COLLEGIAL SUPERVISION
AS AN OPTION

Collegial supervision is defined by Glatthorn (1984) as a "moderately formalized process by which two or more teachers agree to work together for their own professional growth, usually by observing each other's classroom, giving each other feedback about the observations, and discussing shared professional concerns." (p. 287)

Collegial supervision can take many different forms. In some schools teachers might organize themselves into teams of two or three. It might be a good idea in some cases for at least one member of the team to be selected by the principal or supervisor, but there are no rigid rules for composing collegial supervision teams. Once formed, the teams may choose to work together in a number of ways ranging from clinical supervision to less intensive and more informal processes.

Team members may, for example, simply agree to observe each other's classes and provide help according to the desires of the teacher being observed. The teachers might then confer, giving one another informal feedback and discussing issues of teaching that they consider important. An approach that relies on Madeline Hunter's teaching steps and elements of lesson design or on cooperative learning might be used. In this case the emphasis on teaching might be narrowly focused on specific issues inherent in the model that the teacher deems important. On still another occasion the emphasis might be quite unfocused in order to provide a general feel or rendition of teaching. All that is needed is for team members to meet beforehand to decide "the rules and issues" for the observation and for any subsequent conversations or conferences.

Traditionally supervision has come to mean some form of classroom observation. But collegial supervision extends well beyond classroom observation. It provides a setting in which teachers can informally discuss problems they face, share ideas, help one another in preparing lessons, exchange tips, and provide other support to one another.

At issue in considering collegial supervision as an option is the nature of collegiality that emerges. For example, collegiality might be contrived if it is only an artifact of administrative arrangements that are designed to encourage teachers to engage in joint teacher planning and consultation. Examples include peer coaching, mentor teaching, and training programs for those in consultative roles. Such initiatives could be administrative contrivances designed to create collegiality in schools. The receiving school culture is key in determining whether administratively induced collegiality becomes contrived or real. Grafted onto the existing school culture, collegiality is very likely to remain contrived. Collegiality becomes real when it emerges as a result of felt interdependence among teachers, and when teachers view it as an integral part of their professional responsibility to help others and to seek help from others when needed.

GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING
COOPERATIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Teachers should have a voice in deciding with whom they work.
   
   
2. Principals should retain final responsibility for putting together Collegial Supervision teams.
   
   
3. The structure for supervision should be formal enough for the teams to keep records of how and in what ways time has been used and to provide a general nonevaluative description of activities. This record should be submitted annually to the principal.
   
   
4. The principal should provide the necessary resources and administrative support enabling teams to function during the normal range of the school day. The principal might, for example, volunteer to cover classes as needed, or to arrange for substitutes as needed, or to provide for innovative schedule adjustments enabling team members to work together readily.
   
   
5. If information generated within the team about teaching and learning might be considered even mildly evaluative, it should stay with the team and not be shared with the principal.
   
   
6. Under no circumstances should the principal seek evaluation data from one teacher about another.
   
   
7. Each teacher should be expected to keep a professional growth log which demonstrates that she or he is reflecting on practice and growing professionally as a result of activities.
   
   
8. The principal should meet with the team at least once a year for purposes of general assessment and for sharing of impressions and information about the process.
   
   
9. The principal should meet individually at least once a year with each team member to discuss her or his professional growth log and to provide any encouragement and assistance that may be required.
   
   
10. Generally, new teams should be formed every second or third year.