Ptlls_Assignment_1

Q.4. – Analyse different ways in which you would establish ground rules with your learners, which underpin behaviour and respect for others. When a tutor or indeed a learner first comes into a class they are looking to set the dynamic of the structure and their surroundings for the remainder of the course. For the learners, it may partly be with whom they feel comfortable sitting with, or whether they prefer the front or back of a classroom. For the tutor it may be getting to know the individual personalities in their class and how best to approach their learning style to achieve the most efficient learning curve possible for that particular member of the class. A fundamental start to any course/session is the need to set ground rules which both the tutor and the learners will be bound by for the subsequent duration of the course as a whole. This allows the base line for both respect and behaviour that is acceptable to both me as the tutor and my students as the learners. All students will have different levels of acceptance and tolerances when it comes to behaviour and respect for others. What may be perfectly normal or acceptable behaviour per one individual could have a devastating effect on another. Establishing ground rules is therefore essential for a controlled and effective learning environment which will then allow the students their right to learn and work through the aims and objectives for each assignment/subject as they arise. There are plenty of basic ground rules and ways to implement them, which can then be amended or adjusted to suit the age and level of the learners that are being pitched to in a class environment. “Before you create ground rules, explain their purpose and the reason you have chosen to create them as a group rather than simply stipulating them yourself” (http://gsi.berkeley.edu/resources/discussion/methods.html:30/04/10) By telling my students why I am giving them the opportunity to come up with rules themselves they will hopefully see why they are doing the activity. The small group method discussed in the internet page above is generally the same method as the carousel method. Meaning you sub-divide the group into “small teams” and allow say ten minutes for them to agree on a few different rules that they think should be relevant to the remainder of the students and course. You would then move the ‘teams’ around so that they could review what their peers had put down on their sheets then discuss as a group. This would be a good time for me as the tutor to add to the rules that my group has suggested, then getting them as a whole to vote on which ones they all agree on. If there is a dispute, I should try and guide them by explaining why they may have misinterpreted either myself or a peer and finally agree on the rules. By giving the ownership of the rules to my students, I am empowering myself to be able to bring them up should something go astray. For example, a ground rule agreed on is ‘Phones on silent when coming into class’. If for example a student subsequently continued to keep their phone volume on, and disturbing the class I could highlight to them in a private session that they themselves agreed on the rule and that their actions are placing an unfair disruption on the others in their class. ‘Ground rules for attendance can likewise be important, as the group may be prevented from making decisions or may lack critical information if a key person is absent’ (Schwarz, 269) Attendance could be an issue where the class needs to work together as a group to maintain the efficiency of the course, for example if every week the class will be split into groups, if someone is a habitual bad attendee, when they are in people would be less willing to work with them as they have lost their comradely towards the individual. This is itself would then create a further problem for me as the tutor. ‘ Most teams set the standards too high for their ground rules - these kinds of unrealistic ground rules quickly become discredited as most people don’t comply with them and it can be very hard then to put in any ground rules whatsoever. * Ground Rules are meaningless if not implemented. This means that warnings and sanctions have to happen early on or else the ground rules are not worth the paper they are written on’ (http://kenthompson.typepad.com/thevirtualcoach/2005/09/tool4_agreeing_.html) As I will see when moving onto planning my own sessions and ground rule setting, my students are likely to aim their rules higher than they would be able to maintain themselves, at this point I would have to lead their thoughts to the attainability of what they are suggesting, for example to suggest 100% attendance or reprimand could be completely unachievable down to personal reasons. I would therefore have to try and get my students to see that whilst 100% attendance would be desirable, that is different from what could be generally achievable. Though my discussion would have to leave them comfortable about having their opinion altered, otherwise they would not feel they still felt the “ownership” of the rule. This way of establishing ground rules is an exceptionally useful tool, and gives me as a tutor the opportunity to be revisited if ground rules are broken.   Drawing up a schedule including the ground rules that you’ve agreed on as a group is another good idea because it is a visual reminder of the ground rules that they have agreed to and also being clear on both mine and their peers expectations are an essential part of establishing respect and behaviour. Adult learners are normally keen and motivated to learn they often attend classes in their own time to enhance their job or for personal benefits.   Usually adult learners are not afraid to make mistakes. Ground rules could be quite simple for adult learns for example arriving on time, switching their mobile phones off.   The main problem with tutor-set rules is that the students may not fully buy into them, especially if they see no benefit to themselves. This can lead to poor behaviour and a lack of respect for others in the class if some students are not seen to be “obeying the rules that had been se out. No comments