pajak chapter 1 – chapter outline understanding the...

Program: Johns Hopkins University Graduate Certificate in Administration and Supervision Course: Supervision and Professional Development

Pajak, Edward. (2003). Honoring Diverse Teaching Styles: A Guide for Supervisors. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Pajak Chapter 1 – Chapter Outline

Understanding the Clinical Cycle What is the problem? Conversations about best practices often deteriorate into opposing positions. Communication breaks down as soon as details enter the conversation about what good teaching is. We should make a deliberate effort to honor and legitimize perspectives and practices that differ from our own style of perceiving, judging and communicating. What is Clinical Supervision?

• A teacher receiving information from a colleague who has observed the teacher and who serves as both a mirror and a sounding board. The observer helps the teacher to examine critically how the lesson was taught and received by the students.

Goldhammer’s Five-Stage Clinical Supervision Sequence

1. Pre-Observation Conference with teacher and supervisor 2. Classroom Observation 3. Data Analysis and Strategy 4. Conference 5. Post-Conference Analysis

The Four Families of Clinical Supervision They differ from one another, but emphasize objectivity versus subjectivity.

1. Original Clinical Models: emphasizes relationships, cooperative discovery, and development of teaching styles

2. Artistic/Humanistic Models: emphasizes interpersonal relationships, intuition, artistry, and idiosyncrasy

3. Technical/Didactic Models: emphasizes techniques of observation and feedback that reinforce effective (conforming) behaviors

4. Developmental/Reflective Models: emphasizes teacher reflection which fosters growth

How do they differ?

• the actual purpose of observation • emphasis on objectivity or subjectivity • type of data collected



• procedures for recording data • number of steps or stages • degree of control exercised by supervisor/teacher • nature and structure of post-conference

Original - Goldhammer • Emphasis on collegial relationships • Cooperative discovery of meaning • Development of unique teaching styles • Empirical, phenomenological, behavioral, and developmental

perspectives • Model/approach is basically the same for all teachers • See power point on Cogan

Artistic/Humanistic - Elliot Eisner and Arthur Blumberg • Based upon existential and aesthetic principles • Step-by-step process is not used and is replaced by procedures that are

open, interpersonal relationships characterized by intuition, artistry, and idiosyncrasy

• Supervisors assist teachers to understand the expressive and artistic richness of teaching

• Eisner is seen as an advocate of qualitative evaluation • Teaching is seen as an art, not a science, and is not subject to

quantitative analysis in any meaningful sense (Eisner, 1982 ASCD) • Eisner likes to use the term “connoisseur” when speaking of supervision

Technical/Didactic (science of teaching) - Acheson and Gall • Effective teaching research • Observation and feedback that reinforce certain effective behaviors or

predetermined models • The professional development of teachers • Interactive rather than directive • Democratic rather than authoritarian • Teacher-centered rather than supervisor-centered • Face-to-face relationship between teacher and supervisor and a focus on

the teacher’s behavior in the classroom • Leans towards the formative aspect of supervision

Developmental/Reflective - Glickman, Costa, Garmston • Sensitive to individual differences in teachers • Give credence to social, organizational, political, and cultural contexts

of teaching • Encourages reflection by teacher and supervisor • The formative aspect of supervision • Looks at stages of growth and the developmental levels of teachers



• Encourages teachers to diagnose instruction and become aware of the options for change

• Looks at teacher commitment and level of abstract thinking

Commitment Continuum (Glickman, 1981) LOW HIGH

• Little concern for students • Little time or energy expended • Primary concern with keeping

one’s job

• High concern for students and other teachers

• Extra time and energy expended • Primary concern with doing more

for others

Abstract Thinking Continuum (Glickman, 1981) LOW MEDIUM HIGH

• Confused about problem

• Doesn’t know what can be done (“Show me.”)

• Has one or two habitual responses to problems

• Can define problem • Can think of one or

two possible responses to the problem

• Has trouble thinking through a comprehensive plan

• Can think of problem from many perspectives

• Can generate many alternative plans

• Can choose a plan and think through each step

pajak chapter 1 – chapter outline understanding the...

Documents