The Supervisor and the Teacher: An Effective Model of Communication Author(s): Roger E.

Jones Source: The Clearing House, Vol. 53, No. 9 (May, 1980), pp. 433-437 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30185369 . Accessed: 20/07/2013 19:00
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The and
An Effective

Supervisor
the
Model

Teacher
of Communication

ROGER E. JONES

"Supervision is, first and foremost, communication." (12) one agrees with this concept, it is easy to recognize the need for an understanding of a communication model that will aid a supervisor as he interacts with teachers. Unfortunately, there are few models that focus on an entire communication process as it related directly to supervision. Most models focus on one aspect of the communicative process, such as proxemics, verbal behavior, or nonverbal behavior. To be effective, however, a supervisor must be aware of all the elements of communication that operate in an interaction. The supervisor is further confounded because many of the communication models are theories. Many of the concepts contained in the theoretical model may be supported by research, but the research is not normally included as a part of the model. To compound the problem, most of the research on communication has not dealt directly with the supervisor-teacher interaction. Much of the research has been in the area of counselorclient interaction or teacher-student interaction. Thus, the supervisor may not be aware of related research findings that may be beneficial. It is the belief of the writer that supervision should be related to the improvement of instruction, and the writer concurs with Blumberg that most of the problems of supervision occur in the area of interpersonal transactions. (1) Blumberg states that the interaction must be satisfactory If

Roger Jones is a full-time doctoral student in Administration and Supervision at the University of Virginia. He is Research Assistant to the Virginia School Boards Association and Assistant to the Executive Consultant of the National Federation of Urban-Suburban School Districts.

if any positive results are to occur. (1) With this in mind, one must conclude that an effective channel of communication must be opened between the supervisor and teacher if instruction is to be improved. In an attempt to improve the communication process and draw attention to some ideas that need further study, a communication model that deals specifically with the supervisor-teacher interaction process is presented. The concept developed by Boshear and Albrecht that a model should provide ways of communication and thinking about people in relation to their motivations, thoughts, feelings, and behavior is followed. (3) The literature in various fields has been surveyed, and related findings have been applied directly to the supervisor-teacher interaction process. Obviously, this is not an ideal situation, but it may stimulate others to do additional research related to the supervisor-teacher communicative process. When a communication block develops between the supervisor and teacher, the first step must be to determine the origin of the block. The Effective Supervisor Model assumes that there are three possible blocks in the communicative process: The behavior of the supervisor, the behavior of the teacher, or the behavior of both the supervisor and teacher. At this point, the author supports the theory of Blumberg that the behavior of the supervisor sets the tone for the interaction. (1) Therefore, the supervisor should assume that the commuication block comes from something that he is doing. He must analyze his own behavior in relation to what research findings indicate should happen in effective communication. If he notes that his behavior is not in line with certain results, he must make a conscious effort to change his behavior. When this is done, the supervisor will know if his behavior created the block. If he did and appropriate changes are made

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434

THE CLEARINGHOUSE

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in his behavior, effective communication becomes possible. If a block still exists, the supervisor must assume that the block was actually a two-way, supervisor-teacher block or a one-way teacher block. It will not matter which actually existed at this point since the supervisor will have already examined his own behavior. The model is now operating from a one-way teacher block. The supervisor must now make every effort to help the teacher remove the block, or make the teacher aware of where the block is originating so that the teacher can remove the block. When this is accomplished, effective communication can be achieved. An important concept that must be developed by the supervisor is two-way communication. Two-way communication exists when the flow is between the supervisor and teacher rather than from the supervisor to the teacher. (2) Two-way flow allows the teacher to react and to suggest if there is a semantic breakdown. The style of a supervisor is important to his relationship with a teacher. Blumberg found that high indirect behavior, denoted by asking, listening, and reflecting, had to be utilized if an effective relationship were to be established. (1) High indirect behavior could be paired with high direct behavior, noted by telling and criticizing, or low direct behavior, and the results would be almost the same. (1) The point to be made is that high indirect behavior is crucial for effective communication. Supervisors must be able to listen and respond to the teacher. The teacher has to know that the topic is of interest to the supervisor. (3) Without using indirect behavior, this is extremely difficult to achieve. Most communicative relationships fall on a continuum between closed and open. (3) One block that often arises is that the supervisor believes he must create an open relationship immediately. Often he encounters resistance from the teacher. A supervisor can eliminate this block by making the move from a closed to a more open relationship gradual. Open communication must be cultivated. There must be an initial period in the relationship when the supervisor lays the groundwork for open communication. A certain period of interaction must occur before interpersonal disclosures about the other person take place. (5) Furthermore, Bunker found that positive interpersonal reactions are reinforcing and promote cohesiveness, while negative interpersonal reactions are potentially disrup tive. (5) Therefore, the supervisor should be positive in his initial interaction with the teacher. Teaching is a team effort requiring the constant interaction between the teacher and a helpful super-

visor. By creating a helpful environment, teachers are willing to try new ideas and techniques without fear of ostracism. Furthermore, when the supervisor creates this helpful environment, teachers may get a positive perception of the supervisor. This is supported by Sussman and Davis when they found that helpers (confederates) who were cooperative were judged as more competent and more intelligent than helpers who were uncooperative. (13) The supervisor must be careful to form accurate perceptions of the teachers with whom he is working. He must be aware of how others can influence his beliefs about a teacher. Studies have indicated that one can see or obtain the results they have been led to anticipate, and that a person can be influenced by verbal comments. (11) The supervisor must not let this happen. He must develop his own perceptions of the teacher, based on his own interaction with the teacher. Nonverbal communication is a very important aspect of the total communication process. Why is it so important? A supervisor or a teacher may say one thing, yet mean another. The nonverbal communication of a person, denoted by gestures, facial expressions, posture and tone of voice, however, is almost always direct indication of the true feelings that a person has.' (10) These patterns of nonverbal behavior are interpreted and can have a positive or negative effect on the interaction. The key to nonverbal communication is congruence. Inconsistency between verbal and nonverbal behavior may diminish the influence a person has and cause suspicion on the part of the other person. (6) Once this has occurred, the relationship is in jeopardy. Any effort to communicate with a teacher must be accompanied by consistent verbal and nonverbal behavior. A knowledge of proxemic nonverbal behavior is important to effective communication. Proxemic behavior must be viewed by the supervisor as an important part of the communication process. Whether conscious or not, the degree of involvement in an interpersonal relationship can be regulated by proxemics. (6) Each person surrounds himself with a personal space, and intrusion into that space may cause discomfort. (4) This discomfort can lead to the person moving away, becoming aggressive, or developing a negative attitude about the other person. (9) Without an awareness of why negative attitudes have developed. Applying the findings of a study by Greene to the supervisor-teacher interaction, a supervisor should be aware that if he is in close proximity to a teacher, the teacher expects the supervisor to be warm, positive and reinforcing. (6) If he is not, it may affect the interaction. Greene sums up this

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1980, Vol. 53

THE SUPERVISORAND THE TEACHER

435

Communication Block SUPERVISOR TEACHER When a Block occurs, assume it is a Supervisor Block SUPERVISOR Teacher Block Possible Blocks exist when the teacher: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is not interested in the topic confuses facts, values, and opinions will not react to an open supervisor perceives too much directed behavior by supervisor does not want help uses confrontive responses is influenced negatively by someone about supervisor does not define his terms perceives supervisor as a threat perceives supervisor as incompetent is afraid to ask for help because failure is considered incompetence is unwilling to talk about perceptions is incongruent in verbal and nonverbal behavior intrudes into supervisor's personal space displays incongruence between personal space and verbal behavior perceives setting as negative is afraid to react because of supervisor's status does not feel comfortable in seating position TEACHER If the Block remains, assume it is a Teacher Block SUPERVISOR Supervisor Block Possible Blocks exist when the supervisor: * is not interested in the topic * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * confuses facts, values, and opinions tells the teacher what to do uses too much directed behavior and not enough indirect behavior evaluates teacher before relationship is established does not give help when asked uses confrontive responses is influenced negatively by someone about the teacher does not define what he means perceives teacher as a threat perceives teacher as incompetent believes it is a sign of incompetence when teacher asks for help is unwilling to talk about perceptions is incongruent in verbal and nonverbal behavior displays incongruence between personal space and verbal behavior intrudes into the personal space of the teacher does not create positive, relaxed physical setting places emphasis on his status seats teacher in position that is comfortable to supervisor does not tell teacher purpose of meeting TEACHER

Block Removed SUPERVISOR

Block Removed TEACHER

Effective Communication

Figure 1.

Effective Supervisor Model of Communication

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436

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MAY

idea by stating that clients were less distrustful and less concerned about the information they disclosed if there was consistency between social distance and verbal feedback. (6) Because of similar situations that may arise, it is important for the supervisor to be aware of his proxemic behavior. Social distance between the supervisor and teacher can vary during the interaction. In the initial stages of an interaction, distance may be greater. If the relationship is cultivated, personal distance may decrease. Haase found that individuals sat farther from higher and lower status individuals than from their peers. (7) One can further conclude that if a supervisor stresses his status, the teacher will maintain a greater distance from the supervisor in an interaction. This lessens the chance for effective communication. Greater distance also is maintained when threatening or stressful information is expected. (6) If threatening information is perceived, the teacher or supervisor may be perceived as a threat by the other. Thus, a communication block can quickly arise. The supervisor should be aware that the purpose of an interaction may affect personal space. (9) The supervisor should make sure that the teacher understands the purpose of any formal conference if he does not want a block to occur. The teacher must never be able to question the motives of the supervisor if effective communication is to be attained. The physical setting is important to effective communication. Louis found that when the setting is perceived as positive, there is a smaller zone of social space evident. (9) In a related study, it was shown that there was a significant difference between the physical setting of promotable and non-promotable principals, as the offices of promotable principals contained more personal items such as photos, paintings, and citations. (8) Thus, the supervisor should attempt to create an office environment that is informal and relaxed. The physical setting is also influenced by the placement of furniture. The placement of the desk and chairs has been studied on several occasions. Broekmann concluded that the arrangement of chairs and the desk in an interaction may have significant impact on the perception a person has of the interaction and, as a result, may influence his behavior. (4) Broekmann also found that the preferred seating arrangement was across the corner of a desk. (4) Another study found that a most preferred seating position was across the corner of a desk, but that administrators had the highest preference for face-to-face interaction across a desk,

(7) Hoy further substantiates this idea in his study of promotable and nonpromotable principals. He found that the promotable principals seated others alongside their desk at a distance of three to four feet, while the non-promotables seated others in front of the desk at a distance of five to twelve feet. (8) Administrators and supervisors often arrange chairs in a manner that is comfortable for them without considering the perceptions of the teacher. The logical conclusion is that the supervisor should arrange his office in such a way that the teacher has a choice of seating positions. The supervisor must be able to adapt to which ever is chosen. To provide a practical framework from which to operate, the research findings and ideas contained in the article have been applied to the Effective Supervisor Model of Communication. The diagram is included in Figure 1 on page 435. Effective communication is work! It is a difficult task, and it requires the supervisor to cultivate relationships. Foremost, it requires the supervisor to have an understanding of himself. Without self-awareness, communication blocks cannot be overcome. The supervisor must be concerned with all aspects of the communication process as well as related research. The Effective Supervisor Model of Communication provides a practical framework for such an undertaking. Each component of the communication process is important because, as Sergiovanni says, supervision is communication.(12)

REFERENCES

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and Teachers: Blumberg, Arthur.Supervisors A Private

Cold War.Berkeley, California: McCrutchan Publishing Corporation, 1974. Bolton, Charles K. and Boyer, Ronald K. One-Way and

Communicationin the Classroom.U. S. EducaTwo-Way

3. 4. 5. tional Resources Information Center, ERIC Document ED 132 632, September, 1971. Boshear, Walton C., and Albrecht, Karl G. Understanding People: Models and Concepts. La Jolla, California: University Associates, Inc., 1977. Broekmann, Neil C., and Moller, Andre T. "Preferred Seating Position and Distance in Various Situations." Journal

of Counseling Psychology November, 1973, 504-508.

Bunker, Barbara B. and Jens, Kathryn S. Intrapersonal

and InterpersonalSelf Disclosuresin the Development

6. 7. ofRelationships. U. S. Educational Resources Information Center, ERIC Document ED 133 637, September 1975. Greene, Les R. "Effects of Verbal Evaluative Feedback and Interpersonal Distance on Behavioral Compliance."

Journalof CounselingPsychology January1977, 10-14.

Haase, Richard F., and DiMattia, Dominic J. "Proxemic Behavior: Counselor, Administrator, and Client Preference for Seating Arrangement in Dyadic Interaction." Journal of Counseling Psychology (July, 1970), 319-325. Hoy, Wayne K., and Miskel, Cecil G. Educational Admin-

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Random House, 1978.

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1980, Vol. 53
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KNOWYOUR APPLES
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Louis, Margaret Ann. "Personal Space: Considerations for the Older Adult" Educational Horizons (Summer, 1978), 192-195. Newell, Clarence A. Human Behavior in Educational Administration. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: PrenticeHall, Inc., 2978. Reavis, Charles A. "A Study of the Effects of Prefatory Remarks on Teacher Evaluation," Journal of Educational Research (January/February, 1979), 173-177.

Sergiovanni, Thomas J., and Starratt, Robert F. Emerging Patterns of Supervision:. Human Perspectives. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 19711 Sussman, Mario, and Davis, James H. "Balance theory and the Negative Interpersonal Relationship: Attraction and Agreement in Dyads and Triads," Journal of Personality (December, 1975), 560-580.

"You've Got To Know Your Apples"

JUDITH DETTRE
The Fantabulous Fruit Farm want to train

their new employees to sort apples into three grades: 1) Fantabulous Select, 2) Supermarket Special, and 3) Cider Grade. The sorting room was equipped with large conveyor belts, across which assorted apples passed by the sorters at a steady rate of 60 apples per minute. The sorters' job was to remove both the select grade and cider grade apples from the belt, allowing the supermarket specials to proceed onward undisturbed. Under the belt by each sorter were boxes for the selects and a shute in the floor for the cider apples. Since the Fantabulous Fruit Farm wanted to train their sorters in the most effective manner known to modern technology, they hired a team of efficiency experts from TFS Associates (Technology Futures are Superior) to provide the training; only the TFS team immediately insisted that this be termed a Professional Sorters Preparation Program (PSPP). Fantabulous was impressed. They knew they had made the right decision and moved into the 20th Century at last. The TFS team set their objective: "The sorter will independently separate assorted apples into three grades at the rate of 60 apples per minute with 95 percent accuracy." They analyzed the

Dr. Dettre is Associate Professor and Co-Director of Exceptional Children's Services at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

sorting task very carefully, consuming approximately 3 hours and 57 apples. A list of "Apple Characteristics Pertinent to Sorting" was compiled, identifying size, color, shape and assorted blemishes as the major areas. During the next two days, TFS planned their Professional Sorters Preparation Program (PSPP). Paramount in their program was the stress on characteristics, complete with lectures, pictures and work sheets. Visual aids, including a giant color chart and mock ups of "Worms and other Assorted Pests," were carefully prepared. The PSPP began on the fourth day and ten eager candidates availed themselves of the marvelous materials and stimulating instructors. Worksheet checkouts at the end of the eight-hour day indicated that 9 of the 10 students were able to identify all four characteristics and their subareas. The TFS team regretfully informed Fantabulous that the tenth sorter candidate would not make the grade and should be counseled out of the program. Since #10 was the teen-aged daughter of a Fantabulous owner, she was instantly promoted to the packaging department. On the fifth day, TFS provided two hours of application practice for the nine remaining sorter students. A large basket of assorted apples were held up for viewing. The candidates marked the appropriate "1," "2," or "3" box on their sheets, indicating that apple #1 was "cider grade," #2 "select," and so on. Seven of the nine candidates scored 95 percent or better on this application test, indicating they had successfully completed

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