Protect confidentiality and a non-evaluative stance so teachers trust the coach-teacher relationship¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The report's second recommended administrator action is to respect confidentiality in the coach-teacher relationship and keep coaching non-evaluative. In its research, "coached teachers who reported non-judgmental coaching were more willing to participate and more likely to report progress in their practice," and most coaches agreed confidentiality was the most valuable principal support. Recommended practices include repeatedly communicating the non-evaluative boundary, and avoiding administrative roles for coaches that could be associated even tangentially with teacher evaluation.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Coaches and administrators repeatedly emphasize the non-evaluative aspect of coaching and communicate what information stays confidential, throughout the year.

Constraints¶

• Coaches should not be given administrative roles that bias their coaching role or could be associated with teacher evaluation.

Target Learners¶

• K-12 classroom teachers participating in instructional coaching

Target Learning Goals¶

• Open, transparent teacher engagement with coaching and willingness to experiment and take risks in practice

Related Strategies¶

• School and district leaders' recommendations for implementing effective classroom coaching programs
• Peer Coaching
• Protect coaches' time so the majority is spent directly with teachers
• Clearly define the role of the coach and support principals in working with math coaches

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Bakhshaei, M. & Hardy, A. (2021). How school administrators can serve as productive partners in teacher coaching programs. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/a08ba4d8-72c1-4d8e-902c-c529eed160ac