Volume 2 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 36

34 to be able to openly and honestly share their needs. Trust is a top priority in making sure the relationship between teacher and instructional coach is one of mutual respect. Research revealed one of the barriers to success of the instructional coach and the coaching program was the quality of the instructional coach/teacher relationship (Biancarosa et al, 2010). Therefore, successful instructional coaching cannot happen without trust. In addition, principals discussed the need to have a trusting relationship with their instructional coach as being of utmost importance. One principal shared that in order for the principal-instructional coach relationship to work, it “has to be one of the most trusting positions.” Theme of Confusion The instructional coaches shared there was a lack of clear communication to teachers about the role and responsibilities of the instructional coach from the beginning of implementation. Additionally, the coaches stated that in many instances, the roles and responsibilities continue to be confusing to the teachers. Fur - thermore, the majority of principals noted that there was not clear communication from the district about the instructional coaching role in the beginning, so they were unclear as to how to present the position to their teachers. The lack of clear communication led to confusion for principals, instructional coaches, and teach- ers as to the role and job description of the position. One sugges - tion from the interviews was that any communication needs to be in written form with a framework or infographic as a reference for all stakeholders: district administration, principals, instruc - tional coaches, and teachers. The provision of a written reference page would aid in the clarification of the role and responsibilities of the position. Recommendations for Districts Throughout the interviews, principals and instructional coaches noted the need for prior planning to have occurred before imple- mentation. The current study recommends that before beginning the instructional coach hiring process, the following should already be in place: • All resources needed for successful implementation should be allocated and readily available throughout the process. • The district should define “instructional coach.” • A concise job description of the roles and responsibili - ties of an instructional coach should be developed. • The decision on what coaching model the district will follow needs to be determined and a coaching manual or handbook should detail the model. • A written framework or infographic of the roles and responsibilities of the instructional coach should be developed to be shared with principals, coaches, and teachers. • Interview protocol and interview questions about coach - ing and characteristics of an effective coach should be developed. • Determination of the instructional coaches’ supervisor/ evaluator (campus or district) should be made. • Instructional coaching trainings by an expert should be scheduled for the new coaches and their principals to happen before school begins. • An evaluation instrument for the implementation of the program should be developed. • A plan of support from administration should be devel- oped to be shared with all stakeholders. • And finally, district leaders and instructional coaches need to be able to talk openly and honestly about what is working and what is not. Utilizing the experiences and perceptions of the principals and instructional coaches in the trenches of the implementation, districts will have a better understanding of where a program needs to improve. Recommendations for Principals Throughout the study, instructional coaches shared that they felt support from their principals, which enabled them to endure through the confusion of the other aspects of their position. In addition to ensuring the instructional coach feels supported on campus, recommendations for principals are: • Be advocates for their instructional coaches in receiving professional learning to build their capacity as coaches. Pamela Bell Reece, Ed.D.