University Supervisor Responsibilities

• Overall Coordination.  The University Supervisor maintains a critical role in the teacher education program at Frostburg State University.  Not only does the Supervisor collaborate with the mentor teacher to insure that the Intern is performing well and developing needed professional skills and dispositions to become an outstanding teacher, the Supervisor is the crucial link in the collection and maintenance of the legal documentation that the Intern, and consequently the College of Education, is meeting all state, accreditation, and mandated standards. The Supervisor should be the first point-of-contact when the mentor needs any assistance at all. Supervisors must provide mentor teachers with their contact information (both phone number and email address) at the beginning of each semester. The Supervisor is the primary person to resolve Intern deficiencies before they become so severe that the Intern must be removed from a placement. Again, the chain of communication must flow this way:

Mentor Teacher     ►    University Supervisor     ►     Program Coordinator      ►     Office of Field Experiences

• Hello Visits.  University Supervisors make initial visits during the first week or two of the semester. They trade contact information and collaborate with mentor teachers, discuss initial impressions, and set the stage for the internship.

• Formal Observations.  Supervisors may choose to do some informal observations along with formal observations. While formal observations (those that will be included in intern paperwork) should be planned ahead of time and be scheduled, informal observations (those that will not be included in intern paperwork) can occur at any time and need not be scheduled. Before the first formal observation, the intern needs to decide with the mentor a topic for the lesson and completely review the plans for the lesson. The Supervisor conducts a minimum of one formal observation during each three-week internship and two observations in the seven week experience. Supervisors will also want to see technology integrated with one of the observations. A long, detailed lesson plan is required at each observation, and a copy is to be provided to the Supervisor. Supervisors record information during the observations. They may use different observation forms during the semester. If time permits, the Supervisor may conference with the intern. The Supervisor will maintain copies of the lesson plan and observation for submission with the final intern packet. Materials from the formal observations are kept as part of the intern’s permanent record.

• Internship Evaluations.  See Mentor section for details.

• Completion and Collection of Required Forms.  The University Supervisor shall maintain all internship forms and materials required by the College of Education for each assigned Intern.  These materials are to be compiled and assembled in a packet for each Intern and filed with the Office of Clinical and Field Experience by noon on the final day of each semester, concurrent with the recording of the official grade in the internship by the Supervisor.  Each packet shall contain the following completed, verified, and signed items:

1. Time Sheets for each placement.
2. Evaluations, with content standard forms, for each placement.
3. Observations with lesson plans attached, as noted above.
4. An Assessment and Validation Form for the Unit Plan.
5. A Professional Development School Checklist for each school.
6. Any other material of proper and appropriate interest, such as building administrator observations, recommendation letters, and notes of commendation from professional staff.