Chapter 7: Supervisors and Teacher-Leaders as Mentors or Coaches
Summary
This chapter will focus on supervisors and teacher-leaders as mentors or coaches of early
Outline
The chapter supports your growing capacity to
• compare reflective supervision to the mentoring and coaching process;
Learner outcomes
• Students will understand the purpose and process of reflective supervision.
Supervisors &
teacher-leaders as
mentors or coaches
‘grow our
own’
mentors &
coaches know when
to use
technical
strategies
know when
to use
adaptive
strategies
transfer skills
to role as
mentor or coach
understand
reflective
supervision
Suggested teaching activities
1. Differences in the Roles of Mentoring and Supervising
Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to think of a specific time, place, and
situation in their working or volunteer lives in which they were both supervised and mentored by
Mentoring Involves
Guiding Reflection & Analysis
Supervision Involves
Evaluation, Hiring and Salary Issues
Teachers should know what, if any parts of
their work with mentors are not confidential.
Evaluation of teachers by mentors for the
purpose of official position evaluation is
usually corrosive to a learning relationship.
If a mentor has any involvement in hiring,
promotion or other employment related
decisions, it must be disclosed to the teacher.
In a positive program climate the performance
of a teacher is supported through clear
Conclude by asking the group if they feel it may be too challenging for some supervisor –
teacher pairs to act in the dual and often conflicting roles of mentor – mentee and supervisor –
2. Reflective Supervision
Mini-lecture: Define reflective supervision and give examples.
Conditions needed: Fill in from the following bulleted list anything the participants do not
state in response to this question,
What advice would you give to supervisors considering mentoring a teacher?
• Be clear about your role as well comfortable with the question, “What hat are you
wearing now, supervisor or mentor?”
Conclude by stating that it is essential to ask this question: Do the supervisors and teachers have
a history of successful problem-solving experiences and have mutually decided that they want
more time together?
Purposes
• To remind and clarify for participants that supervision has some functions that are very
different from mentoring.
3. Transferring skills and abilities from supervising to mentoring
Purpose: To show students how to turn ideas about reflective supervision into practice.
4. Leaders acting as mentors
Ask participants to journal after class about the following questions after reading the
chapter.
• Consider a time when you, or someone you know well, took on the duties of managing or
leading in an educational or related organization.
• Discuss several of the duties and skills of a manager who is able to effectively keep a
school or other group or organization running.
• Then, discuss a few strengths that you have observed in a leader who is able to help
teachers identify and discuss the vision and direction in which a children’s program
should go.
• Have you ever seen all of these skills present in one person?
• Finally, do you think it is possible for persons acting as managers or leaders in a school to
also act as mentors to teachers?
• Have you witnessed such dual roles in action? What questions do you have about
juggling multiple roles and responsibilities?
5. Meeting the needs of the situation by choosing technical or innovative strategies
Mini-lecture: Discuss the differences between technical and adaptive responses to work place
dilemmas by sharing concepts from Table 7.2.
Direct participants to Table 7.2 and state:
Notice the different characteristics of the challenges offered to supervisors and teachers who are
Purpose: To introduce students to the importance of differentiating between technical and
adaptive responses and to consider when each is the best choice for a work place dilemma.
More suggested reading
Bruno, H. E. (2009). Leading on purpose: Emotionally intelligent early childhood
Kagan, E., Sockalingham, S., Walker, J. A., & Zachik, A. (2010). The work of leadership
in systems change for human services and education. In G. M. Blau & P. R. Macgrab
(Eds.), The Leadership Equation: Strategies for individuals who are champions for
children, youth and families. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Lieberman, A., & Friedrich, L. (2010). How teachers become leaders: Learning from
practice and research. New York: Teachers College Press.
Linksy, M., & Heifetz, R. A. (2007). Foreword. In S. G. Goffin and V. Washington,
Ready or not: Leadership choices in early care and education (pp. ix – xi). New York:
Teachers College Press.
Parlakian, R. (2002). Look, listen, and learn: Reflective supervision and relationship-
based work. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE.
Parlakian, R. (2002). Reflective Supervision in Practice: Stories from the field.
Washington DC: ZERO TO THREE.
Schon, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New
York: Basic Books.
Scott Heller, S., & Gilkerson, L. (Eds.). (2009). A practical guide to reflective
supervision. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE.
Shahmoon-Shanok, R. (2006). Reflective supervision for an integrated model: What,
why and how? In G. Foley and J. Hochman, (Eds.), Mental health in early