CHDV C281 Adult Supervision and Mentoring in Early Care and Education

This course meets the adult supervision requirement of the permit matrix and addresses mentoring and leadership in the early education field. We will be discussing how to support new and experienced teachers in developing the skills and practices necessary to support the children and families in our care. 

Before we start this exciting exploration, though, we need to set some ground rules for the class and get a big picture for how the class will operate over the next 16 weeks. This course is a bit different since there are 8, 2-week modules so there is more time in each module to explore the learning resources and complete the assignments. Please take some time to look through the information in this liquid syllabus so you will be prepared when our class starts. 

If you have questions at any time, please contact me through the Canvas Inbox, Pronto, or Cerro Coso Email (LFULLER@cerrocoso.edu).

Catalog Course Description

This course addresses the methods and principles of supervising, mentoring, and coaching student teachers and other adults in early care and education settings. The course presents the strategies and skills necessary to support the development of adult learners as effective mentors, coaches, and teachers. There is an emphasis on the individualized, relationship- and strengths-based approaches, reflective practices, and constructive communication skills. The course covers characteristics and roles, career requirements and pathways, and use of evaluation in setting professional learning goals. Students are required to observe licensed and license-exempt programs in their community. This course satisfies the adult supervision requirement for the Master Teacher and Site Supervisor levels of the Child Development Permit Matrix.

Advisory: ENGL C100 and LIBR C100

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Explain the roles, responsibilities, and career pathways of a supervising teacher, a mentor, and a coach in early care and education settings. 

• Describe effective strategies and skills for supervising, mentoring, and coaching student teachers and other adults in early care and education settings.

• Demonstrate competency in communication and reflective practices when working with diverse adult populations.

• Examine systems of change and the role of advocacy to support teachers' development as professionals.

There is no required textbook. The learning resources are free to all of us, which means I have already built them into the Canvas course. The learning resources for each module will be available when each module opens on Saturday morning. 

I have also developed a CHDV C281 Reading Guide that includes the supplemental reading presented in each module. This is an 87-page, printable document organized by modules, so you have the reading available from the beginning of the course. Lectures and associated videos are not included in the Reading Guide, so be sure to look through the learning resources presented in each module and linked in each module's Start Here page.

List of Assignments

Effective Supervision (100 points): Due in Module 3, this assignment asks you to interview 3 early education teachers and 2 early education supervisors/directors to learn more about what they think is important for effective supervision. The analysis discusses the developmental stages teachers and supervisors progress through as they develop their careers in early education.

Supervisor Shadow (100 points): Due in Module 5, this assignment gives you the opportunity to shadow a current supervisor of a licensed or licensed-exempt early education program for a minimum of an hour on 2 different days. The analysis discusses the relationships the supervisor has with the teachers, children, parents, and other staff in the early education program. 

Professional Development Advocacy Project (200 points): Due in Module 7, this assignment has you take a closer look at the role of advocacy in early education. Based on your interests, you will plan, develop, and complete at least some part of an advocacy project that supports the children, families, communities, or professionals in your community. An embedded librarian will be available during Modules 2 and 4 to assist you in fine tuning your project and finding appropriate research to support your ideas.

Learning Logs (8 logs at 10 points each for a total of 80 points): These assignments encourage students to reflect on and explore how the course content relates to personal understandings and experiences of being a supervisor of adults in the field of early education. These are informal assignments due in every module and should be about 2-4 paragraphs long.  

Required Participation (20 points per module, 8 modules, for a total of 160 points): The weekly discussions require at least 4 posts on 4 different days throughout the 2-week module: 1 original post that demonstrates an understanding of the learning resources and 3 responses to other student that extend the discussion. APA is a requirement of your original response to the discussion prompt. If you complete only the Required Participation, the highest grade you may earn is a B in the course.

Additional Participation (10 points per module, 8 modules, for a total of 80 points): The Additional Participation adds 8 responses to other students on 2 more days throughout the 2-week module for a total of 12 posts (1 original response to the discussion prompt and 11 responses to other students) spread over at least 6 days of the 2-week module. In order to earn an A grade in the course, you will need to complete the Additional Participation requirements.

Participation Reflection (3 assignments for a total of 50 points): There are 3 Participation Analysis Papers available throughout the course. Participation Analysis Paper - Installation One is where you declare your level of participation (either Required or Additional) and is due by the end of Module 1. Participation Analysis Paper - Installation Two is a midterm check in, due in Module 4, where you reflect on your participation so far and make plans for your participation in the rest of the discussions. Participation Analysis Paper - Installation Three is due by the end of Module 8 and is a final reflection on your participation in the discussions and how participation influenced your learning throughout the course. 

Grading Clarification

Canvas will assign a percentage to your points, however, that percentage is not necessarily accurate since it does not include any bonus points that may be available. Again, your final grade is determined by your total number of points compared to the Grading Scale, not by a percentage/grade assigned in Canvas.