The Problem(s) with Professional Development for Teachers

One of my worst days as a teacher was a professional development day. My district had a PD quota for teachers, and if you didn’t hit a certain number of hours during the school year, you had to make up the difference after school let out. 

One year, I was 8 hours behind, so I had to sit there for a full 8-hour day after the last day of school. For a teacher who knows she’s supposed to be on summer break, that’s just about the worst feeling in the world. 

You can guess how much I learned that day.  

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of teacher professional development — when it actually develops the teacher. But too often, like with my forced summer-school PD, it misses the mark. 

Below are 8 common problems with teacher professional development and how to fix them to ensure PD is useful, fresh, inspiring, and applicable in your teachers’ day-to-day lives.  

Problem #1: PD Feels Like Extra Work 

Teaching is such a demanding job. After lesson planning, grading, making resources, running clubs, and fielding phone calls and emails from parents (not to mention the actual time spent, you know, teaching), there’s little time left for anything “extra.” Even the best professional development can feel like a punishment if teachers aren’t given space in their schedule.  

Solution  

When you add professional development to a teacher’s workload, try to balance it by taking something else off their plate. Perhaps you could cover lunch or recess duty for a teacher to free up time for PD. Or, instead of holding PD before or after school, schedule it during an in-service day or swap out a less-productive staff meeting with a more meaningful development session.

Problem #2: Superficial Topics 

Sometimes the topics introduced during PD sessions sound promising but fail to go beyond surface-level information. I’ve left more than one PD session thinking, “I already knew all of this. I could have spent that time grading.” If teachers aren’t learning new strategies or concepts, these sessions become a waste of time.  

Solution  

PD planners should focus on depth rather than breadth. Try combining several smaller sessions into one deep-dive workshop that offers actionable takeaways. Teachers should leave with tangible strategies, tools, or lesson ideas they can implement in their classrooms the very next day.

Problem #3: Mismatched PD Assignments 

One of the most frustrating PD challenges is being forced to attend sessions that don’t align with your role or needs. As a Spanish teacher, my classroom culture tended to greatly differ from core-subject classrooms, and I often left PD sessions feeling frustrated and like I didn’t need to be there. Similarly, an experienced teacher might be required to sit through entry-level training and leave the session feeling disappointed that there was nothing new for them.  

Solution  

Ask your teachers! What do they want and need from professional development? What are their interests, challenges, and growth areas?  Tailoring sessions based on teacher feedback ensures your PD will be relevant, empowering, and valued by staff. Some of the best PD days my school offered were ones where the teachers could choose what sessions to attend, moving from one classroom to another as the day went on. Those mini sessions were offered on a wide array of topics and designed to be relevant for different teachers at different stages of their careers.

Problem #4: Lack of Interactive Learning  

Have you ever sat through a PD session on how to make learning more student-centered, only for the presenter to stand at the front of the room and lecture for hours? The irony isn’t lost on teachers who know firsthand that meaningful learning requires engagement and interaction. Most people learn best through hands-on experience, and that doesn’t just go for our students! 

Solution  

PD sessions should mirror classroom best practices. Just because teachers are grownups doesn’t mean they don’t love playing games to learn! Use hands-on activities, group discussions, role-playing, and other participatory strategies to ensure teachers are actively involved and applying what they learn. 

Problem #5: Over-Saturation 

Too much of a good thing can quickly become a bad thing. When schools bombard teachers with frequent PD sessions, it can breed frustration and resentment. If every few days there’s another workshop, webinar, or online training, teachers might start saying: “This could’ve been an email.”  

Solution  

Rethink quantity and spacing in your professional development. If you zoom in on high-quality, targeted, and impactful sessions, less is often more. Plus, you’re freeing up your teachers’ calendars to give them a better work-life balance, which, in turn, reduces their stress and makes them better teachers for their students. 

Problem #6: More Theory than Reality  

Sometimes PD can feel disconnected from the reality of teaching. Topics might be overly theoretical or designed more for optics than practical use. Have you ever left a PD session saying about the presenter, “You can tell they were never a teacher…”? For teachers juggling real-world challenges every single day, sessions like these can seem tone-deaf.  

Solution  

Hire practitioners with deep classroom experience to lead PD sessions. They’ll understand what works in real schools and real classrooms, making their guidance more valuable. Schools should also encourage teachers to bring examples of the challenges they’re facing to PD sessions to ensure the strategies being taught align directly with their day-to-day experiences.

Problem #7: Lack of Follow-Up 

Even the best PD sessions can fall short if there’s no follow-up. Often, teachers leave a great workshop excited to implement what they’ve learned — only to be left without ongoing guidance or resources. There were too many PD sessions I left saying, “That’s a great idea, but how do I do it?” 

Solution  

Professional development shouldn’t end when the session does. Schools can offer follow-up meetings, coaching sessions, or peer mentoring opportunities to help ensure sustainability and effectiveness. (Just make sure these extra meetings and sessions aren’t recreating Problem #1!) If you can’t offer these follow-up meetings, then do your best to avoid PD that ends on a cliffhanger. Teachers don’t want to be left in suspense! 

Problem #8: Lack of Collaboration  

Perhaps the most underrated problem with PD is the missed opportunity to build community and collaboration among teachers. Many sessions involve sitting passively in the same room as coworkers, but with no actual interaction. Especially for those who teach in schools as big as mine was (both in population and in physical size), these PD sessions might be one of the only times you ever get to see some of your fellow colleagues! 

Solution  

Facilitate networking during PD sessions. Incorporate group activities, team-building exercises, and brainstorming discussions to encourage teachers to connect and share insights. A collaborative culture benefits both educators and students in the long run.

A Better Future for Teacher Professional Development  

Professional development can and should be transformational, providing teachers with practical tools to enhance their classrooms and careers. However, doing this requires a shift in how sessions are planned and delivered. By addressing these 8 common problems, schools can ensure every session challenges and inspires educators, rather than draining their time and energy.  

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