Clinical Supervision Cycle
In clinical supervision Robert Goldhammer 1969 suggests “the teacher is always viewed as a professional who is actively seeking greater expertise and the focus is on strength and needs. It is also to have a supervision that is fundamentally humane, and is emancipated from the dogma and authoritarianism and vested interests of administration.” It has typified much of the supervision we have known before.
Clinical supervision is a process, a distinctive style of relating to teachers and it is the professional development of the pre-service or in-service teacher. There are three phases of the clinical supervision cycle which consists of a planning conference, classroom observation, and feedback conference. Clinical supervision focuses on the …show more content…
teacher’s actual classroom instruction and includes the teacher as an active participant in the supervisory process. Although courses and workshops have an important role in teacher education they are no substitute for the professional development that good clinical supervision promotes. Teachers need to view themselves as professionals, and in so doing they are engaged in self development and skill training as a career-long effort.
Clinical supervision is the interactive rather than directive, democratic rather than authoritarian, teacher centered rather than supervisor centered.
It is meant to suggest a face-to-face relationship between the teacher and supervisor and a focus on the teacher’s actual behavior in the classroom. Goldhammer states; “Given close observation, detailed observational data, face-to-face interaction between the supervision and teacher, and an intensity of focus that binds the two together in an intimate professional relationship, the meaning of “clinical” is pretty well filled out.”
The word clinical sometimes connotes pathology, which is inappropriate in the context of our model of clinical supervision. Clinical supervision is not a remedy that is applied by the supervisor to deficient of unhealthy behavior exhibited by the teacher.
To avoid this connotation, we considered using the term teacher centered supervisor, which was popularized by Carl Rogers as a method of “person centered counseling” and has much in common with clinical …show more content…
supervision.
Clinical Supervision consists of three cycles:
The three phases of clinical supervision Planning Conference
Feedback Conference Classroom Observation
Objectives of Clinical Supervision with Tina
(1.) To allow students to think and respond in an appropriate manner.
(2.) Allow children to express themselves through language development.
(3.) To enhance professional development amongst staff.
Pre-planning Conference
I spoke to the teacher in charge at the centre where I work about the assignment on clinical supervision at one of our weekly staff meetings and Tina agreed to do the Clinical Supervision with me.
Cycle One
From my observations I noticed that the children in Tina’s class hardly interacted during an activity. But upon further investigation I found out that Tina does not allow sufficient time for the children to answer questions when she asks them. She answers them herself.
In my first conferencing with Tina I told her about my assignment and I asked her if there were any problems she had with the children in her class. After pondering for a moment, she spoke about the teacher-child interaction and the children’s lack of language during classroom time. I then told her that together we can work on the solution to the problem. I sat in on one of her activities and observed the interaction between her and the children. Her style of questioning was good she asked a lot of open ended questions which would allow the children to converse at length. But shortly after she asked the questions she started giving the answers and did not allow sufficient time for the children to answer. When I looked at the children they seemed to be in a daze as to what was being said.
I also sat in on one of the centre based time and to my amazement I noticed how well the children interacted with their peers. I then realized that the children’s language was good.
My first step in Clinical Supervision Owen (2001) articulated that “staff should be helped in the performance of their job so that their skills, motivation, attitudes and knowledge develop and improve.”
Three authors further stated that for the process of clinical supervision to be effective, the supervisor’s mind, emotions and actions must work together to achieve the goal of the professional development of pre-service and in-service teachers.” To this end I met again with Tina, whereby I outlined exactly what we will be doing and the methods we will use to assist her in developing new teaching strategies. We spoke about Clinical Supervision and what it meant to her and how the cycle worked. I explained to her that we will work in four (4) cycles and I will observe her firstly which I had already done. In the four (4) cycles we will meet, plan strategies on how to implement strategies, I will again observe, give feedback, and continue to work together with Tina as we attempt to encourage of enhance how she developed in her teaching strategies. Applying the mentioned model seemed to be the appropriate method to assist Tina in her teaching skills. Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of someone else. As we concluded our first cycle I assured her that the strategies that we will develop will assist her in acquiring new approaches to teaching and learning indoors.
The planning conference sets the stage for effective clinical supervision. It provides a setting in which the teacher and supervisor can identify the teacher’s concerns and translate them into observable behavior. Another outcome of the planning conference is a decision about the kinds of instructional data that will be recorded during classroom observation, which is the next phase of the supervisory cycle.
Planning conferences are also valuable because they provide an opportunity for the teacher to communicate with a fellow educator about his or her unique classroom situation and style of teaching. By periodically observing the teacher’s classroom, a supervisor builds a set of shared experiences that can be shared and discussed together in their conferences.
The success of a planning conference depends in large on how much trust the teacher places in the supervisor. Trust refers to the teacher’s confidence that the supervisor has the teacher’s interests at heart and will not use data that emerge during supervision against the teacher. A supervisor might be technically proficient, but unless he or she also instills trust, supervision is likely to be inefficient.
Planning conferences need not be long. Twenty to thirty minutes is usually sufficient for the first planning conference unless the teacher has a particularly difficult problem o discuss or unless the teacher and supervisor are strangers to each other. Later planning conferences might require only five to ten minutes, especially if there has been no change in the teacher’s goals for improvement since the preceding clinical supervision cycle of planning-observation-feedback.
Planning conferences probably are best held on neutral territory so that the teacher who is being supervised may not feel intimidated.
Cycle Two
As we implemented cycle two, I invited Tina to join me during a lesson to observe me while I interacted with the children and engaged them in a discussion. She was given the opportunity to observe, take notes and give feedback on her observations. At the end of that lesson we both sat down and discussed what took place and what needed to be clarified.
As the supervisor, you need to arrange with the teacher to observe a sample of classroom instruction in which there is a frequent verbal interchange between the teacher and student.
During instruction, you record the teacher’s verbal feedback statements. It is also useful to record the immediately preceding student remark or action that prompted the feedback.
Feedback
At the feedback session which was conducted previously, some important points were raised and her feedback was: o She observed that I allowed the children to engage in a lot discussions which extended their language. o She was willing to try new ways of allowing the children to speak. o She also observed how I allowed the children sufficient time respond when I asked them questions.
An effective strategy is to suggest that one teacher observes another in order to compare teaching styles, strategies, and techniques. If the observing teacher has some knowledge of systematic observation and recording, the feedback conference can result in a mutual sharing of ideas and perspectives. In a small group that takes turns sharing videotaped examples, the observers can learn about their own teaching vicariously watching
others.
Cycle Three
Tina did a follow up activity with the children. She asked a lot of open ended questions like she did before but, she allowed the children some time to answer the questions on their own. The activity went smoothly and Tina felt a bit satisfied that the children were actually responding to her.
Feedback
At the feedback session which was conducted immediately after the lesson, I asked Tina how she felt about the lesson and she said that she felt a lot better and thought that the children responded better to the questions that were posed to them. She also suggested that she did not see the children having a problem with their language.
Cycle Four
Tina did another activity with the children. It was a describing activity where she allowed the children to interact and speak about their specific topic. They each spoke some, were a bit shy but, none the less they all took part.
Feedback
Tina displayed a more confident approach in her interaction with the children. She spoke less and allowed the children to speak more. She also took her time when she asked a question; she spoke a bit slower than usual. Tina allowed the children sufficient time to answer the questions that she asked. Tina felt more certain about herself and she really thought that the children were learning. She had seen much improvement through the questioning styles and the time allocated for the children to respond.
Conclusion
Archerson and Gall (2003) has shown the benefits of Clinical Supervision amongst staff and its use as a method to promote positive learning and professional teacher development that can assist teachers to motivate students and good classroom management techniques. The mentor teacher in this plays a critical role in the process of educating the teacher and themselves. The mentor teacher acts as a support system and works collaboratively to implement effective teaching strategies that can enhance age appropriate development of the children.
In the period in which I supervised Tina through improving her practice has greatly impacted on my own development. This has helped me to become more aware of what is needed for me to improve my own practices. Tina has shown a vast improvement in her teaching skills with respect to her questioning skills and allowing the students sufficient time to respond.
Staff development sometimes encourages cohesiveness amongst all stakeholders for the improvement of the children who are in their care.
References
Acheson, K.A., & Gall M.D. (2003). Clinical supervision and teacher development.
Ben-Peretz, M., & Rumney, S. (1991). Professional thinking in guided practice. Teaching & Teacher Education.
Elgarten, G.H. (1991). Testing a new supervisory process for improving instruction. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision.
Erickson, H.L. (2002). Concept-based curriculum and instruction: Teaching beyond the facts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Goldhammer, R.(1969). Clinical Supervision: Special methods for the supervision of teachers. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Hall, G.E., & Hord S.M. (2006). Implementing change, patterns, principles and potholes.
Rogers, C.R. (1951). Client-centered therapy, Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Clinical supervision is a process, a distinctive style of relating to teachers and it is the professional development of the pre-service or in-service teacher. There are three phases of the clinical supervision cycle which consists of a planning conference, classroom observation, and feedback conference. Clinical supervision focuses on the …show more content…
teacher’s actual classroom instruction and includes the teacher as an active participant in the supervisory process. Although courses and workshops have an important role in teacher education they are no substitute for the professional development that good clinical supervision promotes. Teachers need to view themselves as professionals, and in so doing they are engaged in self development and skill training as a career-long effort.
Clinical supervision is the interactive rather than directive, democratic rather than authoritarian, teacher centered rather than supervisor centered.
It is meant to suggest a face-to-face relationship between the teacher and supervisor and a focus on the teacher’s actual behavior in the classroom. Goldhammer states; “Given close observation, detailed observational data, face-to-face interaction between the supervision and teacher, and an intensity of focus that binds the two together in an intimate professional relationship, the meaning of “clinical” is pretty well filled out.”
The word clinical sometimes connotes pathology, which is inappropriate in the context of our model of clinical supervision. Clinical supervision is not a remedy that is applied by the supervisor to deficient of unhealthy behavior exhibited by the teacher.
To avoid this connotation, we considered using the term teacher centered supervisor, which was popularized by Carl Rogers as a method of “person centered counseling” and has much in common with clinical …show more content…
supervision.
Clinical Supervision consists of three cycles:
The three phases of clinical supervision Planning Conference
Feedback Conference Classroom Observation
Objectives of Clinical Supervision with Tina
(1.) To allow students to think and respond in an appropriate manner.
(2.) Allow children to express themselves through language development.
(3.) To enhance professional development amongst staff.
Pre-planning Conference
I spoke to the teacher in charge at the centre where I work about the assignment on clinical supervision at one of our weekly staff meetings and Tina agreed to do the Clinical Supervision with me.
Cycle One
From my observations I noticed that the children in Tina’s class hardly interacted during an activity. But upon further investigation I found out that Tina does not allow sufficient time for the children to answer questions when she asks them. She answers them herself.
In my first conferencing with Tina I told her about my assignment and I asked her if there were any problems she had with the children in her class. After pondering for a moment, she spoke about the teacher-child interaction and the children’s lack of language during classroom time. I then told her that together we can work on the solution to the problem. I sat in on one of her activities and observed the interaction between her and the children. Her style of questioning was good she asked a lot of open ended questions which would allow the children to converse at length. But shortly after she asked the questions she started giving the answers and did not allow sufficient time for the children to answer. When I looked at the children they seemed to be in a daze as to what was being said.
I also sat in on one of the centre based time and to my amazement I noticed how well the children interacted with their peers. I then realized that the children’s language was good.
My first step in Clinical Supervision Owen (2001) articulated that “staff should be helped in the performance of their job so that their skills, motivation, attitudes and knowledge develop and improve.”
Three authors further stated that for the process of clinical supervision to be effective, the supervisor’s mind, emotions and actions must work together to achieve the goal of the professional development of pre-service and in-service teachers.” To this end I met again with Tina, whereby I outlined exactly what we will be doing and the methods we will use to assist her in developing new teaching strategies. We spoke about Clinical Supervision and what it meant to her and how the cycle worked. I explained to her that we will work in four (4) cycles and I will observe her firstly which I had already done. In the four (4) cycles we will meet, plan strategies on how to implement strategies, I will again observe, give feedback, and continue to work together with Tina as we attempt to encourage of enhance how she developed in her teaching strategies. Applying the mentioned model seemed to be the appropriate method to assist Tina in her teaching skills. Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of someone else. As we concluded our first cycle I assured her that the strategies that we will develop will assist her in acquiring new approaches to teaching and learning indoors.
The planning conference sets the stage for effective clinical supervision. It provides a setting in which the teacher and supervisor can identify the teacher’s concerns and translate them into observable behavior. Another outcome of the planning conference is a decision about the kinds of instructional data that will be recorded during classroom observation, which is the next phase of the supervisory cycle.
Planning conferences are also valuable because they provide an opportunity for the teacher to communicate with a fellow educator about his or her unique classroom situation and style of teaching. By periodically observing the teacher’s classroom, a supervisor builds a set of shared experiences that can be shared and discussed together in their conferences.
The success of a planning conference depends in large on how much trust the teacher places in the supervisor. Trust refers to the teacher’s confidence that the supervisor has the teacher’s interests at heart and will not use data that emerge during supervision against the teacher. A supervisor might be technically proficient, but unless he or she also instills trust, supervision is likely to be inefficient.
Planning conferences need not be long. Twenty to thirty minutes is usually sufficient for the first planning conference unless the teacher has a particularly difficult problem o discuss or unless the teacher and supervisor are strangers to each other. Later planning conferences might require only five to ten minutes, especially if there has been no change in the teacher’s goals for improvement since the preceding clinical supervision cycle of planning-observation-feedback.
Planning conferences probably are best held on neutral territory so that the teacher who is being supervised may not feel intimidated.
Cycle Two
As we implemented cycle two, I invited Tina to join me during a lesson to observe me while I interacted with the children and engaged them in a discussion. She was given the opportunity to observe, take notes and give feedback on her observations. At the end of that lesson we both sat down and discussed what took place and what needed to be clarified.
As the supervisor, you need to arrange with the teacher to observe a sample of classroom instruction in which there is a frequent verbal interchange between the teacher and student.
During instruction, you record the teacher’s verbal feedback statements. It is also useful to record the immediately preceding student remark or action that prompted the feedback.
Feedback
At the feedback session which was conducted previously, some important points were raised and her feedback was: o She observed that I allowed the children to engage in a lot discussions which extended their language. o She was willing to try new ways of allowing the children to speak. o She also observed how I allowed the children sufficient time respond when I asked them questions.
An effective strategy is to suggest that one teacher observes another in order to compare teaching styles, strategies, and techniques. If the observing teacher has some knowledge of systematic observation and recording, the feedback conference can result in a mutual sharing of ideas and perspectives. In a small group that takes turns sharing videotaped examples, the observers can learn about their own teaching vicariously watching
others.
Cycle Three
Tina did a follow up activity with the children. She asked a lot of open ended questions like she did before but, she allowed the children some time to answer the questions on their own. The activity went smoothly and Tina felt a bit satisfied that the children were actually responding to her.
Feedback
At the feedback session which was conducted immediately after the lesson, I asked Tina how she felt about the lesson and she said that she felt a lot better and thought that the children responded better to the questions that were posed to them. She also suggested that she did not see the children having a problem with their language.
Cycle Four
Tina did another activity with the children. It was a describing activity where she allowed the children to interact and speak about their specific topic. They each spoke some, were a bit shy but, none the less they all took part.
Feedback
Tina displayed a more confident approach in her interaction with the children. She spoke less and allowed the children to speak more. She also took her time when she asked a question; she spoke a bit slower than usual. Tina allowed the children sufficient time to answer the questions that she asked. Tina felt more certain about herself and she really thought that the children were learning. She had seen much improvement through the questioning styles and the time allocated for the children to respond.
Conclusion
Archerson and Gall (2003) has shown the benefits of Clinical Supervision amongst staff and its use as a method to promote positive learning and professional teacher development that can assist teachers to motivate students and good classroom management techniques. The mentor teacher in this plays a critical role in the process of educating the teacher and themselves. The mentor teacher acts as a support system and works collaboratively to implement effective teaching strategies that can enhance age appropriate development of the children.
In the period in which I supervised Tina through improving her practice has greatly impacted on my own development. This has helped me to become more aware of what is needed for me to improve my own practices. Tina has shown a vast improvement in her teaching skills with respect to her questioning skills and allowing the students sufficient time to respond.
Staff development sometimes encourages cohesiveness amongst all stakeholders for the improvement of the children who are in their care.
References
Acheson, K.A., & Gall M.D. (2003). Clinical supervision and teacher development.
Ben-Peretz, M., & Rumney, S. (1991). Professional thinking in guided practice. Teaching & Teacher Education.
Elgarten, G.H. (1991). Testing a new supervisory process for improving instruction. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision.
Erickson, H.L. (2002). Concept-based curriculum and instruction: Teaching beyond the facts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Goldhammer, R.(1969). Clinical Supervision: Special methods for the supervision of teachers. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Hall, G.E., & Hord S.M. (2006). Implementing change, patterns, principles and potholes.
Rogers, C.R. (1951). Client-centered therapy, Boston: Houghton Mifflin.