University Supervisors
The university supervisor is a member of the staff of East Tennessee State University and serves as a liaison between the residency candidate and the mentor teacher.
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University Supervisor Requirements, Qualifications, and Application
Required criteria for University Supervisors- Must hold a Master's Degree (15+ years of teaching experience may be considered in lieu of master's degree).
- Minimum of three years teaching experience in a Pre-K-12 school setting.
- Recommended by previous principal and/or district leader.
- TEAM Training Certified or willingness to obtain TEAM Training Certification.
Other qualifications to be considered include a combination of the following:- Documented teaching experience in a grade band or in content hired to supervise.
- Experience as a school or district administrator.
- A teaching license in the content area and/or grade band hired to supervise.
- Awards or special recognition for teaching.
If you are interested in supervising residency candidates, please click HERE and complete the University Supervisor Application. This application cannot be submitted without uploading a resume and letter of recommendation. Please have these documents ready before beginning.
If you have questions, please contact Laura Click, Director of Field Experience and Residency at clicklm@etsu.edu or 423-439-4200
Important Information
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Handbook, Resources, & Calendar of Events
2025-2026 Mentor & Supervisor Handbook - Coming Soon
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Roles of the University Supervisors
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In becoming a caring professional
- Provide an example by modeling behaviors of support, interest, and concern for the residency candidate’s professional growth and development.
- Establish and maintain communication between residency candidate and mentor.
- Works closely with the Director of Field Experiences and Residency and the academic departments to maintain good public relations and communications with all personnel involved in the residency program.
- Arrange an introductory visit with residency candidates before or during the first week of the residency experience during which all the expectations and responsibilities will be discussed by going over the evaluation instruments and answering any questions. An orientation meeting with the mentor will also take place by the first week of each placement.
- Help the mentor teacher in guiding the residency candidate through a successful and rewarding experience.
- Aid the residency candidate in gaining self-confidence and provide sympathetic understanding and professional coaching to help alleviate the tensions that often accompany residency placement.
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In becoming an effective practitioner
- Act as a resource and an instructional guide by recommending strategies, techniques, books, videos, journal articles, and other resources that may assist the residency candidate in his/her practice.
- Assist the residency candidate in gaining meaningful school-wide experiences during the Residency II experience.
- Visit the residency candidate in the classroom for observations and feedback according to the visitation schedule for Residency I and Residency II. An observation form is completed during each visit.
- Confer with the residency candidate following each observation. The university supervisor shares all notes and reports prepared as a result of the observation with the residency candidate.
- Confer with the mentor teacher during each visit to receive progress reports (Mentor Quick-Check Form and observations that have been completed by mentor).
- If a situation demands additional visits, the university supervisor is responsible for informing the residency candidate and arranging the additional visits.
- Complete a Development Plan if a situation warrants, in collaboration with the mentor and residency candidate, and provides additional guidance and support to address the situation.
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In becoming a critical thinker
- Encourages the residency candidate to question his/her behaviors as well as the behaviors of the students in the classroom.
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Responsibilities of the University Supervisor
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Pre-Residency
*Because university supervisors following the ETSU calendar, they will not begin their supervisor role until Residency I begins at the end of August. Candidates will receive support from their program of study and the Office of Educator Preparation during this time.
- Attend the pre-residency meeting for residency candidates if possible, if unable to attend, watch the video recording of the meeting.
- Attend mentor teacher training if possible, if unable to attend, watch the video recording of the meeting.
- Complete TEAM Training and submit your certification to the Office of Educator Preparation.
- Sign and return the Travel Authorization form to the Office of Educator Preparation
once the Placement Coordinator has emailed it to you.
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Residency I & II
- Review the Residency Handbook and Mentor Teacher/University Supervisor Handbook.
- Attend monthly supervisor meetings (August through December)
- Schedule initial meetings with mentor teachers and residency candidates to review requirements and answer questions.
- Check Student Learning & Licensure twice a month to ensure candidates are entering their attendance and that mentor teachers are approving these hours on a weekly basis. Report any attendance issues to the Program Coordinator and/or Department Chair and Director of Field Experience and Residency.
- Submit travel claims to the OEP EA by the end of the first full week of each month.
- Follow the Assessment and Evaluation Schedule found in the 2025-2026 Handbook.
- Follow up with mentor teachers during or after school visits to discuss candidates’ strengths, and areas of refinement (This can be in-person, via email, or zoom session).
- Check and review the Residency Candidate Performance Checklist submitted by mentor teachers. (Report any disposition issues to the Program Coordinator and/or Department Chair and the Director of Field Experience and Residency).
- Complete the Educator Disposition Assessment at the End of the Semesters using feedback from the Residency Candidate Performance Checklist completed by mentor teachers.
- Review D2L and Student Learning & Licensure at the end of each semester to ensure all attendance has been submitted and approved, all evaluations and observations have been completed, and all Performance Checklists and Reflective Summaries are in D2L.
- Complete the Supervisor Survey on every mentor teacher that you have worked with this year.
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Evaluations & Observations
University supervisors are advocates and liaisons between the university, residency candidates, and their mentor teachers. University supervisors will complete at least 5 observational visits during the residency year to complete formative assessments. University supervisor visits will be scheduled in advance and supervisors will collaborate with candidates to schedule visits and share their expectations for pre- and/or post-conferences. Candidates MUST use the ETSU lesson plan template for informal and TEAM observations completed by their university supervisors and submit lesson plans a minimum of 2 days before scheduled observations.
Supervisors are to follow the Assessment and Evaluation Schedule found in the 2025-2026 Handbook.
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Student Learning & Licensure by Watermark
Student Learning and Licensure will be utilized by candidates to log their hours during Residency. Mentor teachers need to check SLL weekly to confirm candidates are logging their hours and approve the hours submitted by candidates. This ensures residency candidates are adhering to their set schedule as well as arriving and departing school on time.
Supervisors need to check SLL every two weeks to confirm candidates are logging in their hours and mentor teachers are approving these hours on a weekly basis. **If there are attendance concerns or if candidates miss 5 or more days during RII, contact the Office of Educator Preparation.
Please follow the instructions below to access your Student Learning & Licensure account:
- You should receive an email from Student Learning and Licensure by Watermark to begin the login process (In some instances it may go to your spam or junk folder). If you do not receive an email, you can use the following link to login to Student Learning and Licensure: Mentor Login to SLL
- Use your school email address as your username. You will be prompted to create a password.
We have also included some links to helpful instructions and videos below:
- Field Experience Mentor Guide
- Approving or Rejecting Student Time Log Entries (Video)
- Reset Password
If you have trouble logging into Student Learning & Licensure or any additional questions, please email the Office of Educator Preparation at edprep@etsu.edu -
ETSU Supervisor Awards and Recognitions
2023-2024 Supervisor Award Angela Livingston
"Angela Livingston distinguishes herself as a model mentor of teacher candidates through her devotion to ensuring their success as future teachers. She accomplishes this through establishing rapport with her students adopting a coach-like mindset of holding each to high standards and offering excellent coaching and support throughout their experiences in the field. Angela is a team-oriented professional who cares deeply about the quality and integrity of the program and is dedicated to a student-centered model of instructional support and professional development. She is an asset to our department and to our college and we want to acknowledge her for her outstanding contributions."
2024-2025 Supervisor of the Year
- Teresa Howard, Curriculum and Instruction
2023-2024 Supervisor of the Year
- Angela Livingston, Educational Foundations & Special Education
2022-2023 Supervisor of the Year
- Kim Cassell, Early Childhood Education
2021-2022 Supervisor of the Year
- Jennifer Carter, Curriculum and Instruction
2020-2021 Supervisor of the Year
- Angela Shelton, Department of Early Childhood Education
- SuEllen Whitson, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
2019-2020 Supervisor of the Year
- Janice Cloud, Department of Curriculum & Instruction