Book please use for resource: Caruso, J.J., & Fawcett, M. T. (2007). Supervision in early childhood education. A developmental perspective. New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press Critical Assignment Description: This is a summative assignment that intends to accumulate all the knowledge acquired in this class as it addresses adult supervision. Students will write a formal research paper related to the issues presented in the text as they apply to the case study provided. It is imperative that the Student embed all four parts of the text into the paper. This means that the paper must be structured to include comprehensive and thorough information to the guided questions. Student shall include specific examples, descriptions, and rational to each question. Student shall incorporate information from the text as well as the responses from the Supervision Interviews conducted earlier in the semester. This should be approximately 6-8 pages (2-3 paragraphs per question) double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font. *This is an individual assignment. Case Study Stacy is a first year Assistant Director at an Early Education Center. Stacy recently graduated with her Administrative Credential and Masters degree in Education with an emphasis in Special Education. Her professional background includes being a special education teacher for 15 years (5 of those years were spent as a lead teacher on campus). Although Stacy has extensive training when working with special needs students, she does not have much experience in Early Childhood. As a lead teacher, Stacy supported 5-7 upper elementary grade teachers. While excited about the new opportunity, Stacy is feeling anxious and insecure about her limited practical experience with early childhood development. Stacy is outgoing and loves to share her knowledge about various ways to teach children with special needs. In her role as a lead teacher, she was eager to express her opinion or provide input in a group setting. She occasionally struggled with giving others an opportunity to participate. Stacy values communication among co-workers as well as with students and their families. Stacy tends to react in the moment which limits her ability to consider all possible solutions. Stacy is highly organized and has a strong opinion about the way things should be done. At times, Stacy has a difficult time delegating tasks to others and allowing creativity to flow among co-workers. Stacy would prefer to get the job done herself, to ensure it meets her expectations. Stacy enjoys making friends at work and as a result struggles with appropriate boundaries at times. The center Stacy has been hired at serves both special and general education early childhood students. The center is a full inclusion early education facility and each classroom has both a general education and special education teacher. In addition, the school offers an after-school program for all students. The campus contains a diverse group of educators, both veteran and new teachers. In addition to the teachers on campus, office staff, classroom aides/assistants, non-classroom staff and specialist such as speech & language pathologist, occupational therapists, physical therapist, etc. service the students on campus and report directly to Stacy. The following is a breakdown of classes on campus – 12 classes total preschool-4 classes (2 classes are 1/2 day and 2 classes are full day), TK-2 classes (1/2 day), Kinder-4 classes (2 classes are 1/2 day and 2 classes are full day), & 1st grade-2 classes. The center is located in a low-socioeconomic area and has minimal family involvement. Staff at the center struggle to communicate with families due to language barriers and lack of parental participation. The primary language of most students and families in the community is Spanish. Often, the school is not able to communicate effectively with parents due to a lack of Spanish Speaking staff members. In addition, staff feel that guidance and support from administration is not consistent. The center has experienced a high turn-over rate and continues to have multiple vacant positions. Ultimately, this negatively affects staff morale and productivity. Staff also reported that collaboration and professional development has not been encouraged or facilitated in many years. Although integrated into the same classrooms, the climate on campus between special and general educators appears to be divided. Stacy has been tasked with specifically addressing the concerns regarding staff support, professional development, staff division, and community involvement. Guided Questions Part 1: Supervisory Context Chapter 1 Why would Stacy be insecure in her new role as Assistant Director? Based on Stacys insecure disposition, describe some Myths Stacy might be experiencing in her new administrative role? Chapter 2 Given the various programs/grades offered at the Early Childhood Education Center, what are the implications for Stacy as a supervisor? What are her responsibilities as an administrator? Part 2: A Developmental Perspective Chapter 4 Specifically describe and discuss 3 examples of how Stacy can be Caring, Knowing, and Imagining as she develops as a supervisor. Chapter 5 Discuss 3 factors that Stacy must consider before deciding which supervisory approach to utilize with employees. Chapter 6 Compare and Contrast the various stages of Supervisor Development. What phase of supervision development is Stacy currently in? Part 3: A Framework for Supervision Chapter 10 One major responsibility Stacy will have at the Center is conducting employee evaluations/conferences. The Centers policy states that supervisors are to conduct an observation prior to an evaluation/conference. Briefly describe the approaches to observation available to Stacy. Describe and provide reason as to which method of observation Stacy should utilize. Knowing Stacys personality traits or demeaner as a Lead Teacher, what factors should she consider that may positively or negatively affect the context of the conference. Chapter 11 Stacy needs to educate herself regarding the specific issues that affect Early Childhood Education. Describe 3 major issues Stacy will encounter as a supervisor. Create a solution for each of these major issues that Stacy will implement to reduce or avoid negatively impacting the center. Part 4: Staff Recruitment, Development, and Evaluation: A Continuum Chapter 14 Based on details in the case study, discuss factors Stacy must consider before, during, and after the recruiting/hiring process. Chapter 15 How can Stacy facilitate learning and cohesiveness at the center? What types of staff development and learning should Stacy consider implementing? Describe 3 resources that Stacy can provide to staff to assist with career development.
