“Don't Leave Us Out There Alone”: A Framework for Supporting Supervisors

Abstract

Professional development that scaffolds and supports supervisors is critical for quality field experiences and is our responsibility as teacher educators. The literature supports this statement and two ideas that conceptually frame our work: (1) quality field experiences are a critical component of preservice programs and (2) training and support for supervisors is necessary to ensure quality field experiences. With the overarching outcome of quality teacher candidates and strong partnerships with schools, the authors describe the context for their supervisors’ work, supervisors and their roles, a structure and resources for collaboration, then conclude with a practical and detailed framework to support professional development for supervisors. Based on four goals that guide the content and process of our professional development, the authors use a critical friends approach to (1) learn together; (2) develop a shared understanding of programs, teacher candidates, and school partners; (3) facilitate integration of coursework and field experiences; and (4) examine and extend the coaching process. Based on our experience, reflections, and the knowledge base in supervision, the authors make nine recommendations for establishing and sustaining professional development and support for supervisors.