Ptlls_Roles_and_Responsabilities

Roles and responsibilities of a tutor Within the role of an Independent Parent Supporter (IPS) it has been identified there was a need for training for parents in regards to children with a dual diagnosis of ASC and ADHD. The symptoms of the two conditions tend to over-lap or contain comorbid traits, making it quite common for children to be given a dual diagnosis due to this (mugsy.org 2008). The content of this course will be achieved by bringing together certain aspects of both the current ASC and the ADHD courses, keeping it as close as possible to the specific traits shown in those with this dual diagnosis. The aim of this course will be to allow parents the opportunity to discuss the issues they have and to give them the strategies and confidence to help both he parent and child to deal with every day situations despite these issues. The course will also endeavour to help reduce the isolation these parents feel, due to their children’s difficulties. Teaching in the adult sector or post compulsory education is different to teaching children. Adults tend to be on time and less disruptive, saying that the tutor must allow for issues such as the learners outside responsibilities and the possibility that if teaching an evening class the learners may have been at work all day. The role of the tutor is varied and extensive. Within each stage on the teaching cycle there are a number of role which must be taken by the tutor and each one of those comes with a certain level of responsibility. This essay will explain some, but not, all of that part of being a tutor. It will also endeavour to define the responsibilities the tutor has in relation to the content of their teaching and the learners involved in the teaching of that content. This will include course content, effectiveness of the teaching to the evaluation of both the tutor and learner. The teaching cycle is the critical outline of the tutors role and reasonability towards the learners. There are five parts to the teaching cycle, they are; identifying need, plan and design, deliver, assess and evaluate (Gravels 2008). Within each of these parts there are various aspects to the tutors’ role. It will be the responsibility of the tutor starting from the very first session of the course must take into account the needs of the learners involved. It is not always possible to design a course in order to take into account all the learners needs, it is therefore the necessary for the tutor to be able to adapt the course in order to meet any needs the learners may have. There are a range of needs learners may have which will affect their learning; these can be described as SPICE: Social, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural and Emotional (PTLLS-linux). Within these five areas there several difficulties and needs for which the tutor must allow for within there teaching. Learners may find learning difficult due to their past learning experiences whether that be positive or negative, for example if a learner has had a previously bad experience of teaching this may hinder them not only in them wanting to learn but also they may have some intellectual needs, such as literacy or numeracy problems. Physical needs can range from a learner having a physical disability to the venue of the course being taught; i.e. learner’s ability to attend due to lack of transport. For learners with physical disabilities adjustments to the learning environment can easy to make, such as ensuring a ground floor room or an accessible lift, rearranging the seating to allow better access to desks. When a course in the planning stage it is up to the tutor to design a course that is, not only fit for purpose but also interesting enough to keep the interest of the learners, this should also include the length of the course. A course needs to be long enough to give enough information but not too long as to be tedious. This is not always possible to do if delivering a predetermined course, although this can be achieved during the delivery, on a course such as PPP it is possible to put you own stamp on it. It is the responsibility of the tutor to use their own personality to make the course interesting. When designing a course the tutor must make sure the course flows from session to session but also allow each session to stand alone. When designing a course it is necessary to take into account VARK, the four types of learning, as so to allow the learners learn as much as they are capable. This can be achieved by using as many different teaching resources as possible. Using different materials to teach can not only allow for better learning but also create interest in the subject matter. It is the tutors’ responsibility to ensure that what is being taught is correct and as up to date as possible. For instance with the course mentioned above, new research could be used within the content. When delivering the course, the tutor should ensure that they are interested in the course and show it in their delivery. A tutor should be able to judge how the class is responding to the session and be able to think on their feet to re-energise the class if needed, this can be done by using an activity or game in order to get the learners to focus again. Assessment is a vital part of the tutors’ responsibility, not only of how well the learners have learned but how well the tutor has taught. I order to teach effectively to tutor must constantly review how well they are teaching, just as many of us consciously or unconsciously, tend to use those teaching strategies we experienced as learners, sour own experience of being assessed plays a key role in the development of our repertoire as a teacher (The Authors, 2003). Assessment of the course can be made in several ways; they can be made from session to session known as formative or at the end of the course known as summative. Written assessments, video and verbal assessments are all good ways of getting the views of your learners and finding out how well the course is being received by them, PPS mostly do formative assessments, assessing each session by means of questionnaires and recapping the previous session at the beginning of the next. Assessments are also a valuable tool in evaluating the course content; was the content relevant, did the learners learn, was the teaching effective. Evaluation is needed for the tutor to determine if any changes need to the course. Word Count = 1037 Bibliography Curzon, L.B (1976) Teaching in Further Education, An outline of Principles and Practice London, Continuum. Gravells,A (2008). Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector Exeter, Learning matters http://www.mugsy.org/connor112.htm http://www.anqdevelopment1-linux.co.uk/04-TheoryTasks/Theory1.htm The authors (2003). Teaching and training in post-compulsory education Berkshire, Open University Press. Walklin, L (1990) Teaching and Learning in Further and Adult Education Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Ltd.