Online Professional Development

Professional Development

Throughout the year we offer in-person workshops in Helena and across the state including summer workshops and our annual fall history conference. OPI Renewal Units are always available.

Learn more about our annual history conference.

Social Studies Second Tuesdays

Join us for online PDs on the Second Tuesdays of the month from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. These mostly teacher-led sessions will provide practical strategies and resources to help your social studies lessons shine. Earn one OPI Renewal Unit per session or six for the series.

October 8: Teaching Current Events, with Dylan Huisken

2019 Montana Teacher of the Year and MTHS Teacher Leader in History Dylan Huisken (7th-8th grade, Bonner), will lead this session on how teaching current events and engaging students in civic education while avoiding the pitfalls of partisan politics. Register.

November 12: Teaching with Maps

MTHS Teacher Leaders in History Jennifer Hall (7th-8th grade, Eureka) and Hali Richmond (4th grade, Sunburst) will share lessons and strategies for teaching with maps. Register.

January 14: Teaching Montana's Chinese History, with Mark Johnson

Author of Middle Kingdom under the Big Sky and Associate Clinical Professor at Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education Mark Johnson will explain why it's important to include the history of Chinese immigration in your curriculum and introduce new lessons for teaching about the Chinese in Montana. Register.

February 11: Teaching with Historic Places, with Ron Buck and Jennifer Hall

MTHS Teacher Leaders in History Ron Buck (7th-12th grade, Shelby) and Jennifer Hall (7th-8th grade, Eureka) will talk about how to make field trips meaningful and why to incorporate place-based education into your school year. Register.

March 11: Engaging with Your Local Museum, with April Wills

Museums are great for field trips, but they can be so much more for your students. Join MTHS Teacher Leaders in History and Montana Heritage Project alum April Wills (4th grade, Culbertson) to learn about ways museum-school partnerships can enrich your students' learning, from providing opportunities to conduct local history research to offering authentic audiences for student work. Register.

April 8: Teaching Thematically, with Cynthia Wilondek

Textbooks are generally organized chronologically, but is that the best way to organize your class? MTHS Teacher Leaders in History Cynthia Wilondek (9th-12th grade, Big Fork) will discuss the benefits and strategies of teaching social studies with themes rather than following a timeline. Register.

2023-24 Online Professional Development for Educators

Montana: Stories of the Land

Companion Website and Teacher’s Guide Professional Development Training Part 1 and Part 2

(One OPI renewal credit)

This one-hour training will introduce you to resources designed to enrich your Montana history class. Part 1 focuses on lesson plans available through our Educator Resources page. Part 2 focuses on resources available through the Montana: Stories of the Land Companion Website. You will need to take both parts (the training is broken into two parts to reduce the file size). At the end of the training, there is an opportunity to take a brief quiz. Those completing it successfully will be eligible to receive one OPI Renewal Unit. Click here for Part 1. Click here for Part 2 and the quiz.

Previously Recorded

Montana History in 9 Easy Lessons (One Renewal Unit per presentation, with a possible total of 9 if you take the whole course.)

Montana Historical Society staff members and other subject matter experts explored the last twelve thousand years of Montana history. Their presentations were recorded and are now available on YouTube Click here for a full schedule and links to the recordings.

Montana History in 9 MORE Easy Lessons (One Renewal Unit per presentation, with a possible total of 9 if you take the whole course.)

Montana Historical Society staff members and other subject matter experts explored the last twelve thousand years of Montana history in another series of nine lectures. Their presentations were recorded and are now available on YouTube Click here for a full schedule and links to the recordings.

The Constitution at 50 Speaker Series (One Renewal Unit per presentation, with a possible total of 4 if you take the whole course.)

The year 2022 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Montana State Constitution. In recognition of this anniversary, the Montana Historical Society hosted a speaker series, examining the history, legacy, and impact of the 1972 Montana State Constitution. All presentations are available on the MHS YouTube Channel. After watching the recording, educators are invited to take a quiz to earn a renewal unit. Find links to the presentations here.

Looking for Professional Development for your school or district?

We can help through our Teacher Leaders in Montana History program! MHS Teacher Leaders are available to present at in-school or in-district PIR trainings.