be especially helpful for new teachers is the ROPES method. ROPES stands for Review, Overview, Presentation, Exercise, and Summary . What I like about ROPES is that it gives a lesson a clear rhythm. That can be very helpful when you are new to teaching. Sometimes the hardest part is not knowing what should happen next. ROPES gives you a sequence to follow, which can make planning feel less overwhelming and teaching feel more intentional. For example, in a project management class, a teacher might begin by reviewing key concepts discussed in last week’s class, such as scope, stakeholders, or project goals. That is the Review .  Then the teacher lists the learning outcomes for the class that day so students know what they are expected to learn. That is the Overview . Next comes the Presentation and Exercise . One effective way to use these two parts is not to treat them as one long lecture followed by one long activity. Instead, the teacher can break them into...

One teaching idea I keep coming back to is constructivism. Constructivism is a learning theory that says students build knowledge actively rather than simply receiving it passively. In other words, learners make sense of new information by connecting it to what they already know, have experienced, and believe. It means learning becomes stronger when students are actively involved. Instead of only listening, they discuss, question, apply, reflect, and make meaning. The teacher is still very important, but the role shifts from simply delivering information to helping guide the learning process. For example, in a project management class, instead of only explaining what a work breakdown structure is through slides, a teacher could give students a project scenario and ask them to build part of the structure themselves in groups.  A teacher might help a student connect this new task to something they already know, such as organizing steps for planning an event, completing a group pro...

Image source: WWE YouTube video of the WrestleMania III match between Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat. We can learn a lot from Macho Man Randy Savage. One of the best examples comes from WrestleMania III, when Savage faced Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship. Steamboat won the match, but that is not the main reason people still talk about it. What people remember is how the match felt. WWE has described it as the bout that stole the show, and ESPN noted it is widely considered one of the greatest matches of all time. The most memorable moments are not always the ones where everything ends in victory. They are often the ones that create emotion. Tension. Energy. Drama. Excitement. Savage and Steamboat made people feel something, and that is why the match still matters decades later. Teaching is not so different. Students may forget a specific slide or definition, but they often remember how a class made them feel. Did they feel capable? Supported? Cur...

One classroom activity I keep coming back to is the gallery walk. A gallery walk is a group activity where students work together to create a response to a question, problem, or task, usually on chart paper or a shared document, and then move around the room to view and discuss the work of other groups. In a project management class, for example, groups might create part of a work breakdown structure, identify project risks, or suggest stakeholder strategies. As students move around the room and engage with the work, the lesson becomes more interactive and more memorable. What I like most about the gallery walk is that it changes the energy of the class. Students are not just sitting and listening. They are creating, moving, discussing, and learning from one another. They get to compare approaches, notice differences, ask questions, and see that there is often more than one strong way to think about a problem. It can also be a very empowering activity. A student who might not say ...

Image source: Back to the Future trailer. One storytelling technique I really like is the time lock. In Back to the Future , Marty McFly travels from the 1980s back to the 1950s and gets stuck there. To return to his own time, everything depends on one critical moment.  A lightning bolt striking the Hill Valley clock tower at exactly 10:04 p.m. That fixed moment creates tension and anticipation. As the time gets closer, the audience keeps wondering what will happen. Will Marty make it back? Will something go wrong? We keep watching because the clock is always in the background. Teachers can use this too. Imagine telling your class, At exactly 2:35 p.m. today, we are going to learn a skill that can make a real difference in your future career. Right away, students have something to look forward to. As the lesson unfolds, you can build that anticipation by saying things like,  “What we are discussing right now will matter at 2:35,” or  “When 2:35 arrives, this will a...

Image source: trailer for Enter the Dragon . Bruce Lee once said,  “I fear not the fighter who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the fighter who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” I think that idea connects really well to teaching. As educators, it is easy to feel like we always need to add more. More tools, more strategies, more activities, more technology. There is always something new to try. But sometimes real growth does not come from constantly adding. Sometimes it comes from returning to one strong practice again and again until it becomes part of who we are as teachers. A teacher who uses one effective technique consistently can make a huge impact. Maybe one of those techniques is Keller’s ARCS model . Instead of jumping from one motivational idea to the next, we might focus on practicing the same four things over and over. Capturing attention, building relevance, supporting confidence, and creating satisfaction. The more intentionally we practice that, the...

Image source: Paramount, Raiders of the Lost Ark  trailer. One teaching model I keep coming back to is Keller’s ARCS model. I like it because it is simple, practical, and focused on something every teacher thinks about. Motivation. ARCS stands for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction . First, you need to capture  attention . Students have to lean in before real learning can begin. For example, in a business class, you might open with a question like, “Why do some great products still fail?”  A good question can wake up the room right away. Then comes relevance . Students want to know why something matters. In an Excel class, I might explain that spreadsheets are used in offices, businesses, and organizations every day.  When students see a connection to real life, the lesson starts to feel more worthwhile. Next is confidence . If a task feels too big too quickly, students can shut down. Instead of giving a full spreadsheet project right away, I migh...

Image source: Netflix, The Queen’s Gambit trailer. One of my favorite storytelling techniques is the flashforward opening, where right at the beginning of a story, you see a quick scene from much later on. Then the story goes back to the start. It creates instant curiosity. Netflix drama The Queen’s Gambit does this brilliantly in the very first scene of the series.  Beth Harmon wakes up in a chaotic Paris hotel room and hastily stumbles into the lobby for a major chess match. Then the story cuts back to her childhood. Right away, you want to know how she got there. Teachers can use this too. On the very first day of an Excel class, I show students a polished spreadsheet with formulas, formatting, charts, and organized data. The questions start immediately. How did you make that chart? What formula is that? How did you highlight those cells automatically? I tell them we are going to answer all of those questions throughout the course. Then I close the finished file, open a blank s...