Case study
At the end of a study group, some students remain seated. One student wipes tears from her cheeks. Other students listen to her attentively and put an arm around her. You clean up your things because you have to go on to a meeting. “Should I do anything as a teacher?” you ask yourself.
What is a tutor?
As a teacher, you have different roles and different forms of contact with students. Many teachers have an explicit supervisory role as, for example, learning team supervisor, learning coach, or academic career counselor. But even if you are more of an expert teacher, you must observe students in their development. Therefore, the definition of a supervisor is: A supervisor actively guides learning processes. This requires that each student be seen and known.
Home feeling
For students, the (first-line) supervisor is the “face” of the program. He/she is the first point of contact. This tutor plays a crucial role in fostering a positive study climate and ‘feeling at home’ that the student experiences at the program. The tutor largely determines whether a student feels known, supported and seen, and remains committed to the program. Several studies show this.
More information
How the HU wants to train students is stated in the HU vision on education and research ‘Together for the future’ :
We train students to become critically thinking global citizens who want to contribute to an open, just and sustainable society. With an eye for diversity and inclusion, with a well-developed strong research and innovation capacity and with international and intercultural competences that are indispensable in today’s society. Because we strive for student success, we not only pay full attention to qualifications in our education, but also to the personal and social development of students.
This requires the supervisors to be student-oriented and have a basic coaching attitude .
What does student-oriented mean?
The student-oriented approach to education is based on principles such as self-direction, context orientation and collaborative learning (Assen, 2018). In the role of coach, teachers are mainly facilitating, activating, diagnosing, challenging and evaluating (Iredale & Schoch, 2010).
The teacher/supervisor supports the learning process of students by:
- Help activate and build on acquired knowledge.
- Good by asking, giving ‘challenging’ feedback and mirroring,
- Help students monitor their own learning and development.
What does this require of supervisors?
This requires supervisors to be very capable of; to provide a safe pedagogical learning environment ; ask good questions; provide meaningful feedback; provide guidance in personal issues and make good referrals.
1. Safe pedagogical learning environment
Supervisors play a crucial role in creating a safe and comfortable learning environment for students. In such a room, students can ask questions if they do not understand something or are unsure about something, and answer questions from others. Even if those answers aren’t quite perfect yet. In this way, the supervisor helps to create a safe climate in which everyone can be themselves, and feel seen and valued.
2. Asking questions aimed at reflection, self-direction and critical thinking
Asking good questions is an essential skill for facilitators. In this way, the supervisor sets things in motion among students, and he/she gains insight into what is going on with the student. Asking questions activates the learning process: it stimulates students to think more deeply about certain matters. Asking questions helps students – as a group or as individuals – to gain insight into substantive concepts that they have already mastered. But also to formulate (new) goals, and what is needed to achieve them.
3. Giving meaningful feedback Giving feedback
is also an effective tool in the learning process of students, in addition to asking questions. Feedback literally means ‘to give back nourishment’. By providing meaningful feedback, the supervisor ‘feeds’ the students in student-oriented educational situations. This can be at the level of behaviour, thinking, feeling or wanting.
4. Personal issues and good referrals The student population is diverse and versatile. Both because of the study variant they choose, such as part-time, and because of their own individual characteristics. The HU wants all students to feel at home and be able to participate fully. As a supervisor, it is therefore essential that you know the HU social map and are well able to refer you if necessary. Students also expect supervisors to be well-informed and to know all the possibilities offered by the HU. There is an infrastructure at Hogeschool Utrecht to guide the student. See the most important forums in this pdf .
About 30 percent of students have a need for support. Think of a chronic illness or disability such as an auditory, visual or physical disability or neurodiversity (dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, ass). We strive to keep our courses accessible to everyone. There are various facilities for students with support needs. As a supervisor, you look together with the student at what is needed and refer you to the dean. Here is an overview of the facilities available:
Provisions in education and testing | HU helps (husite.nl)
Students also expect supervisors to be well-informed and to know all the possibilities offered by the HU.
Follow-up case
After packing your bag you walk towards the student. You ask how things are going and if the sad student wants to talk. She will. She appears to have taken too much hay on her fork. You indicate that you unfortunately don’t have enough time for her now, but you ask if you can inform the learning team supervisor. The student agrees. You leave the student with the feeling that she has been heard and that you have helped her along the way.
Extra information
Extra support for the teacher. At TLN there are various possibilities to receive extra support. Send an email to mailto:tln@hu.nl with your wish or question.
The HU Supervises community has a lot of background literature, working methods and exchange.