Explain_the_Ways_in_Which_You_Would_Establish_Ground_Rules_with_Your_Learners_and_Which_Underpin_Behaviour_and_Respect_for_Others_

Explain the ways in which you would establish ground rules with your learners and which underpin behaviour and respect for others' Every learner requires boundaries and rules within which to work and these needs to be initiated and put in place by the teacher, ensuring that they are made clear early at the start of the course. Ground rules help learners to understand what is expected of them by the teacher and they help the teacher manage the learning environment by providing a safe and supportive atmosphere. By producing these rules, learners can understand their restrictions in terms of correct behaviour and respect for each other. These are arranged by the teacher in order to ensure that a suitable environment is created and maintained which is conductive to effective learning. Wayt (2008) states that when the ground rules are being considered with learners, it is important for the teacher to create their own rules which shows an image of their dedication to the teaching/learning relationship. These should be pinned up inside the learning environment and be made visible by all and be revised when necessary. I am now going to take a selection of ground rules and apply them to a learner and a teacher relating to my specialised subject area. Learner The learner has to follow a set of ground rules that are put in place by the tutor. The learner must inform the teacher if s/he is going to be late for whatever reason, either by phoning the office or by dropping them an email explaining their circumstances. This should be made no later than 12pm on the day of the session to allow the teacher to arrange extra support for the missed session. Learners will arrive on time at lessons regardless whether it is at the start of the session or whether they are returning from break/s. This minimises any disruption caused to fellow learners. Always try to arrive 15 minutes early before the session starts to familiarise yourself with the location of the class, should there be any difficulty getting there, especially if the location is quite far. Always respect your fellow learners and treat them with respect as there will be people from many different backgrounds, experiences, cultures and values. The learner is expected and should bring all the appropriate equipment ready for the class, which includes writing pads, stationery such as pens, highlighters, etc, any notes from the session and course books recommended by the teacher. When an assignment deadline is set, this must be adhered to the learners’ needs to make sure they complete the appropriate assignment and hand in it on the exact day as this helps the tutor to mark all the assignments at the same time. Atherton (2010) states that it is important to observe that fellow-students are not interrupted when they contribute/discuss any topic or when the teacher is talking. They should wait their turn and only have one conversation at a time in the class. My own ground rules would integrate preparing resources such as handouts, worksheets, etc, appropriate teaching materials and ensuring that the time is managed properly for classes to start and finish on time. It also depends on what level you are teaching at as students will decide how they want to lay out there work once the structure has been set for a piece of work. The teachers will ultimately set rules which reflect the subject they are teaching, in the case of ICT, the students should not eat or drink anywhere near the computer; should not turn on the computer until told to do so, ensure that mobiles are switched off or turned to silent, use appropriate language and being punctual. Tutor The tutor has to follow ground rules as he/she has to set an example for the learners. The tutor will always make sure that the environment that the learners are working in is a suitable one which offers warmth, comfort, good lighting, ventilation etc. If the learner has any problems with the learning environment, this must be raised with the tutor and any concerns or issues will try to be addressed with reasonable efforts. This ground rule takes into consideration the “Safety Needs” aspect of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which focuses on the needs of the learner and details the basic needs and necessities of the individual, which must be assembled before a learner can enter a comfortable state of mind to learn. Image taken from cyberlegaltips website The teacher will make sure that all learners have some method of transport to get home safely. Sometimes sessions will start later and finish later due to either group discussions going on or the teacher explaining something significant. The teacher will attempt to provide adequate handouts to cover all aspects of the lesson but they must try not to spoon-feed the learner as this is seen as favouritism and will be disapproved by others. There are several ways a teacher could go about setting appropriate ground rules. One way of doing this would be to get the whole class to participate in group discussions to come up with setting the ground rules and then discussing this together as a class. This could be good way because it would make the learners think logically about the suitable rules needed for the teaching room. When they sign the document for sitting the course, these rules are included as an attached copy. This would also be an advantage as all learners will be signing an agreement ensuring that they follow these rules at all times. But different learners will or may have different outlook on the ground rules that are set and may disagree on some. Harris (2010) mentions that it is crucial that teachers pitch the content of their course at the correct level and promoting an adult education course is essential. They can lay down some basic requirements and clarify what the course involves so that potential learners can make an informed decision about whether or not they wish to join the course. Adults appreciate structure and routine so taking the register and presenting clear objectives at the beginning of the lesson is very important. Finally, ground rules between the teacher and student creates a safe and respectful space in which all participants have the opportunity to benefit from the learning experience. These rules should be implemented early on the beginning of the course and should be revisited as required on a class-by-class basis. Harris (2010) states that teachers have to constantly re-evaluate, reflect and review their practice. The feedback received from learners during and at the end of their course helps teachers to identify their needs so they can approach things differently next time. References Wayt (2008), Explain the ways in which you would establish ground rules with your learners, which underpin behaviour and respect for others [Online] UK Available: http://www.balance-therapy.co.uk/assignment%208.1.4.pdf Accessed: 02/10/10 Harris (2010), Tips for teaching adult learners instead of younger learners [Online] USA Available: http://www.helium.com/items/1015875-tips-for-teaching-adult-learners-instead-of-younger-learners Accessed: 02/10/10 Atherton (2010) Learning and Teaching; Ground rules for the class [On-line] UK Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/ground_rules.htm Accessed: 02/10/10 (2007) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Diagram [Online] USA Available: http://www.legalcybertips.com/constitutional-right/index.html Accessed: 12/11/10 Word Count: 1,100