Moments of insight offer the opportunity for realizations and transformations. In coaching, paraphrases that reframe or questions that challenge offer moments of potential realization and transformation. In addition, coach leaders may create experiences or situations that cause others to “trip over the truth” (Chip and Dan Heath, 2017).

Here is an example of a created experience that was provided by a liaison for English Language Learners. Julie gave teachers who worked with ELL’s an experience that paralleled that of English Language Learners in middle school classrooms. During a professional learning activity, Julie taught her lesson in Italian, a language that none of her participants spoke. At first, she taught in a more traditional manner, using a power point and asking students to answer questions. The teachers became frustrated because they were unable to be successful. Then Julie offered additional assistance, using scaffolding and specific strategies to assist understanding. These were strategies that the teachers had been provided previously and asked to incorporate into their teaching. The teacher/learners were able to achieve success. This experience provided revelations to the teachers that explaining or attempting to convince had not accomplished. They now knew first-hand how the ELL students were feeling and experienced much the same frustration that their students sometimes experienced in their classrooms. This insight transferred into greater compassion for their students’ frustrations and the use of specific strategies to support ELL’s in learning of content in a language that was not native to them.

• What are some ways you will offer opportunities for realizations and transformation in your coaching conversations?
• How will you create experiences that cause others to “trip over the truth” rather than explaining or attempting to convince?
• As a coach leader, how will you maintain the momentum created via insight by taking it to action?