Professional development (PD) days are meant to inspire, educate, and equip teachers with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom. But schools struggle with low engagement during these sessions. For many teachers, PD days feel more like mandatory meetings than valuable learning opportunities. 

If you’ve noticed teachers zoning out, skipping sessions, or treating professional development as just another box to check, you’re not alone. Good news is, PD days can energize teachers, spark new ideas, and strengthen your school community when planned the right way. The secret is to think like an event manager, not just a school administrator. 

Here’s how.

How To Turn Pd Days Into Must Attend Events That Teachers Love

Why Do Teachers Check Out During Professional Development Days?

Before discussing  solutions, let’s look at  why PD engagement is often low. If any of these signs sound familiar, it’s time for a change:

Professional Development Sessions Feel Disconnected From Real Classroom Challenges

Teachers need practical, relevant training, not generic presentations. The Learning Policy Institute emphasizes that the most effective PD experiences are content-focused, collaborative, and incorporate active learning. However, many PD days still rely on generic, one-size-fits-all presentations that leave teachers disengaged.

Too Much Sitting, Not Enough Doing

Lectures and slides don’t spark engagement. Teachers learn best when they’re actively involved, whether through hands-on activities, discussions, or real-world problem-solving. Without interactive elements, PD days feel like passive, sit-and-listen meetings rather than valuable learning experiences.

Teachers Have No Choice in Their Learning 

When teachers can’t choose sessions based on their interests and needs, engagement suffers. Personalized PD allows educators to select sessions based on their needs, skill levels, and interests

No Clear Reason To Attend

If professional development is just another item on the calendar, it’s easy to tune out. Teachers need to know how it benefits them. Research from Strobel Education shows that the most effective PD experiences are those that are relevant, hands-on, and offer clear takeaways for teachers.

No Follow-Up After The Training

If there’s no way to apply the learning, it’s easy to forget it. According to the National Center for Education Evaluation, PD days that include post-event collaboration, mentorship, and follow-ups lead to more lasting implementation in the classroom.

A teacher-first approach to PD planning can solve these challenges. But how do you create professional development that teachers are excited to attend? The key is to plan it like a dynamic, well-structured conference, not just another routine meeting. 

→ Check out these event ideas for your next school professional development day. 

How To Improve Engagement In School Professional Development Events

PD days should be interactive and engaging. Follow these tips to make them truly impactful. 

Before the Event: Get Teachers Excited About Professional Development (Before It Even Starts!)

You can’t expect teachers to be engaged if they’re not excited about PD day in the first place. Build momentum early by following these steps:

  1. Involve teachers in planning: Give teachers a voice in the agenda by letting them suggest PD topics or vote on sessions.
  2. Make PD relevant and personalized: Let teachers choose sessions based on their grade level, subject area, or career goals.
  3. Promote PD like an exciting event: Use newsletters, staff meetings, and countdown emails to build anticipation.
  4. Showcase peer leadership: Encourage teacher-led sessions to foster collaboration and real-world classroom insights.
  5. Simplify registration & scheduling: Use an intuitive event management platform like Sched to let teachers easily sign up and customize their schedules.

During the Event: Keep Teachers Engaged with Interactive, Energizing Sessions

Once the professional development session starts, whether in person or online, keeping teachers engaged is vital. Here’s how to keep energy high:

  1. Move beyond lectures: Ditch the PowerPoints. Instead, do hands-on workshops, live demos, and roundtable discussions to keep teachers actively engaged.
  2. Encourage real-time interaction: Use live polling, Q&A tools, and discussion boards to make sessions more engaging.
  3. Make learning fun: Add a competitive twist with points, prizes, or digital badges for participation, and engagement.
  4. Create dedicated learning spaces: Create breakout rooms for teachers based on their subject, role, or teaching experience.
  5. Prioritize teacher well-being & socialization: Add networking breaks, mindfulness sessions, or movement activities to keep energy levels high.
  6. Use a centralized event mobile app: Make schedules, speaker bios, and session details easily accessible in a mobile-friendly format.

Want to see what an engaging PD day looks like in action? See how San Ramon Valley USD used Sched to bring together 3,200 educators for an unforgettable professional development event.

Post-Event: Keep the Learning Alive & Drive Lasting Impact

Professional development days don’t end when the last session wraps up. Keep the momentum going by following these tips:

  1. Gather and act on feedback: Use quick surveys to understand what worked and what can be improved for future PD events.
  2. Keep learning alive with follow-ups: Share session recordings, blog summaries, and ongoing discussion groups.
  3. Recognize and celebrate engagement: Highlight active participants in a newsletter or give certificates for involvement.
  4. Encourage ongoing peer collaboration: Create mentorship groups or small teacher communities to help implement learning.
  5. Use data to improve future PD: Analyze attendance and engagement trends to refine your next professional development event.

Want to learn how to plan effective school PD events? Sign up for our upcoming free webinar. You’ll learn how to optimize professional development planning for your school. 

Sched’s Event Management Software is Your Gateway to Engaging PD Events!

It takes strategic planning and the right tools to create an engaging professional development day that is worth attending. 

With Sched’s event management software, schools can transform professional development days from routine meetings into dynamic, teacher-focused events. By giving educators the flexibility to personalize their schedules, they can choose the sessions that matter most to them.

Communication is also effortless. Automated reminders and real-time updates keep teachers informed and ensure they never miss a session. During the event, interactive tools like live Q&As, session feedback, and engagement tracking help keep participation levels high.

And when PD day wraps up, the learning doesn’t stop. Sched makes it easy to store session recordings, collect feedback, and analyze participation data, which will allow your school to continuously improve future events.

PD days shouldn’t feel like an obligation. With Sched, you can create a professional development experience that teachers actually look forward to.

Your Next PD Day Can Be More Engaging Than Ever. Start Planning with Sched Now!

Your teachers deserve a professional development experience that’s interactive, personalized, and truly valuable. Sched makes it easy to organize sessions, keep teachers engaged, and create a professional learning experience teachers will actually enjoy.

Get started with Sched today and see the difference.