Please respond to one of these scenarios or reflective questions. Please limit two responses to each. Put the scenario number you have chosen in the title of your post (ex. Vignette 1 response). NO NAMES PLEASE If you are the second to respond, make sure you comment on the first responder's remarks.
Vignette #1: Barbara has been working as a
school psychologist for 10 years and feels reasonably capable and competent in
the position. This year, one of her schools is entering into an agreement with
a nearby university to become a professional development school, which means
that she is now expected to supervise interns. She feels that the supervision she received as an intern was
excellent, but that was a long time ago.
She is not sure her skills are completely up to date, she no longer has
a supervisor, and she has neither had a course in supervision nor ever worked
in a setting in which she received supervision other than her internship. She feels that having interns would be
exciting and enriching but is concerned that she is being asked to practice in
an area beyond her expertise. Imagine
that you are Barbara’s intern. What conversation would you like her to have
with you and what concerns would you express?
Vignette #2: Intern
Fran had two remarkably different supervisors. At the high school, her supervisor Sam was highly
suspicious, monitored every minute of her time, and in general made her feel
incompetent even at the end of her internship year. Her supervisor at the middle and elementary schools, Joan,
was the complete opposite – she fostered Fran’s professional growth through
guided practice and encouraged Fran to take on substantial responsibility. Joan would have liked Fran to take over
her position upon her retirement that August, but Fran declined the job
offer. Her experience with Sam had
so undermined her self-confidence that she left the field of school psychology.
Imagine you are in Fran’s cohort. What would
you tell Fran if she told you she was thinking of leaving school psychology
after this experience?
Dilemma #1: Your
supervisor knows your university has very specific expectations for the
internship year. The intern is expected to perform the full range of school
psychological services, including direct and indirect interventions and
assessment. While your supervisor
was trained in direct interventions such as counseling, their job has been
restricted, omitting many of these activities, so it seems they feel extremely
rusty and incompetent with these skills, and their job description has limited
their access to these types of activities. How would you, the
intern approach this situation? What would you want your supervisor to say or
do to help?
Dilemma #2: It is the beginning of a new school
year, and you have emailed your supervisor about their expectations as supervisor
and your wishes for learning opportunities for the school year. The supervisor
writes back that they have just found out about many unexpected evaluations
that have appeared on their case load and these need to be completed in a short
amount of time. This is going to
put additional time constraints on what introductions and topic the supervisor
intended on covering with your intern at the beginning of the year. They are afraid they may not have time
to complete your beginning of the year intern evaluation. As the intern, ow can you approach this situation?
Reflective Question #1:
Discuss the development of supervision
goals as part of a comprehensive supervision contract. Why are they important and how should
they be formulated?
Reflective Question #2:
Describe the fundamental learning
principals to which supervisors should attend when they design supervisory
teaching strategies. How might
these principles have ramifications on the evaluations of your work as an
intern?
Vignette #1 response
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think this is a very plausible scenario that can occur in schools probably more frequently than we would like. In this situation, there is a relationship being established between the university and the school. I think there is responsibility on both parties to ensure that supervisors are adequately prepared and have resources at their disposal to assuage and concerns or issues they may have both before and during the supervisory period. As her intern, I would want to establish open communication about what both of our expectations are from this relationship and this school year. I would like her to be open and honest about the situation and how she feels about having an intern. The concerns I would express are:
-how comfortable she would feel seeking guidance from other school psychs in the district or contacting the university for resources if we come to something that she feels is beyond her expertise, or if there are other school psychologists in the building that I could go to for supervision in this type of a situation
-how well she thinks she will be able to determine if something is not within her expertise and what the immediate steps will be if this occurs
-how we will determine my work load as an intern and how frequently we will adjust this
-what her supervision experience was like 10 years ago, what she would like to model after that and what she would do differently
-how she feels about me bringing things to the table, suggesting options, and working on my own
I think if we were to have a conversation going over these concerns, establishing open communication and mutual respect, and determining a feasible groundwork to build upon that we both agree on then I would feel more comfortable in this situation.
I agree that open communication is essential in this situation and I also like your point about establishing a relationship between the university and the school. I think that the university can be an excellant source of support in helping to prepare Barbara in supervising interns and feeling more comfortable in her abilities and skills. I think having the supervisor be aware of her strengths and weaknesses and having an open conversation about them will really be beneficial overall. If areas of weakness are identified then the supervisor/intern relationship will more likely be successful. I think this conversation is essential in establishing an open and strong intern/supervisor relationship for the duration of the year.
DeleteDilemma #1
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be an incredibly common situation. I found this happened to me as a practicum student and am sure I will find it happens as an intern. Last year, I had a serious conversation with my supervisor about the expectations set for me as a practicum student. We wrote down not only goals, but also every assignment required and how/when I would complete it. When it came to consultation cases and counseling, this was not an area my supervisor was responsible for. We decided it would be best for me to work with the social worker as well as the interventionists in order to complete these assignments.
This year I am in a different situation. I have two supervisors in 6 different schools (3 supervisors and 7 schools if you count my HS rotation). I will be able to have a range of opportunities because each supervisor views their role differently. One focuses quite a bit on meetings and evaluations while the other works more in the classrooms and in collaboration with the social workers. I am not sure yet what my HS supervisor's job role entails are so I cannot speak to her expertise/responsibilities yet. Being in this situation, my plan is to be able to get as many experiences as possible, so that might mean completing different things in different schools. While I don't plan on being in all 6 schools full time, I do plan on discussing with my supervisors which schools will allow me to fulfill not only the requirements for internship, but also get a range of experiences (e.g. working in the cross-cat classrooms, ED classrooms, with new curriculum, data management, intervention, counseling, consultation with teachers etc.). This may mean doing an evaluation or project in a school I do not consider one of my "main" schools. I also plan on making sure to discuss who would be best to work with for fulfilling each of my requirements (e.g. the social worker, the interventionists, the sped director/district case managers, resource teachers etc.). As my supervisors, I expect they will lead me in the right direction in terms of who would be best to guide me in areas they may not consider themselves experts.
Being an intern means becoming independent as a school psych with supervision. This will require all of us to reach out and have these conversations with our supervisors early on to ensure that we have the best guidance from those who provide the services we will be capable/expected to perform when we are certified school psychologists.
That's a lot of schools! I think openly discussing the expectations for each assignment ahead of time is a great idea. Being open to working with other professionals in the school based on their expertise is a good approach in my opinion. Being upfront about things can save a lot of tension later on in the school year. Having a conversation about supervision is something I need to do as I begin my internship this week because at my school, the school psychologist is the only psych for the entire high school and she has a more limited role due to the restrictions of having such a large case load. I think it can also be intimidating to work with others in the school at times, but setting that precedent early on can help form those relationships early in the school year.
DeleteI'm on the same page as you, CMP. I had a conversastion with my supervisor right away to make sure it was clearly understood the amount of supervision I need this year. It is hard to approach an overworked supervisor to say "hey, you need spend two hours at least per week with me on top of everything else you have going!" But then again, they agreed to be supervisors, and in order to get the best learning experience, we need that time. I keep track of questions I have throughout the week, and when we meet I bring my tablet of questions and we have great discussions -- and time is used efficiently.
DeleteDilemma 1-
ReplyDeleteI also had this happen to me last year. My supervisor did not do formal counseling, but instead acted as more of a mentor/tutor with the students he met with. At times it was difficult for me to get the supervision and help that I needed to feel as though I was effectively counseling my student. One thing that I found that helped was using my supervisor as someone who I could just debrief with and talk about how I felt things were going. This helped me to receive some feedback and to make sure that I was headed in the right direction. I also began to discuss with the school social worker who was more involved in counseling in the school. She was able to provide activities that I could use and suggestions. I think reaching out to someone who is experienced in a certain role or activity is essential to making sure that we are benefiting from internship, even if it may not be our primary supervisor. If there is no one in the school we can turn to I think utilizing our peers or professors is a great way to get advice and guidance.
In this situation I would want my supervisor to be honest with me and tell me that he or she does not have experience fulfilling that role. Something that would be particularly helpful was if they connected me with someone in the school who may have more experience such as a counselor or a social worker. If that is not possible then I would still want my supervisor to be available to problem-solve and debrief with, and offer suggestions based on their professional opinion. Internship is a year for learning and probably the last time in which we will have consistent supervision. That is why I think it is important to take advantage of the situation and find ways to receive the guidance and support we need.
This year I have two primary supervisors, however neither of them are involved in counseling in the schools. I am fortunate, although, in that they are striving to build my skills across all areas and connected me with another school psychologist in the cooperative who does a lot of counseling. I will be working directly with that school psychologist for counseling cases, which I am excited about since I know that I will receive the proper supervision. I think this is a realistic solution for when your supervisor cannot meet your needs.
That is great that there is another school psychologist in the co-op who you can work directly with to hone your counseling skills. I think that all the skills we are striving to learn during our training is covered by someone in the school district and even if it is not our supervisor's typical duty to perform it, there is someone in the school who does. It is important to discern who you can turn to for supervision or help in various areas. I have learned more and more that many individuals who work in schools are very willing to help us succeed in our training and we just need to ask!
DeleteVignette #2
ReplyDeleteI feel many of us may be able to relate to Frans frustration with different supervisors by the time we have completed our internship year. Either comparing supervisors from practicum year to internship year, or having multiple supervisors at internship, it is important to remember that each individual is unique and different in there own approach to supervision. Myself, I have already noticed a complete difference between my supervisor at practicum last year compared to my current supervisor at internship this year. Although their personalities and approach are complete opposites, its important to remember they are competent in the field and have a wealth of information they can share to better prepare us for the future.
Approaching Fran in regards to this specific situation, I would first start by explaining to her that as a member of the cohort I am here to support her feelings and the experience she had. I’d continue by explaining to Fran she needs to remember the good experiences she had with Joan and take into account the fact that Joan wanted her to take her position after retirement. This is a strong indicator that Joan felt Fran was competent and trusts her as a replacement when she leaves. Fran should look at this in a positive way and try to understand that it is very complementary of Joan.
Additionally, I would explain to Fran that her supervisor at the high school may have felt he was preparing her for a job by making sure she was busy and correcting her mistakes to prevent them in the future. Although he came off harsh and overbearing, this may have been his personality and his way of ensuring she was prepared.
Lastly, I’d explain to Fran that she can’t let this one experience hold her back from her passion or career in the field. Many supervisors may come across as overbearing or not supporting enough, but either way its important for the experience and will help her in the future when she decides to be a supervisor. I would strongly encourage Fran to continue in the field and provide further support by helping her look for jobs that fit her interest level.
Your ideas are incredibly thoughtful. I agree that focusing on the positive is crucial and can be generalized to other situations she might encounter in the future. It seems like working in schools is incredibly team-oriented where many different personalities have to work together. Although it must be incredibly frustrating, knowing how to deal in adverse relationships will be helpful.
DeleteAlthough focusing on the positive seems important, taking action to alleviate some of the problems should also be considered. For example having a conversation and coming to a compromise could be a great learning experience while also improving the circumstances.
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ReplyDeleteDilemma #2
ReplyDeleteAs the intern, I would approach this situation by first making sure that I have a clear understanding of the internship experience and what the supervisor’s role and time commitments are during the internship. It may be helpful to look over documents such as, the internship handbook, internship contract, internship plan, and/or university program handbook. With this information in mind, I would then go back to my supervisor and ask to talk to him in person or over the phone about the requirements of the internship. I would specifically communicate my concerns that he may not be able to cover introductory topics, including the beginning of the year intern evaluation. This conversation may require problem solving on how this introductory material may be acquired and how the beginning of the year evaluation may be completed. It may be important to remind the supervisor that “the primary purpose of the internship is the training of the intern rather than service to the school district” (internship plan). During this conversation I would assess whether he still wants to take on the role of supervisor for the internship year and whether he thinks he will be able to fulfill the internship requirements. If things are not resolved during this conversation or if questions arise that can not be answered between me and my supervisor, I would contact the university internship supervisor for guidance.
I love the line that you quote in your response ("the primary purpose of the internship is the training of the intern rather than service to the school district" because I think this gets lost, so often, for both the intern AND the school or district they are working in. When I was a practicum student last year, I remember people saying that they had become so "intern dependent" and that they weren't sure what they were going to do the next school year without interns! So I definitely think this is a good point to remind not only the interns themselves, but also the supervisors at the district/school level. I think this discussion that you lay-out would be difficult to have - you don't want to come-off as accusatory - but at the same time, your training is extremely important and valuable, and it should not be taken for granted.
DeleteVignette #2 (Fran)
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that popped into my head – poor Fran! It’s such a shame, yet at the same time so understandable, that a poor supervision experience has thrown her for a loop. Suddenly she is questioning herself and her competence in a field in which she had invested so much time and money.
I’ve noticed through the past two years that our cohort has almost become a second family, so I would hope that Fran would feel comfortable enough to speak with me about her situation, and we could then have a frank and honest discussion about her feelings and concerns. Though I can only speak for myself, I would reassure Fran that many people – myself included – have at one time or another, questioned whether this is truly the right field for them. Especially as young, relatively inexperienced students, we find ourselves second guessing our choices, nervous about whether or not we are doing the right thing, or whether others view us as competent practitioners. I would listen to Fran’s fears, but also remind her that she entered this field for a reason, went through three years of school for a reason, and of course, was offered the position for a reason. Clearly, Joan sees something special in her, and it seems that Joan is a good judge of character, who acts purposefully and thinks things through. If this is the case, then she isn’t simply throwing the job at Fran because “she’s there”; instead, she sees potential in Fran, and trusts both her skills and knowledge as a practitioner.
Whether in this field or in another field, we’ve all had bad bosses. Perhaps Sam was not confident in his own abilities as a supervisor or a professional; thus, he projected onto Fran, watching her every move and making her feel like she wasn’t worthy of continuing. Perhaps he became a supervisor to try to prove that he was “better” than others – to prove something to himself, for some reason. Or, perhaps he’s just a lousy supervisor for no reason. Nevertheless, he should not have the power to make Fran feel that she cannot continue in a profession she is capable of working in. I would remind Fran of this fact, and would encourage her to consider all the strengths and growth she saw in herself over the past year at internship, to really reconsider leaving the profession. In the end, it is up to her, but I would remind Fran that I am there for her no matter what, and that she can absolutely go on to become a successful school psychologist.
I really like that you would listen to Fran's perspective on the situation but also focus on the reason she entered the field in the first place. If she honestly doesn't feel passionate about being a school psychologist anymore then I think that it is fine to switch careers. However, if she is still interested in being a school psychologist and is not feeling confident in her abilities that is a completely different issue.
DeleteI think you bring up a good point, that we have discussed somewhat during our practicum class; we are all people and have things going on in our lives. We each come to the table with a unique perspective and situation. We need to accept people for who they are and what they may be going through in their lives. Something I need to remember is not to take everything too personally and instead to have an open dialogue about it and remain professional in whatever situation I may find myself in.
Another option may be to take the job and ask for some extra supervision maybe on a monthly basis from another school psychologist in the district or building in order to help regain confidence and also feel supported. If Joan was very confident in Fran's abilities then I think it would be completely reasonable for her to ask her district to put in some supports for Fran during her first year.
Vignette 2 (Fran)
DeleteTo expound upon what EJA and CMP have shared related to Fran, I would start by first and foremost reassuring Fran that as budding, new professionals in the field, we ALL have our doubts about our competencies and feeling "ready", and that it's ok to feel unsure, in fact, it's common. But, I would also emphasize that she/we can't allow that fear to paralyze us, and that we have to trust the process (of our training and everything else that has gotten us to this point). I would remind her that although it's extremely unfortunate that she has a supervisor undermining her hard work and efforts, that, on the other hand, she has a wonderful supervisor investing in her and sharing her wealth of knowledge because she believes in her abilities and wants her to succeed. I think at this point it would be helpful to point out Fran's strengths to herself, which she can't seem to see. I know from experience that when you're feeling down on yourself, it's easy to overlook the successful things that you ARE doing, and it seems like Fran needs a reality check about just how capable she is and how bright her future in school psychology can be if she presses forward.
I would also encourage her to seek University faculty support, who can also affirm her strengths and point out just how much she's grown in her training (with a diploma to prove it, nonetheless). So, I think Fran will have to take all of this feedback and personally reflect on whether or not she thinks she has what it takes to be successful in the field moving forward. It is my hope that she would find the insight and fortitude to know that this her bad experience with supervisor Sam is just one experience and one of opinion of many, and not to let that define her.
Furthermore, in choosing her first job, I would recommend that Fran choose a district that supports its psychologists through appropriate supervision, professional development, and trainings. Seeking out a mentor and/or creating a peer supervision group within or without the district that she can use for support in that first year will be critical.
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ReplyDeleteVignette #1:
ReplyDeleteAs Barbara’s intern I would want to make sure that I have a conversation with her prior to the internship beginning or as soon as possible. I think that starting off with having a conversation about what my expectations are as an intern and what her expectations are as my supervisor would be an excellent way to start off on the right foot. Beginning my internship with open communication is key to addressing this issue. At the same time it is also important for me as the intern to express my goals for the internship and ask what my supervisor’s goals are for me as well. A concern that I would definitely have as an intern is if I would be getting the supervision I needed in all areas and if there are any areas of weakness that Barbara could identify that may exist. By identifying these areas openly we could collaborate to identify ways in which those areas could be supplemented through the resources in the school and/or district. Perhaps my rotation supervisor would be a resource to access in order to make sure that I am getting supervision in all the areas that I needed and collaboration may be needed in that respect. Finally, I would also want to address what she found helpful when she was an intern and why she felt that supervision was excellent. Due to the fact that every individual benefits from different supervision styles this would give me the opportunity to express to Barbara what supervision style would best work for me. In the end I believe that this is an ongoing conversation, as when new situations arise I may need different types of supervision given the situation. By beginning the conversation early this would open the door to future conversations regarding supervision.
I agree that open communication is key to the supervisor/supervisee relationship, and that by having the conversation about mutual goals early on, it can start off the relationship on the right foot. Also, by communicating to Barbara what supervision styles work best for you in the beginning may alleviate some of her anxieties about how she should approach the relationship. I also like that you suggest using the rotation supervisor as a resource for Barbara to ensure that she is providing good supervision for you. Perhaps there is also another psychologist in the district who has supervised interns in the past, and they can also be a good resource for Barbara, or act as her mentor.
DeleteReflection Question #1
ReplyDeleteCreating supervision goals seems to be an obvious first step as an intern in a goal-driven field. It is always recommended that practitioners create goals for caseloads so why not have goals for us and our growth? Individualized goal setting can help create a dialogue with supervisors where interests can better be explored. Additionally goals help redirect actions when busy schedules sometimes muddy personal aims. When goals are also communicated and agreed upon, interns can advocate for themselves to take part in activities they find beneficial.
Creating goals early on may be difficult because opportunities and school needs might not be fully understood. Because of that it might be necessary to set tentative goals and further develop them once the setting and opportunities are better explored. For example it might be beneficial to begin with the goal of “develop family collaboration skills” however that can further be developed depending on the specific family issues that pertain to the setting.
Well said MIP. I see internship as somewhat of an extension of practicum. It is a chance to fill in the gaps in a way. During the interview process I considered places that would offer me experiences that I had not gotten at practicum. This also seems like a logical place to begin in terms of goals for internship. I think it is especially important for the supervisor and intern to be in agreement as to what the goals are. It is likely that the supervisor will need to make those opportunities available to the intern. There may also be limitations at a particular site to consider.
DeleteI like MIP's idea that goals are like a living and breathing entity. Things will change over the course of the year and adjustments will almost definitely be necessary. The goal may be too simple or if achieved, there may be opportunities to expand and add a new challenge. I also think this helps to keep the process fluid as opposed to rigid. The goals should be changed or modified as needed to best facilitate learning rather than a set of hard and fast rules for the experience.
I agree with BAB and MIP about the goals being flexible. It seems like the internship plan is just a draft of opportunities we could be getting but we could find more or change what we want to do to gain that experience. I sat down with both supervisors after I created a rough draft on my own. I liked having something to show them and then have them add in their ideas and opportunities. The plan was more vague because the specific opportunities will present themselves as the year progresses.
DeleteThe internship contract is similar to the plan in that it hold the intern and supervisor accountable. We as interns are expected to achieve certain goals that the supervisor has for us and the supervisor is held responsible for providing us the experiences we need to get us ready for our first real job as a school psychologist. I feel that it is EXTREMELY important to discuss these goals with all your supervisors so that everyone is on the same page. If anything changes with the goals, all parties should meet and discuss the changes. The contract is nice to have just in case anyone feels like someone is not holding up their end of the agreement.
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ReplyDeleteDilemma #2 Response:
ReplyDeleteAs an intern just starting out at the beginning of the year, I think this could be a challenging situation and should be handled delicately, but firmly so as not to allow the supervisor overlook this important phase of our relationship. I wouldn’t want to be too reactive when they tell me that they don’t think there will be enough time, especially if it was a supervisor I was looking forward to working with, in a school or district I’ve heard good things about. I would want to approach the situation by communicating to my supervisor how important it is for both of us to review the internship contract and evaluation together, so we both have a clear understanding of the expectations of our roles throughout the year. I would also explain that is important that she know what areas I have had experience in and where I’ve had no experience, so we can begin to think of ways in which to increase my exposure to and competency in the different areas, as this is the most crucial point of my internship. Lastly, I think that I would offer to assist my supervisor with the evaluations in any way I could, whether it be administering assessments as she observes, assisting her in scoring the assessments, writing the reports, etc., so as to relieve some of the workload, while gaining experience myself.