The Power of Practice

I once worked with a high school teacher—let's call her Lorena—who was doing a lot of the cognitive work for her students. Whenever a student expressed confusion, she'd quickly jump in with answers out of a genuine desire to help. The result? Low engagement and a concerning lack of student perseverance.

After some diagnostic questions, I discovered Lorena was 1) mostly unaware of this pattern, and 2) didn't know how else to handle student questions. This wasn't about willingness or deficit beliefs—the issue fell squarely in the skill/knowledge domains.

When she said she would be interested in working on what else she could do, I suggested, "What if instead of explaining how to answer the question, you directed them to engage with the high-quality materials you've already provided so they can find their own solutions?" I modeled some examples of what this supportive redirection could sound like, and she lit up.

She asked follow-up questions of what she could do in various scenarios, and then said she was excited to try it with students. We could have stopped here. But knowing that intention doesn't mean the skill is built, I suggested we use a few minutes to practice what it could sound like in an upcoming lesson.

We practiced together, with Lorena teaching and me playing a confused student. After several rounds of practice, new questions and realizations, feedback, and reflection, something shifted. When I observed her class days later, student engagement had improved dramatically, along with time on task, persistence, and lesson pacing.

Why Practice Matters

When we introduce new instructional strategies to teachers, we're not just sharing information—we're asking them to develop new skills. Practice offers benefits that discussion alone can't:

• Reveals hidden gaps in understanding (like Lorena not realizing how frequently she was jumping in, or all the opportunities that came up to check for understanding during explanations as she practiced)

• Builds muscle memory for teacher moves

• Reduces cognitive load during classroom implementation

• Boosts confidence in a low-stakes environment

So why is practice often missing from coaching cycles? 

My experience has been that it falls into two general categories: 

For some people it can feel like suggesting practice is a signal that we don’t trust that they understand the skills that have just been discussed. This typically comes out as saying they get it and they just need to try it out with students and they’ll figure it out. Unless you’re in a school where practice is a habit, these teachers might feel like their ability to incorporate a new practice is being called into question.

For many, the hesitation is often honestly because this type of role-playing based practice can feel super awkward, especially initially. 

If people aren’t jumping at the opportunity to play school with you, here are some approaches that might help you lean into the discomfort.

Making Practice Effective

Set the Stage

• Normalize the awkwardness: If they seem apprehensive, try something like, "I get it. Many people feel self-conscious at first, but that prevents much bigger discomfort later with students."

• Frame the purpose: "Practice can bring up questions or opportunities we might not have anticipated and strengthens the neural pathways that need to fire when implementing these skills."

• I often share my own experiences with practice: how I didn’t really get the benefit at first, but that trainers and coaches who strongly encouraged me to engage helped me accelerate my skills by trying them out, even when I would have been more comfortable just explaining my thinking and talking it through.

Scaffold the Experience

• Start with clear parameters: With Lorena, we identified specific student questions that might come up and discussed redirection strategies first.

• Keep it brief: "Let's try this for just 2 minutes." Short rounds feel less daunting.

• Use a timer: This creates a clear endpoint and manages anxiety.

Guide Reflection

• Begin with self-reflection: "What worked well? What might you adjust?"

• Offer specific feedback: "When you directed me to the worked example instead of explaining it it shifted me into an active role in my learning."

Iterate and Improve

• Practice again immediately to incorporate feedback

• Gradually increase complexity with challenging scenarios, “What if the students says/asks…?”

• Build metacognitive awareness: "How might this connect to other aspects of your teaching?",”What are you learning we we go through multiple rounds?”

From Practice to Classroom

When I observed Lorena's class after our practice sessions, the transformation was clear. Students were more engaged because they were doing more thinking. Even lesson pacing improved because she wasn't stopping to [re]explain every concept. Students began to ask more precise questions when they did have them, and when we debriefed, she felt so energized by both her increased confidence and and the impact she was seeing with students. 

That's the magic of practice—it creates space to notice patterns and make adjustments before they become classroom habits. For Lorena, the pattern of over-explaining wasn't visible until we recreated interactions and slowed them down.

So the next time you're supporting a teacher with a new approach, consider asking, "Would you be willing to try practicing this together?" 

After all, as coaches, we're creating psychologically safe containers for teachers to develop skills that transform student learning. And sometimes, that transformation begins with a simple invitation: "Let's practice."