The supervision series: what is supervision?

This is the first in a short blog series around the topic of supervision in education. First up, what is supervision?

In some fields of work, such as Psychology, Counselling and Coaching, supervision is an important resource for practitioners and sometimes a requirement. In recent years, supervision has found a space in education.  That said, it is often misunderstood and the term ‘supervision’ perhaps brings some resistance that I think is connected with the idea that it’s about ‘being told what to do’ or being ‘monitored’ in some way. This is not what supervision is about.

I sometimes wonder if 'supervision' is the right word to be used in education but for now, I think it is. It has a unique offering and one that I hope will be welcomed and embraced if we take the time to understand and explore how it can be useful to us as both educators and human beings.

Broadly speaking, supervision is about taking the time and space to think, feel and explore new ways of being and doing.  As leaders, you are immersed in the challenges, turmoil, emotions and relational struggles of your team, your children and young people, their families and communities.  All of this has an impact on you. 

Over time (or indeed, pretty quickly) this can lead you to look for a change of some kind, to feel you’re not doing a good enough job or that the work you do is unsustainable. Maybe you experience more of a nebulous 'niggle' that you can't quite articulate.  There are of course wider systemic issues that impact, and while supervision can’t change these things, it can support you as a person, as a leader and as a practitioner in how you respond to and manage these influences.  

If you are curious about exploring supervision and how it might support you and | or your team, please get in touch. I can help you work out if it’s what you’re looking for.

Next up I share the 3 main functions of supervision.