COSERE | 157 2.1 Roles in Supervision In some school systems, supervision has also found its way into schools, although originally it had a key place in the context of counselling and social work. Definition of supervision The term supervision evokes a “detached view”, so it can sometimes occur that, in some systems, a mandated, formalised process emerges, which has a greater element of control. Supervision can be an evaluation of compliance with standards and procedures of work, professionalism, and ethics. However, it is clear that supervision, which has control features, does not always have to be formative. For practical reasons, teacher supervision in many school systems has been closely related to teacher performance evaluations. This goes against the purpose of supervising, which is to stimulate professional growth and development (i.e., Sullivan & Glanz, 2013). If supervision is also to have an impact on professional development and strengthen collegial relationships, a humanistic concept of voluntary peer-supervision, i.e., non-directive and supportive, is preferred. In this concept, supervision should, similarly, to mentoring and coaching, provide a safe space to explore uncertainties and difficulties in work. It is a way to reflect on what might be happening for the teacher and the context that informs their actions and behaviours. In supervision, the teacher finds time and space to rediscover energy. Supervision brings a greater clarity to their work and creates an opportunity for change (Shohet & Shohet, 2020). Who is a supervisor? If we understand supervision as a kind of control process, then the supervisor could be a superior – the school headmaster, for instance. In the practice of schools, we are more likely to encounter “observations” - visits by principals to teachers’ classes, who then provide feedback to teachers. However, directors usually do not have time for real supervision, and the superior-subordinate relationship usually limits the openness of the supervised. In addition, some directors usually provide supervision rather intuitively, as they do not always have training in supervision (April & Bouchamma, 2015) In non-directive peer-supervision, a supervisor can be any colleague who can establish and maintain a collegial relationship, conduct a conversation, and provide formative feedback (DuFour & Eaker, 2004). The supervisor should have knowledge and experience in the topics they supervise, but it depends on the objectives of the supervision. In the case of relationships, a psychologist can also be the supervisor of the teacher, for example, while in the case of teaching procedures, it would be more appropriate for the supervisor to have direct experience with teaching to provide proper feedback. Also, a good supervisor should continuously
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