Forgotten Stakeholders: Field Supervisors’ Enactment of Care

This article discusses the critical but often overlooked role of field supervisors in teacher preparation programs. Through a collaborative self-study of two field supervisors supported by their critical friends, this study examines how a pedagogy of care – centered on security, pedagogical love, and thoughtful responsiveness – affects supervisors’ well-being. The findings document supervisors’ enactment of care through mentorship, feedback, and emotional support, emphasizing their impact on teacher candidates’ professional and personal growth. However, this care comes at a cost, requiring emotional labor on the part of supervisors, which contributes to their compassion fatigue. The study advocates for systemic changes in selecting, training, and recognizing field supervisors to sustain effective teacher preparation while preserving supervisors’ well-being, urging institutions to address emotional labor and foster supportive environments for residents and supervisors.