Reflective supervision and coaching is becoming more of a growing need in Head Start. The more we ask staff to be involved in the emotional needs of families, the more staff requires emotional support. Reflective supervision provides an opportunity to explore the many emotions and experiences that occur in a relationship – relationships between the supervisor and the staff person, between the staff person and the parent, and between the parent and the child. It is essential to understand how each of these relationships affects the other.

Reflective supervision and coaching provides an opportunity to:

• understand the experiences that each of our families brings to us;
• understand the beliefs and experiences that our staff brings to their interactions with children and families; and
• incorporate the new knowledge from these understandings to increase the staff’s skills in working with children and families through a shared partnership with the supervisor.

Training on reflective supervision includes hands-on practice with emotionally-sensitive listening and responding skills. Supervisors are provided with role plays, real-life case scenarios and sensitive, constructive feedback through coaching. The training experience will serve as a model for creating a Head Start setting in which reflective supervision will be put into consistent practice.

Looking for training on reflective supervision and coaching? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.