Identify_Key_Aspects_of_Current_Legislative_Requirements_and_Code_of_Practice_Within_My_Specialist_Area.

Explain own role, responsibilities and boundaries of own role as a teacher. As a Teacher/Assessor, teaching in the lifelong learning sector, my roles, responsibilities and boundaries are qualities I often assess and reflect on using the teaching/training cycle. Firstly, my main responsibility is to identify the learner’s training needs, learning styles and what motivates them to learn. At my workplace, I conduct interviews/inductions with the learners using various assessment methods such as Initial Key Skill Assessment in Basic Literacy/Numeracy, Diagnostic Testing, and Individual Learning Plans. This initial assessment enables me to acquire vital information about the learners such as their ages, cultural differences, abilities, aspirations/motivation and learning styles. There are many theories associated with how learners learn. Honey and Mumford (1986) suggests that people learn well either by doing something (activist), by thinking back on something (reflector), by investigating ideas and concepts (theorist) or by finding relevance or association (pragmatist). The most simple to understand theory is the VAK Analysis, which suggests that people learn using their visual senses (sight), auditory senses (hearing) and kinaesthetic senses (doing). Individual learners will exude different learning styles and it is my responsibility to provide a mixture of these learning experiences as part of my planning/teaching strategy, thereby meeting individual needs and stimulating greater learning. My role as a planner enables me to design and plan the course programme on my specialist field (i.e. childcare and early years). Most Awarding bodies have given boundaries to which the courses should be outlined, thereby limiting my input to mainly planning the course timetable (i.e. showing what units to cover and how long the course will run for) and also to plan and prepare lesson sessions for each unit within the courses programme. My role as a resource developer is paramount. I deliver learning through the use of power point presentation, video clips, handouts, role play, and case-study/scenarios. This in effect, creates a more interesting way of delivering learning. My role as an information provider is mainly directed towards the learners. As a trainer/assessor of childcare, I have acquired over the years knowledge, skills and experiences within the childcare industry to be confident enough to want to pass them onto prospective learners. I work for a training provider and part of my job roles is to organise and teach a 31/2hr weekly study sessions for prospective childcare practitioners. First impression counts to the learners and so I employ my organisational and communication skills which help me to manage my teaching time effectively, to balance my talking/listening skills and also to deliver the course. This is where I assume the role of a learning facilitator. I achieve this role by encouraging learners to work together in groups, storming up ideas about key subject areas and all I do is to support/review their ideas rather than to be a dispenser of Information. My role as an assessor comes into play as I need to know what the learners have learnt. At my workplace, I assisted in producing a workbook which consists of different assessment methods such as Reflective Accounts, Written and Extended Questioning. The key assessment methods that I use are Direct Observations, Professional Discussions and Oral Questioning. These methods help me assess the learner’s performance and knowledge in comparison to the set standards. My responsibility is to assess fairly, give constructive feedback on the learner’s progress and also to record learner’s achievements and reviews accurately. As a role model, I often lead by example and consequentially encourage the learners to progressively reflect on their personal growth and career development. My responsibility is to monitor, evaluate and improve the quality and effectiveness of my teaching practice. At my workplace, I give out Evaluation forms to the learners in order to get feedback which could indicate changing needs and therefore requiring the need to re-evaluate the course delivery. My main boundary as a teacher is the teacher/learner relationship. This I mean as to be friendly but not too friendly. I have a duty of care towards the learners to assist them in gaining their qualification favourable to their learning needs as well as that of the Awarding bodies. Bibliography Learning Styles – Honey and Mumford (1986) Gravells VAK Analysis (2008) SNVQ Assessors Handbook by Kelly Hill