Tips for Supervisors

Offer Guidance & Create Checkpoints

• Provide close guidance during the first weeks while students get to understand our work's scope, details, and expectations

• Determine goal checkpoints for tracking progress

• Continue finding out students’ interests and tailor the experience to their previous experience, current coursework, and interests

• Provide structured tasks with check-ins, etc. 

• Establish a weekly check-in meeting to keep communication open and accessible. Meetings can be a tool to identify tasks where the student can help support the work of the program in ways not previously considered

• Provide training or explanation of projects; ask if students have questions or need clarification

• Offer clear directions for tasks and expectations of time commitment to be spent on the task

Provide Feedback

• Be available for check-ins via email

• Allow students to take initiative to work beyond the basic requirements of the deployment

• Give or invite students to take on additional responsibility as their experience increases

• Ask if the work students are being given is challenging and stimulating. Explain how some of the more administrative work that we’re all responsible for fits into the big picture and overall goals of the project

• Develop a relationship that is based on accountability, skill-sharing, and the knowledge that all skills are valuable

• Provide constructive, ongoing feedback

• Provide feedback on strengths and areas for improvement

• Offer direction on what your expectations are and any feedback on work completed

Build Relationships

• Offer regular encouragement as well as constructive criticism and check-ins

• Have open communication and provide timely feedback that is constructive

• Support with clear direction and communication that allows the student to best fulfill their tasks

• Communicate often and be transparent

• Be understanding, patient, flexible, and communicative

• Provide and support an inclusive, flexible space to learn and collaborate

• Answer students’ questions

• Offer affirmations and feedback that help them understand and grow as a person, student, and intern (let them know they’re on the right track!)

• Open communication, laying out clear expectations, active listening and guidance, and support