How to Increase Engagement During Professional Development (That Definitely Shouldn’t Have Been an Email)

I’ve sat through enough professional development sessions to know exactly when a PD is about to flop.

You know the moment: the presenter opens 50 slides, talks at you like a motivational cartoon, and suddenly your soul leaves your body.

Here’s the real issue:

Most PDs could have been an email.

But the ones that matter — the ones that actually build skills and improve teaching — are built with intention, clarity, and humanity.

After nine years in education, leading teams and surviving countless PDs, I’ve learned that three things consistently drive high PD engagement.

Let’s get into the strategies that actually work.

Choice Creates Ownership in PD

Choice is always number one on my list of PD engagement tools.

Why? Because choice creates ownership, and ownership increases motivation.

One year, a leader allowed us to choose our PD sessions for an entire week. It was transformative. I picked a session on effective parent/client communication taught by a colleague with outstanding relationship-building skills. I learned, I cared, I implemented.

And during my own session on building joy in communities, people showed up because they wanted to — not because they were voluntold.

Adults learn best when they have control, not when they are forced to comply.

Why Choice Improves PD Engagement

• Adults learn best when they have control, not when they are forced to comply.

• Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) shows that autonomy significantly increases intrinsic motivation and sustained engagement.

• Choice allows leaders to tailor PD based on actual skill gaps.

• It prevents “kitchen sink PDs” — sessions stuffed with random topics that leave staff confused and unskilled.

If you want real engagement, build choice into your PD structure.

Give people ownership over their learning.

Intentionality Beats Volume in Professional Development

I’ve worked in schools where every prep period was consumed by meetings and weekly PDs with no clear purpose.

This isn’t professional development — it’s professional depletion.

The number of PDs doesn’t grow the staff.

The quality and focus do.

What the Research Says

The Learning Policy Institute identifies four key characteristics of effective PD:

• Focused

• Sustained

• Relevant

• Directly connected to classroom practice(Darling-Hammond et al., 2017)

  
  

In other words: intentionality matters.

When (PDs are) targeted and purposeful, teachers grow — and the culture shifts.

Strong PD Comes From Strong Leadership

Great PD starts with leaders who:

• diagnose root causes through real data

• identify a single skill to develop

• choose examples and models that anchor that skill

• clarify next steps and expectations

  
  

Bad PD is reactionary and rushed.

Great PD is reflective, strategic, and skill-driven.

When PD feels like a fire drill, teachers shut down.

When it’s targeted and purposeful, teachers grow — and the culture shifts.

Small Group Learning Increases Safety and Understanding

We’ve all been in the whole-group PD that feels like a hostage situation:

• 20 adults staring at their feet

• “Silence is fine…” (no, it’s not)

• The same five people talk

• Someone gets cold-called like a surprise pop quiz

Whole-group formats often shut down learning rather than open it up.

Small Groups Work Better — And Here’s Why

Small group discussion:

• lowers the stakes

• increases participation

• deepens understanding

• supports agency

• mirrors effective classroom practices

This isn’t just my teaching experience talking.

Whole-group formats often shut down learning rather than open it up.

A meta-analysis from the National Center for Education Evaluation found that collaborative learning environments significantly improve comprehension and skill transfer compared to lecture-based formats (NCEE, 2018).

How to Use Small Groups in PD

Give people:

• clear data to analyze

• time to discuss

• space to reflect

• Then bring everyone together

One more thing:

Check your questions.

“What does the data show?” invites thinking.

“How do we get the data up?” invites guessing what the leader wants.

Be honest about whether you want collaboration or compliance.

People feel the difference.

Data Isn’t the Villain — The Way We Use It Is

Data is essential, but making adults sit through 45 minutes of decline charts is a guaranteed morale killer.

Instead:

• Provide baseline data

• Teach data literacy early in the year

• Revisit as teams change

• Use PD time for skill-building, not number-reporting

When people understand data, they feel empowered.

This builds:

• trust

• competence

• shared ownership

• real strategy

  
  

When people understand data, they feel empowered.

When people are just shown data, they feel scolded.

The Bottom Line: PD Engagement Is a Design Choice

Engagement isn’t magic — it’s intentional design.

The most effective PDs share three characteristics:

✔ Choice

Because autonomy increases motivation.

✔ Intentionality

Because focus is better than volume.

✔ Small Groups

Because adults learn through connection, not performance.

You can’t force adults into growth.

But you can design professional development that makes people want to lean in.

The real question is:

Are your PDs building fundamental skills—or are they just filling time?