Teachers Don’t Need More Training — They Need Better Conditions to Use the Training They Already Have.
Teachers Don’t Need More Training — They Need Better Conditions to Use the Training They Already Have.
Let me say something that may sound strange coming from someone who designs training for hundreds of schools:
Teachers are not undertrained.
They are under-supported.
I have worked with thousands of teachers — brilliant, committed, thoughtful educators — who attend workshops, complete certifications, learn new strategies… and still struggle to implement them.
Not because they lack skill.
Because they lack conditions.
Here’s what I mean:
1️⃣ Teachers don’t need more theory — they need time.
A teacher can’t “implement active learning” if they don’t have planning time, clear routines, or breathing space to experiment.
Time is the oxygen of teacher growth.
2️⃣ Teachers don’t need another workshop — they need feedback that feels safe.
Fear-based observations destroy confidence.
Supportive coaching builds it.
Teachers grow where feedback is a conversation, not a judgment.
3️⃣ Teachers don’t need new frameworks — they need working systems.
Even the best strategies fail when:
• timetables are chaotic
• resources arrive late
• DLPs don’t match assessments
• middle leadership is inconsistent
• class sizes are unmanageable
A broken system will crush even the most highly trained teacher.
4️⃣ Teachers don’t need motivation sessions — they need emotional bandwidth.
You cannot pour into students when you’re empty yourself.
Well-being is not a luxury.
It is a prerequisite for professional excellence.
5️⃣ Teachers don’t need more expectations — they need permission to try, fail, and grow.
Innovation requires psychological safety.
Creativity needs trust.
The teacher who feels trusted will outperform the teacher who feels watched.
The truth?
The problem in education is not a skill deficit.
It’s a systems deficit.
When teachers are given:
• time
• clarity
• resources
• coaching
• emotional safety
• supportive middle leadership
…they naturally implement everything they’ve learned — beautifully.
Teachers don’t need more training.
They need the right environment to thrive.
And leadership is responsible for building that environment.
