Teaching Role and Effective Supervision

Learning Objectives

• To understand the history and importance of supervision
• To understand the elements of effective supervision
• To identify the key players and their roles in the supervision process
• To understand learning styles and the model for effective teaching

History of Supervision

Traditionally, supervision has been viewed as a separate entity from the profession of social work that required a separate set of skills. Social workers were often viewed as lacking the technical skills to effectively manage organizations. Management techniques from the schools of business and public administration were thus adopted into social work practice. Recent literature suggests that social work supervision is more alike than different in comparison to the profession. As social workers take on a supervisory role, they extend the profession, not leave it (Brashears, 1995).

Our Program

According to Maypole (1997), supervision is considered to have three components, which interact to achieve the goals of the agency and the UMD MSW Field Program:

• to ensure the student's accountability to the agency and to the UMD MSW Field Program,
• to ensure the professional education of the student and
• to provide emotional support for the student's learning

Administrative Role

The primary problem in administrative supervision implementation of policies and procedures; the primary goal is to insure adherence (Kadushin, 1992). Although there are different ways in which field placement programs can be structured, the field agency/field program "contractual model" (Bogo and Globerman, 1995) is used at UMD. This model entails close coordination between the Agency Supervisor and the Field Program's Faculty Liaison.

The Field Agency Supervisor is the administrative"linking pin" (Pluckett, 1983) between the agency and the UMD MSW Field Program. In this role, the Supervisor functions as the channel of communication between the two.

In addition, this roles connotes "accountability" to both the agency and to the Field Program. This "accountability" however, may create both "role conflict" and "role ambiguity" for the Supervisor (Plunkett, 1983). The former occurs when the agency and the UMD MSW Field Program make competing demands in relation to the administrative issues and the student's learning; the latter occurs when the demands of the agency and the Field Program are unclear. Both the agency and the Field Program have a responsibility to avoid these problems. However, it is expected that Supervisors will contact the Field staff to clear up conflicts and ambiguities expeditiously.

In working with the student, it is the Supervisor's responsibility to ensure that the student follows the policies and procedures of the agency and the Field Program.

Educational Role

The primary problem in educational supervision is worker ineptitude regarding the knowledge or skills to complete the task; the primary goal is upgrade skill levels (Kadushin, 1992). In addition to serving as the overall "educational coordinators" for the student's learning experiences in the agency and community, the Supervisors are:

• Coach/Teacher: actualize the student's learning contract to develop specific skills/competencies in the advanced generalist curriculum model
• Judge/Evaluator: continually assess the student's progress toward the processional educational goals
• Advocate: intervene in agency situations which are detrimental to the student's learning, e.g. harassment
• Role Model: facilitate the student's learning
• Problem-Solver: assist the student in gaining critical thinking skills

Supportive Role

The primary problem in supportive supervision is coworker morale and job satisfaction; the primary goal is to improve these (Kadushin, 1992). Graduate social work education is not easy. Learnings at the micro/mezzo/macro levels are emotionally charged and frequently challenging. The emotions created by the student's being in new situations, which themselves are emotionally charged and frequently problematic, must be dealt with by the supervisor. Unresolved emotions can impede further learning. The student's emotionally charged learning are dealt with in the field seminar, but must be dealt with on the spot by the supervisor.

These roles, of course, are conducted within an unequal power relationship with the student. This requires the Supervisor to be aware of this differential and its potential positive or negative impact on the student. Different students come to the placements needing different levels of task assignment and monitoring. Accordingly, there is no "one size fits all" type of supervisory style.

Related Research:

Ellison, M.L. 1994. Critical field instructor behaviors: Student and field instructor views. Arete. 18(2) 12-20.

In this study, MSW student and their supervisors reported on what behaviors contributed to and what behaviors detracted from quality field instruction. The most frequently selected behaviors follow (pg. 16):

Knight, C. 2001. The process of field instruction: BSW and MSW student's views of effective field supervision. Journal of Social Work Education. 37(2) 357-380.

These studies clearly describe the tasks and the expressive (emotional) dimensions of supervision. Both must receive the supervisor's attention. Other students have shown that student's are concerned about the quality of their relationship with the Supervisor. Within the context of all the other sources of anxiety for the student in his/her graduate education processes, the positive relationship with the Supervisor is considered to be a major facilitator of learning.

Key Players in the Supervision Process

The Field Coordinator is the general facilitator of the Field Program in the Department's curriculum. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Developing the framework within which the program takes place
• Maintaining the currency of the Field manual and the policies and procedures relating to the Program
• Developing and evaluating the appropriateness of agency applications for Field participation in the UMD MSW Program
• Maintaining information on Field Placement-approved agencies
• Reviewing and approving written agreements with agencies/students
• Orienting and relating to the Agency Supervisors when they meet as a group
• Maintaining the currency and appropriateness of the Field I and II syllabus
• Monitoring the progress of the Field Seminars
• Acquiring and disseminating information on the Program to pertinent constituencies
• Ensuring compliance with CSWE standards pertaining to the Field Program
• Monitoring problematic student placements in the Field when they occur
• Participating in the Department's orientation session for new students
• Providing initial assistance to students in securing placements

Faculty Liaison Roles:

Advisor: Provides assistance to students in career planning, which includes identification of learning needs and educational experiences designed to meet those needs.

Monitor: Carries out on-going agency assessment of agency, Agency Supervisor and student's learning experiences to ensure the student's learning objectives and school's expectations are met.

Consultant: Assists Agency Supervisor in developing supervisory skills, techniques, and identification to learning styles; provides course outlines, other materials.

Teacher: Assists students with integration of coursework and practicum and serves as role model to the students. Provides the seminar.

Mediator: Assists in resolving problems between student and Agency Supervisor or other agency personnel.

Advocate: Provides relevant information when necessary to evaluate the students' field and academic performance and to determine the student's future educational experiences.

Faculty Liaison Functions:

Linkage: Interprets school policies, procedures and expectations to agencies; assesses the fit between school curriculum and educational experiences provided by the agency.

Evaluation: Evaluates students, Agency Supervisors and agency; recommends or assigns student's grades; makes recommendations for continued use of agency and Agency Supervisor

Administration: Ensures completion of placement forms and students' evaluations.

(Faris, Brownstein & Smith (1988)) Model Adaptation

Learning Styles

People learn in a variety of ways. We have found that supervision is enhanced if supervisors and students are aware of their respective learning styles and they can design their supervisory interactions to complement each of their learning strengths.

According to Kolb (1984), whose learning theory is the most widely-used, experiential learning is composed of four components:

Concrete/Active (experiencing)

Reflective/Observation (examining)

Abstract/Conceptual (explaining)

Active/Experiential (applying)

Kolb believes that people usually begin their learning about a particular task or problem with the component that represents their primary learning style. For complete learning, they must move from their primary learning style through the other three types of learning.

The student's predominate learning styles must be accommodated to the extent practical. For example, many students have concrete/active learning styles. With these students, it is necessary to start at the experiencing, rather than abstract/conceptual level. Initial discussions about theories would not meet the students needs. Conversely, for some students, it would be appropriate to start at the abstract/conceptual level. The supervisor would then lead the student through each of the other steps to complete the full learning cycle.

Four-Step Teaching Process Model

Supervisors must assess the student's maturity, learning style and skill developmental levels. This information is needed to assess where to start with the student in the four-step teaching process model. The information can be acquired from the students in interviews, in review of the students' resume, the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory, and observations in the placement. Effective teaching should include different types of learning activities, repetition of activities and linkage to the broader principles of practice (Fortune, 2001). Then, the following steps should be applied:

Preparatory assessment and training: orientation/workshops; information on agency policies and procedures and "how things are done"; introductions to staff

Shadowing: Student observes the supervisor ad others doing tasks he/she will do; reflections/discussions with the supervisor about the objective and subjective experience.

Observation: Supervisor observes the student in assigned learning tasks, which could include videotaping and role playing, and provides information and feedback; discussions on the meaning of objective and subjective learning for practice; generalizations and conclusions.

Semi-independent practice: Supervisor provides information and feedback on specific skills needed by the student, continuation of reflecting and the relating to and construction of practice theories.

Some basic things to remember/consider early in a field student's placement:

• while a student is not an employee, some of the same things a new employee might need to know will apply to a student. This includes such things as parking, lunch practices, e-mail passwords, use of agency vehicles,etc.
  
• all students need to have a "space" in the agency for their field placement. This should include a desk and a phone. If a computer is needed, this should also be provided for the student.
  
• MSW supervisors must devote at least one hour a week for 1-1 supervision with the student. Students need this "protected time" to be able to get the direction they need, ask questions, share concerns,etc. Supervision "on the fly" is not adequate, nor is meeting as a group with other field students in the agency. If you are interested in using some of the supervision time as "group supervision" be sure to consult with the faculty liaison or field coordinator to see if this is appropriate for your setting and for specific students.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MSW Field Supervisor Training Power Point

This power point presentation was created by Mike Raschick as a learning tool to help supervisors incorporate different learning styles, encourage an advanced generalist perspective, and effectively model and mentor for their intern.

View Powerpoint

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Effective Feedback and Evaluation

This hand out was created by Becki Hornung and hits on the key ponts of timeliness, balance, conciousness and directness, following up with your student, and direct observation. This hand out also helps to point out that the main goal of effective feedback in field instruction is learning.

View Hand-out

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I wish I would have known when I first became a field supervisor...

This hand out was compiled from the supervisor training that took place at the annual meeting and really helps point out some of the key issues that supervisors often face. Some of the issues are just basic ideas to keep in mind when working with your intern, while other points are those that should be incorporated into your daily interactions with your intern.

View Hand-out

You now need to take a quick quiz. Please log in using your name. Use any password you want.

Take the Quiz