What Makes Effective Teacher Professional Development? A Guide for K–8 Teachers
When teachers talk about PD, one word comes up more than any other: effective.
Not just entertaining.
Not just inspirational.
Effective.
But what does that even mean?
After years of teaching, leading, and working alongside educators through Get Your Teach On, here’s what I’ve learned:
Effective PD must:
Strengthen Tier I instruction
Provide strategies you can use immediately
Respect teachers’ time and expertise
Blend research with real classroom practice
Build culture, not just skills
Inspire teachers emotionally and equip them technically
Create consistent practices campus-wide
Most PD falls short because it focuses on theory, programs, or initiatives — rather than strengthening the day-to-day instruction happening in every classroom.
That’s why we built Get Your Teach On the way we did:
high-energy, research-backed, classroom-tested professional development that moves the needle every single day.
When PD is done right, teachers don’t just feel inspired.
They feel empowered.
And that’s when everything changes.
