Rethinking Teacher Professional Development: The Need for Strategic, Relevant Support
The state of teacher professional development (PD) in many schools today is one of frustration and inefficiency. Despite the immense investments (over $1 billion annually in the U.S.), most of the professional development that teachers experience falls short of delivering meaningful, lasting impact. The typical offerings, including one-day workshops, conference attendance, and low-impact projects like book clubs, fail to address the unique needs of individual educators, let alone the specific challenges posed by their classrooms or schools. The result is that teachers often leave these sessions with little to show for it, unable to apply what they’ve learned in their day-to-day teaching practice. And the worst part of all is that we’ve known all of this for years but have done nothing about it. We haven’t been investing in a solution; we have been throwing money at a problem.
At the heart of the issue lies a mismatch between the professional development that is provided and the real-world needs of teachers. Too often, PD is generic, pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all sessions that don't account for the specific contexts in which teachers work. Teachers may return to their classrooms inspired, but the evidence shows that they rarely return to their classrooms ready to apply what they’ve learned; the disconnect between the PD content and their teaching environment ultimately prevents meaningful change. PD efforts are sometimes so poorly designed that they exacerbate teacher burnout, a growing concern for an already strained educator pipeline.
The Disconnect Between PD and Teacher Needs
Research shows that the kinds of PD that are most prevalent - isolated, short-term experiences - are among the least effective. These sessions rarely allow for the application of new skills or provide an environment for sustained learning. When teachers are not given opportunities to practice and integrate new strategies into their work, the effects of those trainings are short-lived. This is not only a waste of time and resources but also contributes to a lack of motivation among teachers who feel they are not receiving the support they need to grow and thrive in their profession. When teachers request support, and the type of support offered doesn’t reflect their needs, frustration and cynicism grow.
This challenge is compounded by a broader issue in education: the decreasing retention of skilled teachers. The educator pipeline is under tremendous strain, with many teachers leaving the profession within the first five years of their careers, citing burnout, lack of support, and an overwhelming workload as key factors. We have tried to address teacher shortages by scaling shortcut licensing programs, but this has only filled schools with lesser-qualified teachers who need more support. We are seeing an increasing number of effective veteran teachers leaving the classroom for good, and one of the growing reasons cited is their frustration with their underprepared colleagues. One of the primary ways we can combat this trend is by providing more targeted, relevant, and ongoing professional development that addresses the needs of teachers and helps them feel empowered and supported in their work.
Supporting Teachers Through Strategic, Relevant PD
The question is not whether we can invest in professional development; it's about how we can do so in a way that is smarter, more efficient, and more impactful. We need to rethink our approach to PD, focusing on long-term, context-specific support rather than quick-fix, one-off training sessions.
A strategic, well-crafted PD approach should be designed with the following key principles:
Contextual Relevance: PD should account for the unique needs of teachers, their students, and the school community. Whether teachers are working in urban, suburban, or rural schools, PD should be tailored to address their specific challenges and goals. Start by surveying your teachers to ascertain the topics that are of interest to them.
Ongoing Support and Application: Teachers need opportunities to not only learn new strategies but also to apply them in real-time, with access to coaching and peer feedback. Sustained, hands-on support ensures that new practices are integrated into daily teaching routines. Schools and districts should ensure that PD is not a one-and-done, and they should also assign anticipated outcomes to PD sessions, so that effectiveness can be evaluated.
Peer Collaboration and Networks: Effective PD can benefit from creating networks of teachers who can learn from one another, even across district lines. Teacher collaboration fosters shared expertise, which builds local capacity and strengthens the entire school community. Teachers can exchange strategies, discuss challenges, and provide each other with much-needed support. Schools and districts can encourage cross-district collaboration and build networks where skilled professionals can collaborate.
Leveraging Technology: Today’s technological advancements present an opportunity to transform how PD is delivered. Online learning platforms, virtual workshops, and digital coaching can make PD more flexible, personalized, and scalable. Technology can also support communities of practice that extend beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for teachers to engage with one another, regardless of geographic barriers.
Teacher Leadership Models: One powerful strategy for increasing local capacity is leveraging teacher leadership models. These models identify highly effective teachers and provide them with additional responsibilities, such as mentoring new teachers or leading professional learning communities (PLCs). By investing in teachers who are already demonstrating success, schools can not only retain talented educators but also create a culture of collaboration and shared expertise.
The Impact of Inadequate Support on Teacher Retention
When teachers do not feel supported by their PD experiences, the result is often burnout. This, in turn, leads to higher attrition rates, further exacerbating the teacher shortage. Teachers who are not given the tools, resources, or opportunities to continue growing in their profession are more likely to leave, or worse, become disengaged and ineffective.
The cost of losing experienced teachers goes far beyond recruitment and training expenses. A revolving door of new teachers disrupts school culture and negatively impacts student outcomes. In addition, the status of the profession suffers when there is a lack of stability in the educator workforce. To truly make a difference, we must recognize that teacher support and retention are not just about offering occasional PD sessions but about creating a supportive, collaborative, and engaging culture where teachers feel valued and equipped to succeed.
One minor way in which we can transform our approach to teacher PD is to redefine the anticipated outcomes of investment. Too often, the effectiveness of PD is judged by attendance, or the length of a waiting list to attend a session. This is a case of mistaking and output for an outcome / impact. High attendance is great, but it does not address the ultimate goal we hope to accomplish by providing PD: improving instructional effectiveness. High attendance simply shows popularity of a session, at best (it may also be a sign of scarcity of options), so lacking any evidence of behavior or attitude change, attendance only justifies the size of the room in which the session occurred. Instead, PD providers should be expected to demonstrate change and improvement.
The Role of Cultural Institutions in Teacher Professional Development
An often-overlooked but powerful source of professional learning exists outside the school system: local cultural institutions. Museums, science centers, theaters, libraries, and community-based cultural organizations have long been experts in informal education. They are uniquely positioned to help fill the gaps left by traditional PD models, offering practical, creative, and experiential strategies that classroom educators can adapt to their own settings.
Cultural institutions can help teachers learn to:
Design hands-on, inquiry-based lessons
Educators in museums and science centers are often trained in designing tactile, open-ended experiences. These skills are directly translatable to classrooms seeking to implement project-based learning or STEM exploration.Use artifacts and primary sources to launch deep learning
Historical societies, art museums, and archives can model how physical artifacts and original materials can serve as powerful entry points for multidisciplinary units.Engage diverse learners through storytelling and performance
Theaters and cultural centers regularly engage wide audiences using narrative, drama, and movement—methods that can be particularly helpful in reaching students who learn differently.Connect learning to community and place
Cultural institutions often excel at grounding learning in local history, geography, and culture—tools that help make content more relevant and meaningful for students.
By offering PD to teachers, cultural institutions can not only meet a real community need but also form stronger, more sustained partnerships with schools. These partnerships can lead to co-created curriculum, field experiences that are deeply integrated into classroom instruction, and even shared spaces for learning. It’s a win-win: teachers benefit from fresh perspectives and new tools, and institutions deepen their educational mission and visibility in the community.
With most PD providers focusing on output over outcomes, cultural institutions have an opportunity to take a leadership position in education by designing PD experiences that provide built-in evidence of effectiveness. If a cultural institution can demonstrate that their PD offerings lead to sustainable change, additional opportunities to offer sessions that align with local needs will follow.
How HB3 Can Help
At HB3 Consulting and Advisory, I understand that professional development must be purposeful, strategic, and context-driven. My approach to PD systems is designed to understand and address the unique needs of teachers, schools, and districts by offering customized, ongoing support that is deeply rooted in the real-world challenges educators face.
I have experience designing and offering original PD sessions for teachers, and I have also evaluated the effectiveness of large, systemwide PD programs. I specialize in creating tailored PD programs that align with both the individual goals of educators and the broader objectives of schools and districts. By integrating research and technology, leveraging teacher leadership, and fostering collaborative networks, I can help you ensure that your PD has a lasting impact and is more than just a one-time event. I can also analyze your existing PD programs to see if they are reaching their intended audience and realizing their potential.
I can help you develop and implement a professional development plan that supports your educators in a way that is both cost-effective and highly impactful. Whether through individualized coaching, facilitated learning communities, or tailored training sessions, I provide the tools and support that will help your teachers thrive, ultimately improving teacher retention and student outcomes.
Conclusion
The teaching profession is under immense strain, but shortcut strategies and off-the-shelf solutions are not the answer. With a strategic and thoughtful approach to professional development, we can begin to address some of the challenges that are contributing to teacher burnout and attrition. By prioritizing relevant, ongoing, and collaborative support, we can empower teachers, boost morale, and create a more sustainable pipeline of educators.
At HB3 Consulting and Advisory, I’m committed to helping schools and districts build stronger, more resilient teaching communities through high-quality, context-driven professional development. Together, we can create a brighter future for teachers and for the students they serve.
