How to Make Professional Learning Days Relevant Again

What if I told you that school leaders no longer needed to create the Professional Learning (PL) day agenda?

How much time would you get back?

How would it feel to observe rather than lead?

To participate rather than direct? 

It’s a familiar stressor for many principals: another PL day on the calendar and yet another item on the never-ending “To Do” list. 

Cue the scramble—staff surveys, topic suggestions, and last-minute ideas to patch together a plan. And despite the effort, the feedback lands with a thud:

“It wasn’t relevant.”

“The presenter was boring.”

“I wish we could’ve spent the time in our classrooms.” 

So, how do we make PL days meaningful and manageable?

Let’s start with this idea: Outsource the agenda creation—to your own staff. 

The Power of Collaboration Meetings

Collaboration Meetings (you might know them as year-level or team meetings) are more than just tick-the-box check-ins. They’re the pulse-check on classroom practice. In these meetings, educators discuss what’s working, what’s not, and what could be better—with teaching and learning at the heart of it all.Naturally, many of these conversations highlight opportunities for upskilling. That’s your PL agenda forming in real time. 

From Conversation to Action: The Leadership Link

Leadership Meetings—where Team Leaders and Administrators come together—are where those ideas take shape. These meetings are about reviewing Collaboration Meeting minutes, asking the right questions, and making informed decisions. 

And here’s the key: when there’s consensus on what professional learning is needed, it becomes a PL day item. 

I saw this in action when I was invited to a Leadership Team meeting as they mapped out their upcoming Professional Learning Day.

• Timeframes were allocated.

• Educator suggestions were reviewed and actioned.

• The day’s format was agreed upon.

• Thirty minutes later, the agenda was done.

And it worked. 

Relevance Feels Different

I was fortunate to be presenting on the day, and the shift in mindset was clear. Staff looked at the agenda and said one word: “Relevant.”  

To double-check my instincts, I asked the Team Leaders for their thoughts. The response was unanimous:

“That was so much better than before.”

“We felt valued, accepted, safe, and heard.”

“So much more was achieved.” 

A Simple but Powerful Question

Are you using your Team Leaders to shape the next Professional Learning Day?If not—why not? 

Your staff already know what they need. You just need to create the space to listen.