Why PD and Diets Fail

Each year districts across the country offer professional development at the beginning of the school year.  Often, the professional presenters and former practitioners come into districts and offer perspectives and strategies to get teachers ready to tackle the year with optimism.  The central administrations put this PD plan in motion towards the end of the previous school year and is likely related to the issues facing the schools, teachers, and students.  Teachers are recharged from their time away while reading books, traveling, and connecting with their families.  Everyone walks into the convocation with excitement and you can feel it.

Similarly, each year many people decide enough is enough and they contemplate a diet to get back into shape and to live a healthier lifestyle.  This is equally met with optimism and a trip to the grocery store to purchase healthy foods and snacks.  Water bottles are chosen over soft drinks and almonds over Almond Joys.

Where does the excitement and optimism go and why don't these things stick for the longterm?  Let me offer perspective.

A good plan, a critical coach, and multiple personal checkpoints are needed to ensure success.  Professional Development can't be thrown out to teachers with a hope that it sticks.  There needs to be expectations for teachers to create plans, opportunities for them to explore these plans, and accountability for the plans to be implemented.  In the case of diets, they work when a person plans.  They make meals ahead of time and have them made days in advance.  Measured and labeled, the containers have exact portions and calories were calculated to keep the individual on track.  The person has a friend, with similar expectations, to keep them accountable.  They share their vulnerable moments and lean on one another when things become difficult.  They ask for advice and they are there to cheer on their accomplishments.  Finally, diets work when there are multiple checkpoints; weighing in, taking measurements, logging food consumption in an app, and tracking progress in the gym.

I offer these 5 suggestions for school leaders when rolling out "one shot" PD to teachers:

1.  Ensure the professional delivering the PD has the credentials and experiences to inspire and motivate your staff.

2.  Ensure the PD is aligned to the goals of the district.  You don't want it to contradict the vision, mission, and goals.

3.  Create a plan for teachers to plan.  Doing this means laying out expectations, opportunities to explore and create the plan, and accountability measures for implementation.

4.  Allow teachers to pick critical friends.  They know who they can rely on to give them honest feedback on the strategies expected to be used.

5.  Take the message the presenter shares during the PD and create 5-6 times throughout the year when you are reminding the staff of the message.  Use district newsletters, Late Start/Waiver days, and email blasts to keep the message at the forefront of the work.

Diets and PD can be successful if we want them to work.  It is up to us to create the conditions to maximize success and to stop relying on hope that it sticks.