Inherited Models of Supervision vs. Intentional Models of Supervision
Graduate supervisors do not begin their supervisory practice from a blank slate. Whether consciously or not, supervisors carry forward their own histories of being supervised — experiences that may have been supportive and generative, challenging or harmful, or, more often, a combination of both. Supervisors also carry forward successes and failures in their own supervisory practices with graduate students – relationships that carry peaks and declines. These experiences shape how supervisors understand their roles, relate to graduate students, and make professional decisions. Reflecting on these histories is a critical first step in developing an intentional supervisory pedagogy, as unexamined assumptions can shape expectations and practices. Developing your own supervisory pedagogy begins with unpacking and reflecting on your own experiences of supervision. In any of these cases, making these influences visible allows you to move from inherited models of supervision toward a more intentional and values-informed approach to supervisory teaching.
A Value-informed Approach to Supervisory Teaching
Reflecting on experience is an important first step in identifying both inherited and intentional principles or values that shape supervisory relationships in your disciplinary context and lived experience. Articulating the principles and values that matter most to you as a supervisor, and how those values inform your pedagogical approach to supporting the development of graduate students under your supervision, helps create a foundation for making intentional pedagogical choices and communicating expectations transparently with graduate students and colleagues.
Activity 2: Reflecting on Your Experiences of Being Supervised
Our next activity in this module is designed to help you surface the experiences, assumptions, and values that currently shape your approach to graduate supervision. These reflections will form the groundwork for later sections of the module, where you will be invited to synthesize your insights into a working supervisory philosophy statement.
Please proceed to Activity 2 which will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Information Box Group
Activity 2: Reflecting on Your Experiences of Being Supervised Downloadable Worksheet
Take some time to reflect on your own experiences of supervision as a graduate student or early-career researcher:
- What did your supervisor(s) do that meaningfully supported your learning, confidence, and development?
- What actions—or inactions—made aspects of your experience more challenging or limiting?
- Which supervisory practices from your past do you find yourself intentionally carrying forward?
- Which practices have you consciously revised, resisted, or rejected in your own supervision?
Reflection prompt:
My experiences of being supervised have shaped my approach to graduate supervision by…
Please use the downloadable worksheet to capture your insights. We will continue to refer to this worksheet throughout the remainder of the module, building towards ideas that can contribute to a draft of your supervisory philosophy statement.