The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 3, Summer 2013 | Page 8
Field Placement
What Students Need From Their Field Supervisors: A Student’s Perspective
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by Kaila Williams
uring orientation, every student is introduced to the expectations of the school, the internship, and the social work profession. I was no different from any MSW student—being thrown process recordings, state laws, academic honesty, and APA style. I was fully willing and prepared to take on all these responsibilities and begin my coursework as a master’s student. That being said, I wasn’t expecting to begin advocating for myself on my first day. I discovered I would not only have to develop my Learning Contract, but also know and demand tasks designed for an MSW student from my field supervisor. This concept is difficult to comprehend and virtually impossible to implement when we, as students or even Americans raised in a capitalist society, have been taught at a very young age to not question authority and to essentially “know your place.” Throughout my internship, I thought I was implementing this concept, but in reality, I was only participating on a superficial level. I went through my field placement much like I had every other job—with a subordinate attitude. As such, I was missing critical aspects of what a foundation student should be learning, such as knowing when to trust your instincts in what cases you can handle and when to ask for help. I felt emotionally exhausted. I did everything my supervisor asked of me, yet I still wasn’t getting the acknowledgment I felt I deserved. Every week when I went to supervision, I felt as if I was going to battle with my supervisor—explaining my actions and why I didn’t do something the way she thought I should have. My perceived view of supervision was very different. It centered around a discussion with my supervisor about the challenges I experienced with my clients and the way I implemented the skills I would learn in class. Tension began to build between my supervisor and me. I began to think of my field placement as a place with unspoken expectations that I would never quite reach. This tension rose rapidly until it came to a screeching halt during my midterm evaluation. I remember one particular area of critique my supervisor gave me: she
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