To help alleviate teachers' worries, perhaps one way is to provide information at the staff meeting, to brief teachers on its rationale, framework and procedures. Then we may invite the teachers responsible for staff development to join the relevant workshops, seminars, or experience-sharing sessions run by the EMB, to learn more from schools that have undergone ESR. These will go some way to reduce teachers' anxiety and resistance.
When the teachers looking after teacher development have got the information, back at school, they could share it with fellow teachers through different ways, such as discussions within the subject departments and other committees. Then we could have a little more understanding about ESR, and a little less anxiety.