The pitfalls of Professional Development

Professional development (PD) is part and parcel of being a teacher. Ongoing professional learning aims to enhance teacher practice and ultimately improve student outcomes. It is seen as such an integral part of teaching that it is mandatory for me to complete at least 20 hours each year in order for me to maintain my teacher registration.

Of course, PD is essential. It upskills teachers, provides space for critical reflection, creates cohesion and can benefit our students. It is important for schools to allocate time, resources and expertise for positive PD.

Unfortunately, for the amount of time and money we spend on PD, a lot of it doesn't really have much impact. Too often it doesn't improve our practice, it doesn't provide us with new knowledge, and it fails to have an effect on our students.

​There are three things in particular that cause PD to be ineffective:

• Irrelevance
• Impracticality
• Isolation

Irrelevance

The first issue with PD is that it is often irrelevant to the participants' specific roles. How many times have you found yourself in a PD session, wondering why you were there in the first place? Imagine an art teacher sitting through a PD about the new science curriculum—while it may not be a poorly delivered session, its content doesn’t directly apply to their daily work. If the material doesn’t connect to our role, the potential for a positive impact is minimal. Schools need to carefully consider who should attend particular PD sessions. Our time as educators is incredibly valuable, and wasting it on irrelevant training can be frustrating and demoralizing.

There are also times when the PD might actually be relevant, but the participants don’t perceive it as such. When teachers believe a PD session doesn't apply to them, it leads to disengagement. This is why it's crucial to establish and communicate clear reasons why a teacher will benefit from attending any given PD. When we understand the purpose and how it connects to our role, we’re far more likely to engage meaningfully. Otherwise, the perception of irrelevance can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, where we go through the motions without taking anything away from the experience.
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Even if the content is relevant, the timing of the PD can greatly affect its effectiveness. For example, a workshop on establishing classroom routines will be far more impactful if held at the start of the school year rather than during Term 4. By then, routines are already set (or not), and the opportunity to implement the strategies is minimal. In this case, the PD may be excellent in terms of content, but its impact is diminished because it wasn’t offered when teachers needed it most. Thoughtful timing is as essential as relevant content in maximizing the benefits of PD, otherwise it can render it irrelevant.
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Impracticality

PD often fails when it fails to provide teachers with practical, actionable strategies that we can immediately implement in our classrooms. When PD focuses too much on theory and abstract concepts, with little consideration given to the day-to-day realities of teaching, we leave sessions with a lot of ideas but no clear understanding of how to apply them in their unique contexts. This disconnect between theory and practice means that the potential for lasting change in teaching practice is low.

Conversely, PD sessions sometimes overload us with too many new strategies at once, without providing sufficient follow-up support or time for reflection. Learning a new teaching method or tool takes time, and without the opportunity to practice, reflect, and refine it, it's unlikely to take last.  PD that delivers too much content all at once leaves us feeling overwhelmed and more likely to abandon the new strategies altogether.

In order to get this mix right, we need PD that offers teachers the opportunity to actively practice the techniques we are learning. Practicing new strategies during PD allows us to refine our approach, address challenges, and gain confidence before implementing them with students.It also gives us the opportunity to receive (kind) feedback from peers, before we get feedback from our students.
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Isolation

PD fails to be beneficial when it occurs in isolation, disconnected from the broader context of a our daily responsibilities and our school's overall objectives. When PD is treated as a standalone event, it becomes difficult for us to carry the new ideas back into our classrooms in any sustainable or impactful way. Without a sense of continuity, the knowledge or strategies gained during the session can feel abstract, leaving us unsure of how to effectively integrate them into our existing practices. This "one and done" approach to PD limits its long-term value and potential impact on student outcomes.

PD too often lacks the follow-up and support necessary for us to truly embed new learnings, skills, and techniques. Effective professional learning should be a continuous process, integrated into the school's culture, where teachers receive regular feedback and have opportunities to revisit and refine what they’ve learned. Without ongoing support, the new strategies introduced in PD risk being forgotten or half-heartedly implemented. By embedding PD into a culture of collaboration and sustained practice, schools can create an environment where professional growth is ongoing, and the benefits of PD extend well beyond the initial session.

​Overall, professional development is essential for ensuring that teachers remain effective, engaged, and empowered in their roles, ultimately benefiting their students and the education system as a whole.