What My Supervisor Wants Me To Know... (plus a freebie!)

I have been supervising graduate interns a couple semesters now.  Each semester I learn more and more as a supervisor.  Whether you are taking a graduate student intern or if you are an intern (going to be an intern soon) this post may give you some guidance!

• Don't hesitate to ask!  We want you to ask questions.  We don't expect you to know everything.  The worst thing that can happen..your supervisor may say "try it and see!"
• We expect you to make mistakes!  You are learning!  We may let you make a mistake purposely so you learn from it.
• Be flexible!  Don't be so focused on making a lesson go exactly as planned.  It may not and that is ok.  We want you to change and adapt if necessary.  Don't write a lesson plan with step by step of what you plan to do and think you have to stick with it. I know I would rather you write a framework.  With that said...
• Plan for the unexpected.  What can go wrong?!  Can you predict all of the scenarios?!  This way, you can be prepared for it all!
• Use time wisely!  Use prep time to look up ideas, browse through my materials to get ideas, collaborate, evaluate progress data, work on paperwork/data collection/reports to write.  There is always something to do!
• Be organized.  Either get a lesson plan book or create your own ways to write down everything.  This way, you remember: did you do that lesson with that group yet?  What materials will you need for each group?  Keep your materials in a way that doesn't get ruined if it rains and you can easily find it.  Since you are a traveling SLP (placements and school), you want to keep things in a way that you can be the most organized.  I used these expanding file holders.  I would get a large one for worksheets and activities I created.  I would use a small one to hold articulation cards I created and picture visuals.  I would also use index card holders to hold flash cards I made using index cards!

• Observing isn't a free session/break.  We want you to learn from us.  I know when I have students observing, I plan specific lessons on purpose.  I want them to see certain things.  What goal was I addressing?  How did I reach it?  What behaviors of the students did you observe?  How did I handle behavior management?  How did I differentiate?  I created a form that I like my graduate students to use while they are observing me.  This way, they have a guideline of what to look for.  Not only that, they also have written down several lesson ideas that they can take away with them!  

If you are a supervisor, you may want to offer this form for your graduate students.  If you are a graduate students, you may want to impress your supervisors having it ready to go to take notes!  I made this form available as a FREEBIE in my TpT store.  You can access it HERE!

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