Supervision and Performance Review

Contents

 Orientation

The administration and level coordinators conduct an orientation program for new employees at the Center for Early Childhood Education. The orientation program includes guided classroom observations; meetings with administration, level coordinators and a mentor; independent time to complete online training activities; and, participation in presentations on the philosophy and curricular approaches that form the basis of the program. The orientation begins with a four-day session and continues throughout the year with regularly-scheduled meetings. The details of the orientation program are communicated to new employees through an Orientation Program binder, which is given to the new employee at the beginning of the orientation. Administrators and level coordinators access these documents through the Administration folder on Google Drive.

New employees also meet with Human Resources personnel for an orientation; the date and time of this orientation is communicated in the letter a new employee receives with his official offer of employment.

Mentorship

Level coordinators mentor supervising teachers. Supervising teachers assume the responsibilities of mentoring the teachers on their classroom team. The assistant director assumes the role of mentor to new rotating teachers.

Supervision

The goal of supervision at Fort Hill is the professional development of individuals and the development of a cohesive program that reflects the philosophy and research-based knowledge in the field of early childhood education. Please see the Supervision section above for details

The chart below depicts the supervisory relationships in the department.

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Supervision at Fort Hill includes:

Weekly observations with written feedback

  • An administrator (director, assistant director, or level coordinator) observes every classroom and studio for a minimum of one half hour each week. The purpose of these observations is to provide written feedback to supervising teachers to facilitate a cohesive, consistent program based on the school’s philosophy and approach to teaching and learning.
  • Supervising teachers maintain ongoing curriculum plans in the classrooms at all times for parents, supervisors, and colleagues to review. The planning process reflects the school curriculum philosophy for engaging children in long term emergent investigations and projects that involve a wide variety of materials; the teachers prioritize the use of natural and recycled materials. These projects and investigations respect children’s potential; deepen and extend children’s learning; and, allow for problem-solving, exploration, collaboration, and choice.
  • The observer/supervisor considers the environment, all teachers, materials, routines, and interactions in the documentation of the observation, recording dialogue and activity as it relates to the philosophical and theoretical bases of the program. This document may be a selective record of aspects of the classroom that will be used in dialogue to support a cohesive, consistent approach to teaching and learning.
  • The observer/supervisor shares the written document with the supervising teacher within a week of the observation and discusses the observation during the regularly scheduled supervision meetings (please see Regular Meetings with Supervisor). The supervising teacher is responsible for communicating the feedback and suggestions to the classroom team and ensuring that all teachers align the practices with the school-wide philosophy.

 Regular Meetings with a Supervisor

  • A guideline for the agenda for regular supervision meetings is available on Google Drive.
  • Teachers meet with their supervisors once a month during professional days.
  • Supervising teachers meet with their supervisors on a regular basis ranging from weekly to monthly, depending on individual needs and experience. Each supervising teacher meets for a half hour with her supervisor on the following schedule. This schedule may be adjusted based on individual needs. Supervising teachers schedule the meetings for the entire year as soon as possible after the team meeting schedule is published in the fall (to avoid scheduling conflicts with team meetings). Meetings are held either during lunch or planning time.
    • New teachers – weekly
    • 2nd year teachers – bi-weekly
    • Veteran teachers – monthly
  • The agenda includes a discussion of the documented observation and curriculum plans, and may also include discussion of individual children, curriculum planning, professional development needs, progress towards professional goals (which are set in October), supervision of teachers and student workers, upcoming events and activities, etc.
  • Supervising Teachers have their curriculum plans available in the classrooms at all times, and submit copies of their plans to their supervisor prior to the regularly scheduled meetings.

Bi-monthly formal, documented observations

  • Supervising teachers formally observe those they supervise at least bi-monthly. They document these observations using forms available in The Google Drive Teacher Folder, share the observation with the person observed, and submit the documentation to the assistant director to file in each teacher’s folder.

Performance Review

The College conducts an annual performance review process in the spring. Details are available on the Smith College Human Resources site.

beginning with goal-setting in the summer, mid-cycle reviews in the late fall semester, self-assessments in early March and performance reviews in April.

Goal-setting

All Fort Hill staff meet during the August Professional Week to discuss professional goals and submit goals through the Google form on the Drive by September 30th. Information about the goal-setting process is available in the Teacher Folder on Google Drive. Supervisors review progress towards goals at monthly supervision meetings, complete a mid-cycle form in January, and consider goals in the annual performance review and in requests for professional development.

Smith College employees are required to identify annual goals. The activities identified in the goal-setting process may or may not qualify as professional development hours for EEC. Individuals are responsible for completing activities they identify with their goals. The CECE does not guarantee time-off or funding to pursue activities identified in the goal-setting process.

Mid-Cycle and Final Performance Review

Each employee receives an email from Human Resources in March, which includes the performance review materials and guidelines. The job descriptions for all positions at Fort Hill are available on the Fort Hill Moodle site, which can be accessed through the portal.  Supervisors complete the reviews and share them with staff during the time period detailed by the College.

Student Workers

We welcome and value student workers at Fort Hill. Students participate as assistant teachers, supporting the classroom in a wide variety of ways. The assistant director hires student workers; supervising teachers supervise the student workers in their classrooms.

All students must  the minimum training for every program is the two courses required for Child Safety Certification:

  1. How Teachers and Other Educators Can Protect Our Children (Required)
  2. Smith College Policies and Procedures (Required)

It is very important that students be aware that the college has policies on child safety and that they be aware of the molestation and child safety issues in general as they are thinking about working in child-centered organizations.

As well as complete an orientation at Fort Hill.

Alone with Children

Student assistant teachers should never be left alone with children.

Orientation

The director, assistant director, and supervising teachers provide an orientation program for the student workers. Orientation materials are available on Moodle.

Supervision

Supervising teachers are responsible for providing supervising and providing feedback to student workers regarding their performance.