PTLLS Assignment 1: Roles and Responsibilities in the Teaching Cycle

1. Describe what your role, responsibilities and boundaries would be as a teacher in terms of the teaching/training cycle. My role as a teacher In her book Preparing to teach in the Lifelong Learning sector 2011 (P9), Ann Gravells explains that â€Å"Your main role as a teacher should be to teach your subject in a way that actively involves and engages your students during every session. † Beyond this, my role as a teacher of business management extends to firstly being an exemplar of good management practice, behaviour and conduct. I would need to be a positive role model to my students in interpersonal relationships, organisation, time management, leadership and other aspects of the role of a manager. My role as a teacher also extends to creating a positive, safe and encouraging inclusive learning environment that provides opportunity for learner collaboration and co-operation. My role is not just didactic but facilitative in enabling learning. My role would be ongoing in identifying barriers to learning whether academic, personal or otherwise. I would then apply appropriate interventions to support the learner in overcoming such barriers, with due regard for the professional boundaries of the role. Ultimately, my role is to successfully motivate and support my learners to attain their management qualification. Responsibilities throughout the stages of the teaching / training cycle The teaching / training cyle is in five stages: 1. Identify needs 2. Plan and design 3. Facilitate / deliver 4. Assess 5. Evaluate At each of the five stages of the teaching / training cycle there are many responsibilities countered by relevant boundaries. Responsibilities and boundaries in identifying learning needs At Stage 1, identifying learning needs, the process starts with the candidate’s eligibility for the training. This may be in terms of their academic ability in being able to achieve the Management qualification or in their background and experience in being able to apply the learning. My responsibility would be to explain the entry equirements and assesment criteria to any prospective students. Eligibility in terms of funding and other issues unconnected with the course itself might be addressed by the Course Administrator and would therefore be a demarcation boundary. Course dates and issues around availability would be part of my responsibilities, as I would need to ensure that I maximise attendance and provide timings and dates that were feasible and appropriate. Other responsibilities wou ld be in assessing the needs of the students prior to the learning. I would include, in any pre-course literature, questions around special requirements / reasonable adjustments so that I could make the environment inclusive, safe and learner-friendly. I would also include a learning styles questionnaire, either VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic) or Honey and Mumford which is based on Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. I might also include questions around levels of understanding / experience in the management arena. This information would then inform the development of course materials that catered for the range of learning styles and differentiation in learners’ abilities. I would also be responsible for arranging suitable accommodation for the training including a classroom layout conducive to learning and the resources necessary to support the course materials. In management training it may be appropriate to have PowerPoint presentations, case studies and management DVDs. In terms of working within boundaries at this stage I would need to ensure that timings, dates and literature were in accordance with diversity and equality policies and did not exclude potential candidates. I would also need to ensure the safe-keeping and confidentiality of anything dislosed in the completed pre-course questionnaires. Responsibilities and boundaries in planning and designing At Stage 2, Planning and designing, my responsibilities would include reviewing the ‘needs’ questionnaires to prepare and design the course. If the course was new, I would need to research the internet, consult management books and theory and source materials from colleagues. I might also purchase appropriate support materials such as management styles questionnaires, DVDs etc. If the course was an existing one, I would review the course content to ensure that it was inclusive, contextualised to the learners’ experience, compatible with the learning styles of the learners and at an appropriate academic level to both meet assessment criteria and meet the varying learning needs of the learners. If necessary, I would need to tailor the course providing additional support for the differing academic levels of the learners I might consult internal verifiers or other colleagues to ensure that my course content was appropriate and engaging for the learners. I have often piloted courses to test their effectiveness. My responsibilities at this stage also include preparing aims, objectives, lesson plans, schemes of work and assessments. I would also need to design flipcharts, posters and handouts. The boundaries at this stage include budgetary and time constraints which may affect the quality of the course materials. I must also again make any reasonable adjustments with materials e. g. font size on handouts / PowerPoint presentations adjusted to meet the needs of learners with a visual impairment. I once had to recruit a signer for a deaf learner. I must also ensure that my materials do not breach copyright and licencing requirements. Responsibilities and boundaries in facilitating and delivering learning At Stage 3, facilitating and delivering the learning my responsibilities are extensive. Using my personal presence, presonal example, charisma and tools such as ground rules, I need to create the right first impression to ensure that my learners are aware of their responsibilities within the learning environment. I try to create an environment of support, collaboration and mutual respect. I am responsible for ensuring inclusivity of the learners and celebrating their diversity. I have a duty of care in respect of my learners and should get advice and guidance from my fellow professionals in areas I am unsure of. The environment should be in accordance with Health and Safety requirements allowing free movement and access, no trip hazards, safe, tested electrical equipment. I need to create a psychologically safe environment without intimidation or disrespect. I would do this by challenging inappropriate behaviour and encouraging positive behaviour. I could also refer learners back to the ground rules. Depending on the learning needs / progress of individuals I might need to adapt and target some parts of the course content. I need to minimise jargon and adapt my language and style to the needs of the participants. I need to create opportunities for networking, self-development and experimentation. I must also be aware of any perceived or real barriers to learning and make appropriate interventions. To do this I would confer with teaching assistants or ‘privately’ discuss any issues directly with learners. My presentation style should be engaging, motivational inspirational and thought-provoking. I should keep the necessary records to evidence learner attendance and attainment. My exercises should cater for the varying learning styles of the group. I can employ the assistance of other professionals such as teaching assistants to provide learners with any learning / motivational support or personal care. This is another area of demarcation for the teacher. If there are personal issues creating barriers to learning, then I should know the boundaries of my responsibilities and when to refer to other professional bodies. Other boundaries would include maintaining a professional distance and not becoming too familiar with learners. The use of personal email addresses, personal mobiles numbers and social networking sites would overstep the boundaries of professional conduct. I should also be careful not to favour individual learners or discriminate or exclude learners adhering at all times to diversity and equality requirements / policies. I should maintain confidentiality, agreed as part of the ground rules. Records should be kept safe and confidential. Responsibilities and boundaries in assessing At Stage 4, Assessing, my responsibilities are to set appropriate assessments that comply with the criteria set by the examining board. I also need to comply with any requirements / adjustments advised by the external and internal verifiers. I have a responsibility to ensure that assessments are accessible, with any reasonable adjustments made. I need to ensure that any examinations are conducted appropriately in accordance with guidelines set by the examining board. I need to ensure objectivity, equality and fairness in my grading and marking of assignments. I also need to complete my marking in a timely manner to ensure that learners receive feedback as soon as possible. Feedback on assigments would be written or vebral if additional support was required. Feedback should be constructive, balanced, supportive and helpful. I need to follow the correct procedures for referring or failing students that do not meet the assessment criteria. I should ensure that assessment records are captured correctly and stored safely, ensuring confidentiality. The responsibility areas outlined above illustrate the boundaries that must be adhered to data protection, confidentiality, bjectivity, equality and fairness. Responsibilities and boundaries in evaluating Stage 5 is evaluation. As a teacher I need to review the course once it has concluded. Evaluation methodology employed might include post-course questionnaires, budgetary analysis, return on investment exercise, outputs from exercises and assessments, teacher observation, reflective diaries, peer ob servation, feedback from external and internal verifiers and ultimately the assessment results. I should analyse what went well and what needs to be improved. Boundaries at this stage would be my ability to be objective and barriers to receiving / accepting feedback. 2. Identify the key aspects of current legislative requirements and codes of practice relevant to your subject and the type of organisation within which you would like to work. In my former role as a trainer in the Civil Service, I was subject to the Official Secrets Act, the Civil Service code of conduct and to various HR policies. These governed my personal behaviour towards others, my integrity and my professionalism. Failure to comply might lead to grievances, disciplinary procedures and employment tribunals. In her book Preparing to teach in the Lifelong Learning sector 2011 (P9), Ann Gravells lists codes of practice and legislation relevant to the training arena. I have considered their relevance to my role and subject area. Code of Professional Practice 2008 by the Institute for Learning is a useful guide as to how teachers should behave and the professional boundaries that they should work within. This code covers such areas as integrity, respect, care, practice, disclosure and responsibility. Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 – I would need to ensure that the support materials used did not breach this legislation. I would need to acquire permission or purchase licences for relevant work that I wished to use. Data Protection Act 2003 – this governs the type of data kept about my students, information held should be restricted to what is relevant for my purposes and role. Data should be up-to-date and accurate. This also governs the security of information. Confidentiality and safe keeping being of the utmost importance. Equality Act 2010 – this legislation was designed to protect individuals from unfair treatment and discrimination and advance equality of opportunity. It protects individuals on the grounds of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation. As a teacher I should be aware of my own prejudices and ensure that I do not exclude, discriminate or treat unfairly any of the learners in any way that contravenes this act. Further to the Equality Act, there are often organisational policies relating to Diversity which means that as a teacher I should accept and celebrate the diversity of the learners, enabling and valuing the contributions of individuals. Freedom of Information Act 2000 – this legislation is around the rights of the public to information held by authorities. This information could be anything that might be in the public interest to know. The ‘public’ therefore includes the learners. As a teacher I need to ensure that any records kept are accurate and relevant and contain nothing that I would not wish the learners to see.. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – relates to the responsibility of everyone in the workplace to take responsibility for ensuring the workplace is healthy and safe. As a teacher I would need to be aware of my responsibilities and ensure that learners are aware of their responsibilities. Responsibilities include interventions to rectify issues e. g. removing a trip hazard. Reporting accidents and near misses is another responsibility. Aslo reporting any issues that you are unable to address yourself. I would also add the requirement for a Public Performance Licence. This would be held by the organisation you work for. If you play recorded music or music videos in public – including radio or TV – you are legally required to have a PPL licence.