Most people begin supervising without any training, and default to supervising the way they were supervised — which passes on the good and the bad equally.
A few things are worth knowing before rather than after.
Set expectations explicitly
- Meeting frequency and format.
- Feedback turnaround, and keep to it.
- What to bring to each meeting.
- Who decides what.
- Authorship approach.
- Write it down and review it annually — assumed expectations cause most supervision problems.
The most common mistakes
- Assuming the student knows what you know.
- Fixing the work instead of teaching — faster now, useless later.
- Only commenting on problems, so students stop sending drafts.
- Not noticing silence, which usually means stuck rather than fine.
- Taking on more students than you can supervise properly.
Feedback
- Three substantial points, not twenty.
- Structure before sentences.
- Explain the standard, not only the correction — that is what transfers.
- Say what is working, specifically.
- Deliver within the time you promised.
Building independence
- Reduce direction as they develop — the goal is that they no longer need you.
- Ask for their proposal rather than giving instructions.
- Let them make and own some decisions.
- Ask what they plan to do next, and let them answer.
Recognising difficulty
- Silence and reduced contact are the early signals.
- Ask specifically what they are working on, not whether they are fine.
- Distinguish conceptual difficulty, skill gaps and motivation blocks — they need different responses.
- Know what support your institution provides, before you need it.
- Refer when the difficulty is outside your role.
Getting support yourself
- Institutional supervisor training, where it exists.
- Co-supervision with someone experienced.
- Ask experienced colleagues about specific situations.
- Ask your students what would help — the answers are often practical.
- Supervision is a skill; nobody starts good at it.
One thing worth remembering
Ask yourself after each meeting: can they take the next step without me?
If the answer depends on your being there, you solved a problem rather than building a capability — and the goal is that they eventually do not need you at all.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
What should be set explicitly?
Meeting frequency and format, feedback turnaround, what to bring to meetings, who decides what, and the authorship approach — written down and reviewed annually.
What are the most common mistakes?
Assuming the student knows what you know, fixing work instead of teaching, only commenting on problems, not noticing silence, and taking on too many students.
What makes feedback effective?
Three substantial points rather than twenty, structure before sentences, explaining the standard rather than only the correction, and delivering within the promised time.
How is difficulty recognised?
Silence and reduced contact are the early signals — ask specifically what they are working on, and distinguish conceptual difficulty from skill gaps and motivation blocks.
What question should follow each meeting?
Can they take the next step without me — if it depends on your being there, you solved a problem rather than building a capability.
