Rethinking Professional Learning: Why What We’ve Always Done Isn’t Working
- Apr 12
- 4 min read
If I’m being honest, when I think about most professional learning experiences I’ve had, or even facilitated in the past, they all start to look the same. A workshop. A presenter. A lot of information. Maybe even a little excitement in the moment. But then… we go back to work, set the handout on the desk, and wonder where to even begin.
That disconnect is exactly what captures so well in Kristin Daniels’ TEDx talk. She describes how easy it is to access information, but how that doesn’t mean we can actually do anything with it. That really resonated with me, because it perfectly reflects why so much professional learning (PL) is ineffective, it focuses on information transfer instead of implementation.
Research supports this. Traditional, one-time professional development rarely leads to meaningful change in instructional practice because it lacks duration, support, and opportunities for application (Gulamhussein, 2013). We leave with ideas, but not with the structure or support needed to use them.
Where I See Myself (and My Colleagues)
Daniels describes three types of teachers: the technophobe, the average user, and the “highflyer.” If I had to place myself, I would say I’m somewhere between the average user and the highflyer. I’m comfortable with innovation and technology, but I still find myself needing collaboration and support when designing new or scaling ideas.
What’s interesting is how this plays out in my own program. I have colleagues who fall into all three categories:
Some who are hesitant and need confidence-building support
Some who are practical problem-solvers
And some who are ready to innovate but need help structuring their ideas
What Daniels makes clear is that none of these educators benefit from a one-size-fits-all workshop model. Each needed something different, but more importantly, they needed support during implementation, not just exposure to ideas.
Where Are Our PL Dollars Going?
This brings me to the Mirage Report, which highlights that billions of dollars are spent annually on professional learning with little evidence of impact. When I reflect on where PL dollars are spent in my own context, it’s often on:
Conferences
One-day training
External speakers
While these experiences can be valuable, they often lack follow-through. The issue isn’t necessarily the spending; it’s how the learning is structured and supported afterward.
What Would Make a Real Difference? The 5 Principles
This is where the 5 key principles of effective PL become critical. If implemented correctly, they fundamentally shift how learning happens:
Duration: Real change doesn’t happen in a day. It requires months and sometimes a full year of learning, trying, failing, and refining (Gulamhussein, 2013).
Ongoing Support: Teachers need coaching and mentorship while they are implementing, not after.
Active Engagement: Learning must be applied, not just understood (Andrews et al., 2011).
Leader Modeling: Seeing effective practice modeled builds confidence and clarity.
Subject-Specific Learning: Generic strategies don’t translate well, context matters.
If I think about Daniels’ examples, every successful teacher she described experienced these principles in action. They didn’t just attend a session; they were supported through the process of doing the work.
Is My Organization Ready for This Shift?
I think my organization, like many others, is open to change, but still rooted in traditional models. There’s a willingness to improve, but not always a clear path for how to do it differently.
That’s where alternative models, like our STEP initiative come in. The idea is not to eliminate professional learning, but to redesign it into something ongoing, supported, and meaningful.
Promoting a New Approach
So how do we move forward?
I think it starts with:
Sharing research and evidence (like the Mirage Report)
Highlighting real examples (like Daniels’ work)
Demonstrating success through pilot programs
Building buy-in through small, scalable wins
People don’t resist change because they don’t care, they resist it because they don’t see how it will work. That’s where we must lead.
Why This Matters
Understanding the Standards for Professional Learning and tools like the Quick Reference Guide is important because they give us a framework for what effective PL should actually look like. Without that, it’s easy to fall back into what’s familiar, even if it doesn’t work.
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about improving professional learning. It’s about improving:
Teaching
Student outcomes
And ultimately, in my field, patient care
Daniels said it best, when teachers are given the right support and resources, they don’t just grow individually, they impact their colleagues, their organizations, and their communities.
Final Reflection
This discussion has really reinforced something for me:
We don’t need more professional learning. We need better-designed professional learning.
And that’s exactly the gap my innovation plan is trying to address.
References
Andrews, T. M., Leonard, M. J., Colgrove, C. A., & Kalinowski, S. T. (2011). Active learning not associated with student learning in a random sample of college biology courses. CBE— Life Sciences Education, 10(4), 394–405. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.11-07-0061
Gulamhussein, A. (2013). Teaching the teachers: Effective professional development in an era of high-stakes accountability. Center for Public Education.
Comments