My Coaches' Couch: Making the Strange Familiar

Hue and Jinn are international doctoral students who, through what I would call a strange turn of events, were teaching a university Introduction to Education course. Although neither of them had teaching experience, they had a lifetime apprenticeship in education as students in their own countries, Vietnam and China. You might not be surprised to hear that the cultural expectations for instruction in these countries are quite different from those in the US. Although this situation sounds like a recipe for disaster, it turned into a remarkable learning experience for Hue, Jinn, their students, and the fabulous coach who supported them during this experience.

There were certainly challenges for Hue and Jinn. Because the educational norms in this new context were so different, Jinn said, “It was a culture shock all the time.” When she described teaching in this new setting, she said, “It’s like walking out of your comfort zone.” This situation created cognitive dissonance, a situation involving conflicting behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs.

Do the teachers you work with sometimes feel they are walking out of their comfort zone as they try new practices? How does the support you provide as a coach help what feels strange to become familiar?

Hue said, “There are times when I think this is a problem, but it might not be so, and another area needs attention instead.” Because her norms for what instruction should look and sound like differed from those in her new setting, she felt she was sometimes blind to things that needed changing. How do you shine the light from a different angle to illuminate what really needs attention in classrooms where you coach?

Jennifer, who was coaching these teachers, used the tools of the GIR model as they worked together. As they planned together, she made recommendations. “Maybe we should print another copy of the assignment so that they have a physical copy as they listen,” she suggested. Using the tentative maybe left the plan open for Jinn and Hue to consider.

Jennifer modeled a lesson, and Hue said, “I watched you and it helped me…I observed your class and how you taught.” Jinn noticed differences between Jennifer’s instruction and the experiences she’d had as a student in China. She noticed how Jennifer encouraged student discussion and wanted to weave this into her own class.

During the debrief conversation, as they considered revisions for the lesson, Jennifer asked questions. “How should we revise this activity to clarify?” “Should we scrap the two questions?” Her use of the word we signified their collaborative process and empowered Hue and Jinn as decision makers, even though they lacked experience in this context.

Reviewing student work with Hue and Jinn after they had taught a lesson, Jennifer affirmed, “I think the feedback from the 2+2 shows me that how you structured this activity really worked!” Her enthusiasm helped them gain confidence with strategies that were alien to their own previous learning experiences,

During the coaching cycle, Jennifer sometimes created cognitive dissonance for these two teachers. She drew their attention to aspects of instruction that they hadn’t noticed because they had different assumptions about what should be happening in a classroom. She made the familiar strange.

More importantly, Jennifer was able to make the strange familiar. Modeling and thoughtful conversation helped Jinn and Hue gain confidence with new strategies. Confusion turned to understanding as they resolved friction between their own previous experiences and the expectations in this new context. Honest inquiry led to transformative learning for these two teachers.

How might making the familiar strange benefit the teachers you work with? How could you make that happen? Sometimes, getting out of the teacher mode and into the observer mode when a coach models is enough to shift perspectives. Watching a video of themselves teach is another way to make the familiar strange. What else might you try?

Once awareness increases, how can you make the strange familiar so that teachers’ confidence increases? When teachers try a new practice or a different learning tool, a close look at student work can help them see the impact and create resolve for change.

Even though the situation with Hue and Jinn is strange (different from the teachers you are supporting), the coaching elements are familiar. I hope that reading about their experiences demonstrates how making the strange familiar can lead to new insights, and I hope it heightens awareness of the benefits of these coaching tools.