Chapter 24: “Do You Hear What I Hear?”: Culture and Communication in Teacher Education

As a teacher, and later a teacher educator, I have experienced over and over again what most people already know—relationships are hard. They are complicated. Communication is not always clear or easy. Friends sometimes fight. Spouses do not always understand one another. Bosses and employees occasionally confuse each other. The relationships I am able to develop with my pre-service teachers are wonderful and fulfilling, particularly when I supervise student teachers and am able to have more personal contact with them. But they, too, are complicated. This chapter will explore some aspects of this professional supervisory relationship, in particular in terms of cultural differences and cross-cultural communication approaches.