The world has spoken, and it has chosen short-form video as the format of choice. The format of engagement. So I have a question for you: why isn’t there more short-form style video in formal education environments?
TikTok. Instagram Reels. YouTube Shorts. Short-form video isn’t the only thing in your students’ scroll, but it’s the bulk of it. It’s where much of their attention goes, where their humor comes from, and honestly, where a lot of their learning already happens, whether we like it or not.
So if that’s where their attention already is, why aren’t we meeting them there?
Coincidence? I Think Not.
If you’ve read my post on what the research says about teacher created videos, you know the research points to a sweet spot of 30 seconds to 3 minutes for video engagement. Learners of every age lose engagement after about the 3 minute mark.
Sound familiar? That’s the exact length of the short-form videos our students are consuming every single day.
The online platforms figured out what the research already knew. Short-form video works. And that means the scroll is not just a distraction machine. It is a free, endless masterclass in student engagement.
We just have to study it.
Spend Some Time in the Scroll (Yes, Really)
Here’s your professional development assignment, and I promise it’s the most fun PD you’ll do all year: spend some intentional time in the scroll.
Not to doom scroll. To analyze. (New to the idea of doom scrolling vs. productive scrolling? Start here.)
Why do we choose to spend time scrolling? What makes these videos so watchable? Next time you’re watching short-form video, put on your educator hat and study two things:
- Analyze the delivery. How do creators talk? They’re enthusiastic, casual, and authentic. They hook you in the first three seconds. People don’t want perfection; they want authenticity.
- Analyze the video production. What’s actually happening on screen? Movement. Constant movement. Camera angle changes, zooms, text popping on screen, GIFs, sound effects, speed-ups. That movement is a huge part of what holds attention.
Important: It’s Not About the Content
Here’s the thing that took me way too long to realize, and it changed how I think about video entirely:
It is not the content of the video. What social media has taught me is that people will literally watch anything.
Someone power-washing a driveway. A stranger organizing a pantry. A guy rating gas station snacks. Millions of views.
Nobody woke up that morning desperate to learn about driveway cleaning. The content didn’t earn that attention. The delivery and the video production did.
This should be incredibly freeing for educators. Someone got 4 million views folding towels. If people will watch literally anything when it’s delivered well, then your math lesson, your lab safety instructions, your grammar mini-lesson can absolutely hold attention too. Bringing short-form video in the classroom is not about changing what you teach. It’s about borrowing the delivery and small production techniques that make the scroll so sticky.
Steal Like a Scroller: Create Movement in Your Teacher Created Videos
Of all the production techniques you’ll notice in the scroll, the biggest one is movement. Short-form video almost never sits still. Something is always changing on screen: the camera angle, the zoom, the text, the music.
You don’t need to dance. You don’t need trending audio. But a well-placed GIF or audio clip? Those are easy, and they work.
And here’s the bonus: many of these techniques don’t even require editing anymore. Both iOS and Android phones now have a pause button built into the native camera app, which means you can change camera angles or backgrounds mid-video just by pausing and moving. Instant movement, zero editing.
Ready to Play? Lights, Camera, BINGO!
I realize the idea of adding “movement” to video is quite ambiguous. Therefore, to make this practical (and fun), I was inspired by GreenScreenGal’s video creation menu. I created a bingo board full of short-form video techniques you can steal for your own teacher created videos: camera angles, zooming in and out, voiceovers, on-screen text, music, sound effects, showing your personality, and more.
Play along here: Lights, Camera, BINGO! Level Up Your Teacher Videos
Pick one square. Try it in your next video. Work your way to a full row (not a blackout!). Your videos will become more engaging, and you’ll build your video skills one small strategy at a time.
Why Short-Form Video in the Classroom Matters Beyond Engagement
One more thing. When you create short-form style videos for your students, you’re not just competing for their attention. As I shared in my post on modeling healthy screen time, showing up in their scroll is triple duty: you extend the teacher-student relationship beyond class time, you teach through a medium they already engage with, and you put a living example of good screen time directly into their hands.
Every video you create is one more piece of evidence that the scroll can contain content worth watching, made by an adult who cares about them.
My Challenge to You
Ready to bring short-form video in the classroom? Here’s your homework:
- Analyze the short-form video your students are consuming. Spend 15 intentional minutes in the scroll this week. Watch for delivery and production, not content. What can you take?
- Pick one bingo square. Just one technique. Try it in your next teacher created video.
- Learn out loud with me! Tag me or send me what you make. Bloopers welcome. Actually, bloopers encouraged.
Your students are already in the scroll.
Go catch them there.
