Session Summary

From: Diana Courson
Email: dianacourson@sbcglobal.net
Date: May 22, 2008

Comments

I'm Diana Courson, program coordinator for Arkansas State University Childhood Serivces. The conference session that was most helpful to me was Bev Engel's "Collaborative Supervision". Bev outlined strategies for inquiry that help the supervisor gain more information about the employee's situation and help the employee identify his/her own problem and set goals for moving forward. I coordinate several mentoring projects and teach a course on mentoring. One of the things mentors struggle with is supporting, rather than advising or directing. Bev's information will be very helpful as I revise guidelines for mentors and the course content. One idea in particular is the training exercise on active listening in which a team of listeners each listens for something different.

Diana Courson

(Linda, I can't find spell check--am I overlooking it. Spell check is my friend!)