Journal of K-12 Educational Research 11 the number of times participants mentioned the various teacher tasks they were required to learn in addition to learning how to design and deliver engaging lessons. Figure 1 During the principal participant interviews, one principal explained that one of the main areas teachers struggle with is juggling all the tasks they have to complete and the techniques they must learn. Her explanation of how she supports novice teachers in this area gives insight into how she develops and trains novice teachers: I understand how a novice teacher can be overwhelmed. I always tell them they cannot master and get everything perfect during their first few years. I encourage my new teachers to pick one area they are struggling with and learn as much as possible to improve it. Once they have accomplished one area, they can move on to the next. This also gives the novice teacher a sense of achievement when they have mastered one skill or technique. The second code for system training was documentation. Of the 14 teacher participants, eight mentioned the amount or types of documentation they were expected to complete as a teacher. The second theme that surfaced in RQ2 was instructional training. The codes mentioned the most within this area were lesson planning, special education/504 services/response to intervention, and parent communication. All three principals shared one common observation: Teachers are usually uncomfortable interacting with parents or attending parent-teacher conferences. A different principal participant shared that she often roleplays with novice teachers on how to have a successful parent-teacher conference. She also shared that when novice teachers can sit in and observe their mentor or a veteran teacher in a parent-teacher conference, they can better observe the dynamics of the conference and apply skills they learned in their own conferences. Research Question 3 The third research question explored the perceptions of campus principals about how they build a campus culture that encourages teachers to continue working in the District. Fostering an inviting campus culture is more important than ever when retaining teachers in a rural district. Research Question 3 (RQ3) What are the perceptions of campus leaders of how to build a culture that encourages teachers to remain in the district? Establishing a positive work culture on a campus and in a district takes time and effort. Campus principals play a crucial role in establishing a campus’ culture. The last research question revealed two subthemes: relationship building and instructional leadership. Within relationship building, the two nodes that were dominant in the research findings were availability and communication. Building relationships helps to build a strong campus culture that encourages teachers to stay in the profession and the district. The principals responded similarly in the area of availability; they all mentioned the importance of developing relationships with their teachers by being available for their staff. According to the campus principals, when the principal is available to listen or answer questions, teachers feel more supported. When a principal is inclusive with staff members and fosters collaboration, teachers will likely model the same behavior. During the teacher interviews, the participants mentioned the term availability 70 times when discussing the campus principal, mentor teacher, or other support staff. Teachers value the campus principal being available to ask questions, get feedback, and listen to them. Instructional leadership is the second theme from RQ3. The two nodes that developed were modeled expectations and resources. A principal who is viewed as the instructional leader of the campus builds a campus culture that encourages novice teachers to remain in the profession and the campus. Principals may ensure novice teachers have the needed supplies in their classroom, a supportive mentor, or extra time with an instructional coach. In the current study, the researcher verified the interview data collected through a qualitative research methodology
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