The PD Cafe: Wellness and Growth
A PD activity where staff choose a quick reset to an ongoing habit each week.
15-20 min
The PD Cafe: Instructional Practices
An activity to develop professional development ideas for teachers.
Jen Coenen
A menu-style professional development activity where staff pick their own growth path: a quick appetizer, a bigger entrée, or an ongoing dessert habit. Everyone works at their own pace and reflects along the way.
Why try it
Give staff the flexibility to choose professional learning that fits their goals, interests, and schedule. A menu of learning options—from quick wins to bigger commitments and ongoing habits—makes it easy for everyone to find a starting point that works for them. Built-in reflection encourages staff to celebrate their learning and continue growing long after the activity ends.
What's included
Browse the printables included with this resource.
Instructions
1
Print the menu and reflection cards
Print a Learning Menu, a Reflections & Refills card, a Learning Bites card, and a Thoughts & Takeaways card for each staff member.
2
Introduce the menu
Share the Instructional Practices menu, explaining the three categories: Appetizers (10-20 minutes), Entrées (1-2 hours), and Dessert (ongoing).
3
Let staff choose
Give staff time to pick one item from each course, or just one item total if time is limited, and record their choices on the Learning Menu.
4
Try it and reflect
Set a timeline for staff to complete their chosen activities, then have them fill out one of the reflection cards afterward.
Activity variations
Adapt to fit your school's vibe, budget, and setting.
Department menus
Build a separate menu for each department or grade level so the options feel relevant to their specific content area.
Buddy system
Pair staff up to try an entrée-level activity together, like co-planning a lesson or watching each other teach.
Full-staff tasting
Turn a staff meeting into a "PD tasting," with staff rotating through short stations to sample a few appetizer-level ideas.
Go deeper
Additional tips for running this resource.
Leader Tip #1
Offer a real choice
Offer a variety of options within each course so staff can choose the learning experiences that best match their interests and goals.
Leader Tip #2
Build in check-in time
Set aside a few minutes at an upcoming staff meeting for staff to share what they tried and what they learned.
Leader Tip #3
Keep the menu fresh
Update a few appetizer, entrée, and dessert options each semester to keep the menu fresh and give staff new learning opportunities to choose from.
Built by Educators, for School Leaders
This resource was created in collaboration with passionate educators and school leaders who believe in the power of intentional connection.
Jen Coenen
Instructional Coach
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