Vignette #1: Albert,
an administrator who supervises school psychologists and counselors, firmly
believes that his supervisees must “join” with the teachers to gain their
respect and cooperation. He finds
that otherwise the teachers view them as “self-styled experts in an ivory
tower.” He therefore requires that
supervisees observe in multiple schools and classrooms, attend faculty
meetings, and be very familiar with the curricula. He encourages all school psychologists and counselors to
“partner” with specific teachers and spend a great deal of time in their
classrooms. He even encourages
those without teaching experience to serve as substitute teachers! Imagine you are a supervisee working with
Albert. How do you respond to these requests? How do you follow along with his
ideas while still protecting your boundaries as a student? What are some ways
that you can capture these ideals in the work you already do?
Vignette #2: Everything
about Carla bothered her internship supervisor, Matt. He saw her as a perfectionist, whining, self-absorbed,
materialistic “Valley girl.” The
more she tried to please, the angrier he became. He found himself avoiding answering her phone calls and
e-mails, being very curt, and arriving late to or even missing supervision
sessions. He was somewhat
bewildered by his atypical behavior until one day he almost called her by his
ex-wife’s name. “Ah,” he thought.
“I need to work on this!” Imagine that
you are Carla, a hard working intern who enjoys structure and feedback and
wants to have a better supervisory relationship with Matt. You notice he has been less involved
than you would like. How do you approach Matt? What do you hope he might say?
What are some other recourses if it does not go the way you would like it to?
Dilemma #1:
Imagine that you are a supervising school psychologist. An intern who is quite
enthusiastic and eager – and who looks very young—is under your
supervision. The majority of
teachers in your school are mature and close to retirement They have seen many educational
fads come and go and have little patience with young enthusiasm. After 6 months, you perceive that the
teachers in the school consistently turn to you even regarding those cases
handled entirely by the intern. What are the supervisory considerations?
What should be done? What could have been done to prevent this?
Dilemma #2: You
and the other intern in your school disagree about the appropriateness of
social contacts with school personnel and turn to your supervisor for
advice. One of you believes that
participating in social events outside of school hours is helpful and
appropriate in that it enables her to build friendships with colleagues that
facilitate her work in the school as a consultant. Therefore, this intern accepts invitations to dinners,
parties, and after-hours socializing in bars. The other intern believes that participating in social
events is an ethical violation that leads to dual relationships. Which
intern are you? Or are you somewhere in between? Describe your stance on this,
as well as what you think the supervisor should say in response.
Reflective Question
#1: Why do challenges to positive interpersonal relationships between
supervisors and supervisees occur, and how do they manifest themselves?
Reflective Question
#2: School psychologists often encourage the positive social and emotional
development of students. How can
these principles apply to the interpersonal relationships between supervisors
and their supervisees?
