1. Theories of Supervision
Know Thyself
Supervising Others
c Susan A. Turner

2. Shroedinger’s Cat: (Shroedinger, E., 1935)
Quantum Physics Problem
The cat exists only as a probability wave.
Impossible to say whether the cat is living or dead until we observe it.

3. Myriad of Possibilities:
“I realized I had been living in a Schroedinger’s cat world in every organization I had ever been in. Each of these organizations had myriad boxes, drawn in endless renderings of organizational charts…

4. Cat Boxes
“Within each of these boxes lay a “cat,” a human being, laden with potential, whose fate was determined, always and irrevocably by the act of observation…

5. Organizational ‘Anointed’:
“Through studies of opportunity in organizations (Kanter,1977), we know that the “anointed” in organizations, those high flyers who move quickly through the ranks, are given life through our desire to observe them as winners… We have already decided that they will succeed and so we continually observe them with the expectation that they will confirm our beliefs.” (Wheatley, 1992)

6. Group Think: (Janis & Mann, 1977)
1. Illusion of Invulnerability: 2. Collective Rationalization: 3. Illusion of Morality: 4. Excessive Stereotyping: 5. Pressure for Conformity: 6. Self-Censorship: 7. Illusion of Unanimity: 8. Mindguards:

7. Theories of Supervision (May, 1989)
1) Applied Science Approach: empirical-analytical method. Emphasizes technical aspects. Assumes school personnel are better positioned to oversee instructional process. (p. 6)

8. Theories of Supervision (May, 1989)
2) Interpretive-Practical Approach: Person-centered supervision. Uniform answers to educational problems difficult to apply. Supervisor seen as a guide or facilitator.
“Collaborative Supervision”
(Glanz, 1997, p. 6)

9. Theories of Supervision (May, 1989)
3) Critical-Emancipatory Approach: encourages reflective action for both teachers and supervisors. Examines moral, ethical, and political dimensions
embedded in
teaching practice.
(Glanz, p. 6)

10. References:
Glanz, J. (1997, Spring). The tao of supervision: Taoist insights into the theory and practice of educational supervision, Journal of curriculum and supervision, 12 (3), Retrieved June 25, 2009:
Janis, I.L. & Mann, L., (1977). Decision making: A psychological analysis of conflict, choice, and
commitment. New York: FreePress.Retrieved June25,2009:

11. References:
Kanter, R. M., (1977). Men and women of the corporation. New York: Basic Books.
May, W. T., (1989). Supervision and curriculum, in Encyclopedia of Education 1,
Wheatley, M. J., (1992). Leadership and the new science: Learning about organization from an orderly universe. San Francisco: Berrett- Koehler Publishers, Inc.