Introduction

Assessing and Planning Skills

Direct Assistance to Teachers

The dynamic responsibilities of a supervisor demand a diverse skill set in order to effectively
envision, communicate, plan, achieve, and reflect on the progress, or lack of, toward the school's
vision or mission statement. A pivotal component of this progression is a supervisor's ability to
effectively empower teachers and staff in their professional development by effectively
evaluating the needs, styles, and preferences of the staff. With this in mind, this essay will
compare and contrasts two strategies utilized to support teachers in their growth toward
professional goals; clinical supervision and peer coaching. Further, this essay will identify the
strengths and weaknesses of each model and how they use assessing and planning skills. Each
model uniquely contributes to the supervisory process using diverse methods, developed in the
educational community over the past six decades.

Clinical Supervision:

The first structure of clinical supervision was drawn by the Robert Gold hammer's in 1969. In the
model he encompassed five steps pre-observation, conference, observation, analysis and strategy,
supervision conference, post-conference. In 1973, Morris Cogan described Gold hammer's work
and also explained the clinical model of supervision. This model consists of eight stages,
constructing the teacher supervision relationship, planning with teacher, developing the strategy
of observation, perceiving instruction, analyze teaching learning method, organizing the strategy
of the conference, the conference, and renewed planning. These designs have been more
simplified by Acheson and Gall and include following steps: a planning conference, classroom
observation, and a feedback conference (Clifford, Macy, et.al. 2005).

Clinical Supervision Strengths and Weaknesses:

The model's strength lies in its goal-oriented, collegial approach to improving instruction. This
model requires a substantive, working relationship to develop and exist between the teacher and
the supervisor, and a dynamic and knowledgeable supervisor who can effectively analyze and
communicate teaching strategies, systems, and methodologies. However, these requirements can
also serve as the downfall to this approach. If the supervisor is unable to develop a strong rapport
with the teacher, it will detour the teacher from accepting feedback or build a dialog essential to
developing instructional strategies and strengths. Equally, a teacher must move into a learner's
stance in this model. In some cases, teachers are hesitant to identify and address weaknesses
evident to the supervisor, particularly if there is not a strong working relationship in place.
Clinical supervision uses planning as part of its critical component during the conference which
takes place between the teacher and supervisor. This conference serves to identify the needs of
the teacher's development, and will determine the focus of the follow-up observation. For
example, at Centennial Valley Elementary School, a teacher chooses one of four domains
engagement, classroom management, content knowledge, and professionalism. Through a
teacher-led discussion the domain will be identified as the area of focus, and the supervisor
moves into a position to observe and provide knowledge, expertise and resources.