In reading the materials for week 7 which focused on technical supervision skills, the following were the understanding I had from the authors:
According to Glickman, Gordon & Ross-Gordon (2014), technical supervisory skills are the knowledge and the technical-know-how that supervisors need to help them function effectively. These vital knowledge spans from assessing, planning, observing and evaluating. For a supervisor to function effectively, she needs to assess the current stage she and the teacher (in our case the intern) are with regard to the past and where they want to be. This makes both the supervisor and the teacher have a common focus. The supervisor having the planning skills influence her on personal organization of time which impart on the improvement of instruction. I personally gained from this because I have been struggling with time since the beginning of this very semester because I have so much to do within the week. Observation skills is another vital knowledge that supervisors need to acquire to help them function effectively. The authors’ discussion on observation show how the lack of appropriate observation skills can mar the supervision work as it can turn out to be just interpretive and evaluative statements which have the tendencies of making teachers defensive robbing them from the objective: self-directed learning . I see this to be very true from my own experience more especially in my early years (when I am supervised) of teaching and sometimes the reactions of my supervisees (especially in Ghana). From their discussion, I gathered that effective supervisors who have this observation skills are able to differentiate between description and interpretation and this has positive impact on instruction as it leads teachers to self-directed learning. Effective supervisors have special skills of identifying the salient points and know the appropriate documentations strategy to use at any point in time. Supervisors who have the evaluative skills use it in such a way to ensure that the set goals or target have been achieved. Such supervisors evaluate a specific area or aspect at a time with the right question and evaluation design which give focus to the data collection and analysis.
Revisiting Burns, Jacobs & Yendoll-Hoppey (under review) article, I noticed that they refer to the technical supervisory skills as supervisory tasks. Their study identity five supervisory tasks that make the supervision of pre-service teachers (PST) effective. These are direct assistance, individual support, group development, curriculum support, and research and innovation. Their discussion clearly show that if supervisors play these function effectively, we would turn out teachers who have been equipped for the teaching job. Though their attention was on PSTs, these tasks can be extended to supervisors of in-service teachers.
Nolan and Hoover’s (2011) discussions on data collection techniques and interpretation were very insightful to me because it is my first time of coming into contact with most of them. I found the exercises that go along with them very helpful because they enhanced my understanding as most of these techniques are very new to me. When reflecting on the data interpretation, I saw myself more towards ‘Direct Informational’ this time instead of the ‘Direct Control’ which I was used to until this semester. The only one that I knew of (which I didn’t even know how it was called) is the ‘Selective Verbatim’. The authors’ assertion that learning occurs by doing is very true in the readings and discussions we are having in this course alongside our supervision work are helping me tremendously as I mostly have real life experience of some of them (46). I see this course’s readings as a mirror that help me to see my own reflection on my supervisory functions. Their four sample questions under ‘Cycle of Evaluation’ served as my guide today as I was writing my journal after the post conference with the two interns I observed. I am still struggling with the question bullet two (p. 45) which talks about how my data collection procedure made sense and matched the concerns expressed by my interns. It was just yesterday that I read about the different methods of going about the data collection because I have been using what I will refer to as the ‘modified evaluation’ data collection procedure where I write what the teacher did and what she could have done by it. I see their question bullet four as a guideline to my current inquiry focus because it relates to it and has a lot to offer me. The authors’ discussion and their visual summary (p. 47) clearly show how relationship building (which is geared toward building of trust that lead to reflective and self-directed learning) is vital to supervision as it is the pivot of data collection. I agree with Garman (1982) cited in Nolan and Hoover (2011: 47) assertion that supervision is far more than just a set of prescribed linear steps (which I have been using all this while until this very semester).
Sullivan and Glanz discussion on the observation tools and techniques added on to my understanding on how effective observation can be done. Categorizing the 32 tools and techniques for observation into just two main approaches: quantitative and qualitative tools helped me organized my thoughts on this concept. Like Nolan and Hoover (2011), these authors also gave samples of the 32 tools and techniques under the two major approaches to observation that supervisors can select from to do effective observation. They explained that videotaping and audiotaping were not added to the tools because they are valuable instruments that could be with any of the identified tools and techniques.
Hertzog and O’Rode (2013) study was an evidence-based program improvement analysis that showed the importance of collecting the right data during observation. From their article, I learned that the appropriate field notes collected brought about the change which in turn yielded that positive results. Though they focused on mathematics PSTs, it could be applied to or replicated in the other subjected areas. Their result showed correlation between subject-specific pedagogical skills and pupil achievement implying that both pedagogical and content knowledge are vital in preparing PSTs to become effective teachers. As I indicated in my previous blog, this is one area that teacher preparation institutions in Ghana lack in that we focus mainly on the content with just a little attention to the pedagogy aspect. Until this semester, I thought my department in Ghana was among the best in teacher preparation but as indicated earlier, this course to me is a mirror that enable us see our reflection. I am praying that our (Aaron and I) return to Ghana will help modified some of the things to that will suit the Ghanaian context.
References
Burns, R., Jacobs, J., & Yendoll-Hoppey, D (under review). In search of a framework for
Clinically-rich preservice teacher supervision: A meta-analysis of empirical
Literature from 2001 to 2013.
Glickman, C., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2013). Supervision and Instructional
Leadership: A developmental approach, (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Hertzog, H. S., & O’Rode, N. (2011). Improving the Quality of Elementary Mathematics
Student Teaching: Using Field Support Materials to Develop Reflective Practice in
Student Teachers. Teacher Education Quarterly, Summer 2011.
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L.A. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation: Theory into
Practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (3rd edition).
Glanz, J., & Sullivan, S. (2000). Supervision in practice: 3 steps to improving teaching
And learning. (63-90). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
According to Glickman, Gordon & Ross-Gordon (2014), technical supervisory skills are the knowledge and the technical-know-how that supervisors need to help them function effectively. These vital knowledge spans from assessing, planning, observing and evaluating. For a supervisor to function effectively, she needs to assess the current stage she and the teacher (in our case the intern) are with regard to the past and where they want to be. This makes both the supervisor and the teacher have a common focus. The supervisor having the planning skills influence her on personal organization of time which impart on the improvement of instruction. I personally gained from this because I have been struggling with time since the beginning of this very semester because I have so much to do within the week. Observation skills is another vital knowledge that supervisors need to acquire to help them function effectively. The authors’ discussion on observation show how the lack of appropriate observation skills can mar the supervision work as it can turn out to be just interpretive and evaluative statements which have the tendencies of making teachers defensive robbing them from the objective: self-directed learning . I see this to be very true from my own experience more especially in my early years (when I am supervised) of teaching and sometimes the reactions of my supervisees (especially in Ghana). From their discussion, I gathered that effective supervisors who have this observation skills are able to differentiate between description and interpretation and this has positive impact on instruction as it leads teachers to self-directed learning. Effective supervisors have special skills of identifying the salient points and know the appropriate documentations strategy to use at any point in time. Supervisors who have the evaluative skills use it in such a way to ensure that the set goals or target have been achieved. Such supervisors evaluate a specific area or aspect at a time with the right question and evaluation design which give focus to the data collection and analysis.
Revisiting Burns, Jacobs & Yendoll-Hoppey (under review) article, I noticed that they refer to the technical supervisory skills as supervisory tasks. Their study identity five supervisory tasks that make the supervision of pre-service teachers (PST) effective. These are direct assistance, individual support, group development, curriculum support, and research and innovation. Their discussion clearly show that if supervisors play these function effectively, we would turn out teachers who have been equipped for the teaching job. Though their attention was on PSTs, these tasks can be extended to supervisors of in-service teachers.
Nolan and Hoover’s (2011) discussions on data collection techniques and interpretation were very insightful to me because it is my first time of coming into contact with most of them. I found the exercises that go along with them very helpful because they enhanced my understanding as most of these techniques are very new to me. When reflecting on the data interpretation, I saw myself more towards ‘Direct Informational’ this time instead of the ‘Direct Control’ which I was used to until this semester. The only one that I knew of (which I didn’t even know how it was called) is the ‘Selective Verbatim’. The authors’ assertion that learning occurs by doing is very true in the readings and discussions we are having in this course alongside our supervision work are helping me tremendously as I mostly have real life experience of some of them (46). I see this course’s readings as a mirror that help me to see my own reflection on my supervisory functions. Their four sample questions under ‘Cycle of Evaluation’ served as my guide today as I was writing my journal after the post conference with the two interns I observed. I am still struggling with the question bullet two (p. 45) which talks about how my data collection procedure made sense and matched the concerns expressed by my interns. It was just yesterday that I read about the different methods of going about the data collection because I have been using what I will refer to as the ‘modified evaluation’ data collection procedure where I write what the teacher did and what she could have done by it. I see their question bullet four as a guideline to my current inquiry focus because it relates to it and has a lot to offer me. The authors’ discussion and their visual summary (p. 47) clearly show how relationship building (which is geared toward building of trust that lead to reflective and self-directed learning) is vital to supervision as it is the pivot of data collection. I agree with Garman (1982) cited in Nolan and Hoover (2011: 47) assertion that supervision is far more than just a set of prescribed linear steps (which I have been using all this while until this very semester).
Sullivan and Glanz discussion on the observation tools and techniques added on to my understanding on how effective observation can be done. Categorizing the 32 tools and techniques for observation into just two main approaches: quantitative and qualitative tools helped me organized my thoughts on this concept. Like Nolan and Hoover (2011), these authors also gave samples of the 32 tools and techniques under the two major approaches to observation that supervisors can select from to do effective observation. They explained that videotaping and audiotaping were not added to the tools because they are valuable instruments that could be with any of the identified tools and techniques.
Hertzog and O’Rode (2013) study was an evidence-based program improvement analysis that showed the importance of collecting the right data during observation. From their article, I learned that the appropriate field notes collected brought about the change which in turn yielded that positive results. Though they focused on mathematics PSTs, it could be applied to or replicated in the other subjected areas. Their result showed correlation between subject-specific pedagogical skills and pupil achievement implying that both pedagogical and content knowledge are vital in preparing PSTs to become effective teachers. As I indicated in my previous blog, this is one area that teacher preparation institutions in Ghana lack in that we focus mainly on the content with just a little attention to the pedagogy aspect. Until this semester, I thought my department in Ghana was among the best in teacher preparation but as indicated earlier, this course to me is a mirror that enable us see our reflection. I am praying that our (Aaron and I) return to Ghana will help modified some of the things to that will suit the Ghanaian context.
References
Burns, R., Jacobs, J., & Yendoll-Hoppey, D (under review). In search of a framework for
Clinically-rich preservice teacher supervision: A meta-analysis of empirical
Literature from 2001 to 2013.
Glickman, C., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2013). Supervision and Instructional
Leadership: A developmental approach, (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Hertzog, H. S., & O’Rode, N. (2011). Improving the Quality of Elementary Mathematics
Student Teaching: Using Field Support Materials to Develop Reflective Practice in
Student Teachers. Teacher Education Quarterly, Summer 2011.
Nolan, J., & Hoover, L.A. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation: Theory into
Practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (3rd edition).
Glanz, J., & Sullivan, S. (2000). Supervision in practice: 3 steps to improving teaching
And learning. (63-90). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.