Supporting Instructors are Certified or Master Instructors in the Instructor Registry who support Affiliate I or II or Specialist I instructors in the Registry. The role of the Supporting Instructor is to observe and provide supportive feedback to the Affiliate I or II or Specialist I instructor to support their movement in the Instructor Registry.
There are three steps to your role as a supporting instructor:
- Review the instructor’s lesson plan
- Observe the instructor teaching adults
- Provide feedback and supportive reflection based on the observation
You may be asked by an individual to serve as their supporting instructor. You may also be asked by Northern Lights or another organization to consider serving as a supporting instructor. Your feedback and guidance is a critical component of the professional development system in Vermont.
Step 1: Review the instructor’s lesson plan
Prior to the observation, review the instructor’s lesson plans for the workshop. Some questions to consider while you review the lesson plans:
- Is the content relevant to early childhood and/or afterschool professionals?
- Does the content utilize current research and best practices in the content area?
- Does the content utilize current research and best practices in adult instruction?
- Are the learning objectives clear, measurable, and achievable?
- Is the training structured in provide new information, opportunities for active learning, interactions with others, reflection, and application of the material?
- Are the learning objectives evaluated during the training?
Step 2: Observe the instructor teaching adults
Set up a mutually convenient time to observe the instructor teaching a group of adults. You can observe particular components of their training and style based on what the instructor is seeking to learn about their instructing style. Observe and make reflective notes about the training considering the following:
- What do you notice about the participants’ behavior and responses to the instructor?
- Are there aspects of their instruction style you would like to provide feedback on?
- Did the instructor follow his/her lesson plan?
Step 3: Provide feedback and supportive reflection based on the observation
Set up a time after the observation to discuss what you noticed and support their reflection and growth. There are many tools available on the Northern Lights website to support you, but consider including an opportunity for self-reflection by the instructor, providing comments about your reflection of their instruction, share detail about what went well in their instruction, ask questions, and identify next steps for their future professional development as an instructor.
Please visit the Northern Lights website to view and download the Instructor Observation and Planning Tool. This tool can be used as a self-evaluation, to record observations, and to document reflection. Please be sure you both keep a copy of the document for your own professional development documentation as a supporting instructor, and as an instructor who was observed.
