Leading a PD Session on Cross-Curricular Teaching

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to lead a professional development session for 16 teachers at my school, Access International Academy Ningbo. When our principal asked me to run a PD session, I was happy to say yes — especially since the topic was something I’m passionate about: cross-curricular teaching.

Starting with the Blob Tree

To begin, I projected the Blob Tree — a simple but powerful visual filled with little characters in different positions on a tree. I asked teachers to choose which “blob” represented how they were feeling in that moment.

It was a fun, low-stakes icebreaker that set the tone for the session. More importantly, it gave me a quick read on the room’s energy and helped everyone ease in with a bit of laughter and honesty. It also subtly reminded us that all learners — even adults — need space to express themselves, reflect, and feel seen. A small gesture, but a meaningful one.

Making Creative Connections

Next, I gave each group of teachers a slide with a set of images — a chart, a seedling, a map, and a letter — and challenged them to design a learning activity that connected at least two of them. This quick creative task sparked some eye-opening cross-disciplinary ideas and helped everyone start thinking beyond their subject area.

We followed this with a quick brainstorming session: “What words come to mind when you think of cross-curricular teaching?” Ideas included: communication, collaboration, flexibility, creativity, respecting differences, and shared resources. This naturally led us into a deeper conversation around what cross-curricular teaching is and why it matters.

Sharing My Classroom Examples

To show that cross-curricular teaching doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming, I shared a few practical examples from my own classroom:

• 📘 The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: A collaboration between English and Social Studies, where students explored innovation, global inequality, and the power of education through literature and research.

• 🪨 Stone Age Dioramas: A project with the Art teacher where students built 3D models of early human settlements, combining historical learning with creative expression.

• 🎨🧠 Philosophy & Art Discussions: Students explored abstract questions like "What is truth?" by analyzing famous artworks, making interdisciplinary connections between philosophical inquiry and visual interpretation.

• 🌍 Earth Day Activities: A short activity where students researched on topics related to the environment and sustainability in preparation for a school-wide field trip.

Deepening the Conversation

After sharing examples, we moved into a Think–Pair–Share activity to reflect on three big questions:

1. How can connecting different subjects help students think more critically?

2. How might cross-curricular teaching increase student interest and motivation?

3. What challenges might teachers face when trying to teach across subjects, and how can we overcome them?

The discussion was rich and insightful — teachers brought up everything from scheduling constraints to the excitement of trying something new.

Mapping Content and Making Connections

Next, teachers filled out a simple table listing the key content they’re teaching over the next 7–8 weeks. Then they brainstormed in groups, sharing their plans and looking for natural overlaps or collaborative opportunities.

Through all these activities, I realized how much I enjoy leading PD sessions. It is the best form of professional development for me too — it challenges me to clearly communicate ideas, reflect on my own practice, and learn from the expertise of colleagues across different disciplines.

One highlight from the session was a conversation with our music teacher, who suggested we collaborate next year on an activity exploring music in ancient times — a great match for my Grade 6 unit on ancient civilizations.

These kinds of opportunities only arise when we open up channels of communication between departments, and I hope this session was a meaningful first step in that direction.

Most of all, I hope this PD was as valuable for my colleagues as it was for me!