2.3 Faculty Advisor and Fanshawe College Roles
Professional supervision of a supervisee occurs when an RECE, regardless of title, position, or point in their career, holds a position of trust over a supervisee. By drawing on collective knowledge and experiences, you help supervisees solve problems, create solutions and improve professional outcomes for children and families (College of Early Childhood Educators, 2017).
Faculty Advisors
Faculty Advisors are qualified and experienced RECEs who demonstrate a dedication to excellence in their practice. Field experiences are enhanced when faculty advisors are available to meet and work with the Agency Mentors along with the student to foster a learning culture of collaboration, support, and well-being.
Faculty Testimonials
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Tina Bonnett, Ed.D, MS.ECEd., R.ECE., CTIC-Clinical: Faculty Advisor
“Being a faculty advisor for our ECL students is deeply rewarding in that it allows for one-to-one relational exchanges to occur between the pre-service early years professional and the advisor. In these experiences, it is heartwarming to bear witness to the relationships that develop between the children-families-agency mentors-communities and our ECL students. It is also both professionally and personally fulfilling to (de)construct facets of practice alongside the pedagogical leaders that mentor our students, as well as the students themselves who are studying and practicing to become the next generation of leaders in the early education and care sector.”
Tina Bonnett, Ed.D, MS.ECEd., R.ECE., CTIC-Clinical: Faculty Advisor
“Being a faculty advisor for our ECL students is deeply rewarding in that it allows for one-to-one relational exchanges to occur between the pre-service early years professional and the advisor. In these experiences, it is heartwarming to bear witness to the relationships that develop between the children-families-agency mentors-communities and our ECL students. It is also both professionally and personally fulfilling to (de)construct facets of practice alongside the pedagogical leaders that mentor our students, as well as the students themselves who are studying and practicing to become the next generation of leaders in the early education and care sector.”
Video: “Michele Andersen” at Fanshawe OER Design Studio [1:01] is licensed under the Standard YouTube License. Closed captions on video. Transcript is available on YouTube.
Video: “Kelly Patterson – Faculty Advisor” at Fanshawe OER Design Studio [1:38] is licensed under the Standard YouTube License. Closed captions on video. Transcript is available on YouTube.
The Faculty Advisor Role
The Faculty Advisor’s role is to mentor (Chapter 3: Relationships through Mentorship) and oversee the student’s practicum, to support and review all evaluations and paperwork from the field manual in partnership with the Agency Mentor.
Faculty Advisors will facilitate and engage the student in the field practicum course resources and completion of tasks from their field manual.
- Chapter 4: FLDP-7015: Field Practicum 0-3 Years
- Chapter 5: FLDP-7017: Field Practicum 3-6 Years
- Chapter 6: COOP-ECL1: Internship
- Chapter 7 FLDP-7007: Solutions for Early Childhood Leaders
Faculty Advisors are able to clarify any questions for students, Agency Mentors, or Agency Supervisors about the learning outcomes and practicum expectations if they arise. The Faculty Advisor will communicate regularly with the student and Agency Mentor to facilitate a reciprocal learning relationship.
The Faculty Advisor will visit each student three times during their practicum. Two out of the three visits will take place at the practicum setting. During this time, the Faculty Advisors will observe the student in practice and will then meet with them to provide feedback and answer any questions the student or Agency Mentor may have.
Faculty Advisors will complete a visit report as part of the formal assessment process for their assigned student. Students will organize these 20-30-minute meetings with the Agency Mentor and Faculty Advisor.
Tips for Faculty Advisors
- Connect with students and Agency Mentors early in the term to establish rapport.
- In the first and subsequent meetings, review the goals that the student set for their practicum and document/have the student document progress to date.
- Enjoy the process, and these experiences are a chance for these students to flourish and grow in their learning. Provide opportunities for students to sit with and enjoy their successes.
- Encourage students to share some of themselves (i.e., international students to age appropriately share their culture).
- Acknowledge that meeting dates, assignment deadlines, and expectations may need to be adjusted. Being adaptable is key to navigating the practicum experience effectively.
- When appropriate, support the students’ experiential experiences by forwarding supplemental learning resources to them (e.g., if the student is focusing on nurturing Co/Self-Regulation, forward the MEHRIT link).
- Provide transparency about due dates for midterm and end of term so that grades can be submitted in a timely manner to the Field Coordinator.
- Although we are Faculty Advisors, there is a lot that we learn from the students and their experiences.
Fanshawe College
Fanshawe Faculty will deliver Field Seminar and Curriculum courses for each of the field practicums and Internship.
In classes, students…
Engage
Lead
Practice
Recognize
Apply
Develop
Advocate
Analyze
Field and Internship Coordinator
The ECL Field and Internship Coordinator oversees all practicums and supports and collaborates with Faculty Advisors, students, and Early Years Agencies.
