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College of Human Development, Culture, and Media

Clinical Supervisors  

The clinical Supervisor is one-third of a triad, which also includes the university faculty and the cooperating teacher. Your expertise in the field of education and your willingness to share this expertise with our teacher candidates is invaluable to the success of our teacher candidates.

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJAC 6A:9A-3.3) requires that a clinical supervisor:

  • Has had experience supervising, consulting or otherwise working in an elementary/secondary school in contact with classroom teachers within the previous two years; and
  • Has demonstrated expertise in the field in which he or she is supervising.

In addition, Seton Hall University requires that a clinical supervisor:

  • Has earned a master's degree or acquired equivalent job experience;
  • Has a minimum of three years of teaching and/or administrative experience; and
  • Has previously worked as either a cooperating teacher or as an administrator with supervisory experience.

Seton Hall's expectations of your role as a clinical supervisor include:

  • Attendance at mandatory training sessions;
  • Attendance at convocation to meet with candidates prior to the first observation;
  • Contact in person, by phone or email with the Office of Fieldwork and Certification to receive updates about our program;
  • Timely sharing of evaluations with teacher candidates and timely submission of evaluations via the College's online evaluation system; and
  • Early notification sent to the Director of the Office of Fieldwork and Certification of any challenges faced by the teacher candidate.

School District expectations of your role as a clinical supervisor include:

  • Contacting cooperating teachers prior to your scheduled arrival;
  • Introducing yourself to the principal or key building administrator on your first visit to the school;
  • Assisting the cooperating teacher in understanding the developmental process of our teacher preparation program and your role as clinical supervisor; and
  • Conferring with the cooperating teacher and the teacher candidate about the teacher candidate's work and progress; conducting group conferences with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher, as appropriate.

The teacher candidate's expectations of your role as a clinical supervisor include:

  • Working with the teacher candidate to design a supervision schedule and informing the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher of planned visits;
  • Observing the teacher candidate and evaluating performance using the appropriate evaluation forms; providing concrete, specific feedback regarding learning and instruction; and assisting the teacher candidate in locating instructional resources;
  • Providing specific suggestions and feedback about strategies for creating a positive classroom environment;
  • Sharing your knowledge about classroom management and sharing constructive feedback about the teacher candidate's developing skills in this area;
  • Sharing information on and feedback about how to acknowledge differences in the classroom and how to modify lessons to include all learners;
  • Reviewing the teacher candidate's use of assessments and providing constructive feedback about them;
  • Providing concrete approaches about collaboration with colleagues and families;
  • Assisting the cooperating teacher in understanding the developmental process of the teacher preparation program and your role as supervisor;
  • Conferring with cooperating teacher, relative to the teacher candidate's work and progress; conducting group conferences with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher, as appropriate; and
  • Timely sharing of evaluations with teacher candidates and timely submission of written evaluations to the College's online evaluation system;

Our university supervision model is based upon models of clinical supervision designed to set specific learning goals for teacher candidates and to assess progress using a variety of observation techniques.

Clinical supervisors can access all required information, forms, processes and policies in the Clinical Placement Handbook. There is a section dedicated specifically to Cooperating Teachers. The Handbook can be accessed here » 

Training

As part of your responsibilities as a cooperating teacher, you will need to complete one or both of two online trainings and complete the associated assessment depending on whether or not you are a Clinical Supervisor of a clinical intern or a pre-clinical intern.

A Clinical Supervisor of a pre-clinical intern during clinical experience or a clinical intern in Clinical Practice 2 needs to complete the Observation & Conference report (O&C) training and assessment.

A Clinical Supervisor of a clinical intern completing clinical practice needs to complete the Observation and Conference Report (O&C) training and assessment and the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI) training and assessment.

Handbook

The Clinical Placement Handbook is the best place to find forms, policies, and information. There is a section specifically for Clinical Supervisors.

Checklist for Clinical Supervisors This is a general overview of the tasks that make up the pre-clinical intern and the clinical intern process. This checklist is designed to help you keep organized throughout the semester. pg.135 Handbook

Guide for Week-to-Week Activities for Clinical Practice pg.127 Handbook

Co-Teaching Model pg.128 Handbook

Key Terminology pg. 15 Handbook

Supervisors Expectations pg.134 Handbook

Evaluations

Clinical Experience and Clinical Practice 1 candidates are evaluated using the Observation and Conference Report. Clinical Practice 2 candidates are evaluated by their clinical supervisors using both the Observation and Conference Report and the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI). Clinical Practice 2 candidates are evaluated by their cooperating teachers using the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI)

Time Sheets

Every teacher candidate is required to submit a timesheet to the Office of Clinical Experiences. As the Clinical Supervisor, you are asked to sign off/verify these timesheets for our teacher candidates. The teacher candidate is responsible for handing in approved timesheets on time. Due dates for all timesheet submissions are posted on the Calendar.

Clinical Experience/Clinical Practice 1 Timesheet

Clinical Practice 2 Timesheet

Clinical Experience candidates submit a midterm and final timesheet. Clinical Practice 2 candidates submit a final timesheet. Clinical Supervisors are asked to verify and sign all timesheets please contact the Office of Fieldwork and Certification if you not been asked to sign a midterm or final timesheet.

Clinical Placement Alert Form

We strive to develop the most knowledgeable and skilled teacher candidates possible. In some instances, when our teacher candidates are placed in your classroom setting, he/she may encounter significant areas of improvement that still need to be developed. You are encouraged to discuss any such area with the teacher candidate’s cooperating teacher.  You should first provide feedback to the teacher candidate directly. Any area of significant concern or requiring immediate intervention that the teacher candidate is not addressing or showing improvement in should be submitted using the Clinical Placement Alert Form.  Although the form is to be completed electronically via the link provided, here is a reference form for your convenience.


Supervisor Forms

Clinical Competency Inventory

Clinical Placement Alert Form *For Reference Only*

Clinical Placement Alert Form Submission

Travel and Expense Form

Observation and Conference Report


Supervisor FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Clinical Supervision?

Clinical supervision is the examination of the performance of teacher candidates in real-world settings with the aim of improving instruction and students’ learning. It is a dynamic process where clinical supervisors, teacher candidates and cooperating teachers set mutual goals for the teacher candidate and use observational evidence to analyze his or her teaching performance over time.

What are the Goals of Clinical Supervision?

Clinical supervision teams aim for several outcomes of their work:

  • Objective feedback about a candidate’s teaching;
  • Diagnosis and problem solving;
  • Development of diverse teaching strategies; and
  • Evaluation of teacher candidates.

Ultimately, the triad of university faculty, clinical supervisors and cooperating teachers deems itself responsible for making certain that the teacher candidate improves and that students under that candidate’s tutelage learn.

What Qualities Do Effective Clinical Supervisors Have?

First, effective clinical supervisors have a vision of effective teaching. This vision includes clear ideas about the importance of

  1. different teaching styles, such as direct and indirect instruction;
  2. the teaching of critical thinking skills;
  3. effective planning and classroom management;
  4. addressing the needs of diverse learners; and
  5. valid and reliable student assessment.

While there is no single vision of effective teaching, university supervisors are ultimately interested in whether or not students are learning from the teacher candidate’s work.
Secondly, clinical supervisors need a diverse set of tools to provide evidence of teacher practices and their effects. Among these are selective verbatim transcripts, analysis of student participation, script-taping, videotaped lessons, and shared teaching journals.

Lastly, clinical supervisors need to believe that they are part of a larger team that includes both people in the field and at the university, all of whom share an interest in improving and developing the candidate’s teaching skills and sense of professional responsibility.


Observation & Conference (O&C) Training Video

If you were unable to attend our orientation or training sessions, please view the on-line tutorial below about the Observation and Conference Report, the evaluation tool we ask you to use to assess the performance of your pre-clinical intern. After viewing the tutorial, please complete the on-line assessment through the link below so we have a record that you have completed the training. Cooperating Teachers will receive professional development hours for their work with our students, and this assessment provides evidence that you have met the minimum requirements for that professional development. 

Here you are able to access a PDF of the slides for the overview and training. You might find it helpful for taking notes or reviewing later in the semester: Download

Cooperating Teacher and Clinical Supervisor AssessmentIf you have any questions or problems with the videos or assessments, please contact the Office of Clinical Experiences and Applied Research at 973-761-9347 or at [email protected].


Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI) Training Video

If you attended the on-campus orientations or training sessions for Cooperating Teachers working with clinical interns, please take the quiz for the Clinical Competency Inventory, the evaluation tool used to assess whether a clinical intern should be recommended by us for licensure.

If you were unable to attend the on-campus orientations or training, we ask that you view the training session below. After viewing the training session, please complete the on-line quiz through the link below so we have a record that you have completed the training. Cooperating Teachers will receive professional development hours for their work with our students, and this quiz provides evidence that you have met the minimum requirements for that professional development. 

Here you are able to access a PDF of the slides for the overview and training. You might find it helpful for taking notes or reviewing later in the semester: Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI) Overview_V3-3_SHUversion

CCI Clinical Supervisor and Cooperating Teacher Assessment
If you have any questions or problems with the videos or quizzes, please contact the Office of Clinical Experiences and Applied Research at 973-761-9347 or at [email protected].