If you've ever led a PD session that felt great in the moment, but that didn't lead to real change, then this episode is for you.

Hello, friends, and welcome to the Bright Morning podcast. I'm your host, Elena Aguilar. And in each episode, you will learn how to lead conversations

and experiences that build connection and spark real change.

All right, so today we are exploring what actually makes professional development transformational.

Because there is a big difference between sessions that feel good in the moment and those that lead to lasting shifts.

So let's get into it. A few years ago, I worked with a school

leader. I'm going to call her Dana, who was facilitating a PD session for her team. And the

focus was on collaborative planning.

Dana had done all the right things.

She created a thoughtful agenda.

She included helpful protocols.

And she built in opportunities for teachers to apply the tools to their own lesson plans.

So during the session, things went smoothly.

Teachers participated.

They nodded along.

They seemed to enjoy it.

But a few weeks later, Dana told me, I don't get it. Nothing changed.

The teams went right back to how things were before. They're not using the protocols.

They're not planning together.

She felt deflated.

And I've heard the same story from so many facilitators.

Dana's session addressed one part of what makes learning transformational.

...