Review_Your_Role,_Responsibilities_and_Boundaries_as_a_Teacher_in_Terms_of_the_Teaching_Cycle.

Review your role, responsibilities and boundaries as a teacher in terms of the teaching cycle. The role of the teacher goes far beyond that of simply teaching and having a knowledge to impart to others. Wilson (2008) states that teaching is a continuous process which follows a series of steps to ensure effective learning and according to Minton (2005) the efficacy of a teacher uses these steps in a repeated cycle of identifying needs, planning and design, delivery and review. Therefore, for the purpose of this paper, the teacher’s roles, responsibilities and boundaries shall be reviewed within each stage of the teaching cycle because the cycle provides a cohesive structure for evaluation which is important for improving professional practice (Wallace, 2001). This paper shall be written from the view of an Adult Community Learning Tutor who has already assimilated the organisation’s policies, procedures and protocols and thus understands the boundaries to which they are expected to keep within and the subsequent responsibilities and roles fundamental to working for the establishment. Moreover, this paper is written in view of a teacher who is familiar with and adheres and to and is bound by the LLUK Professional Standards[1]. Identifying Needs. Minton (1997) promotes the concept of student centred teaching and therefore encourages active participation from learners to determine the needs of the class in order to deliver and plan an inclusive and engaging programme. Therefore the teacher’s role includes understanding their audience, ascertaining their needs and their scope for learning. When identifying needs, the teacher is responsible for ensuring that the course is accessible in order to accommodate learners and thus to adhere to all legislative health and safety requirements which impacts upon the planning element of the training cycle to ensure that the course remains within and is executed within all health and safety considerations by completing risk assessments (Wilson, 2008). Moreover, the teacher must ensure the legal participation of learners from day one and that any pre requisites have been met. It is imperative that a teacher does not allow a learner to embark upon a course that is beyond their level of competency, that they may not be able to achieve the ultimate goal and thus placing the learner in a vulnerable position of failure. Additionally, a teacher in the lifelong learning sector must identify needs for learning support to enable participation however Minton (2005) identified that such needs are less tangible or observable and therefore more difficult to analyse. A teacher must be perceptive and tactful without being intrusive or insulting to determine the need for additional learning support for adults. Planning / Design. Minton (1997) advises that a teacher’s role in planning involves a large amount of time management and allocation for a well balanced lesson / course and therefore the teacher must fill the time with meaningful contents. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the course contents are appropriate, ethical and aligned to the achievement requirements as set by the awarding body of a vocational course or can deliver the expectations and needs identified of the learners. At this stage, it is important to determine that the material is accessible for all learners therefore it is the teachers role to execute a V.A.R.K assessment with the learners to identify the type of leaning methods for which need to be catered and so the teacher will avoid exclusion in using the results when designing materials and learning methods. Further boundaries at this stage entail that the teacher does not overspend on budget or time allocations. Course Delivery A teacher must deliver the course and communicate the content with clarity and consistency at the appropriate pace and treat all learners appropriately and give each learner equal opportunity to fulfil their full potential (Gravells, 2008). It is a teacher’s responsibility to ensure that all records are kept up to date and in accordance with the Data Protection Act. It is essential that should a professional need to provide additional support to a learner outside of the classroom or make contact with a learner due to absence, that the teacher does not harass the learner and that communication is kept professional without any emotional involvement, the teacher is responsible for recognising the need for additional support from other governmental agencies or to escalate a concern to appropriately qualified professionals. It is the role of the teacher to facilitate impartial reviews and appraisals in a variety of forms and to be responsible for keeping accurate records of learners’ achievement in order that learners and teachers can report on progression and performance using meaningful data that is fair to all. Professional are bound by fairness and should not discriminate on any of the grounds as covered in the Equality Act (2010) against any learner during an assessment. Review Assessments provide useful information to judge the efficacy of the course because it can be a fair way to measure what learners have learned and therefore can provide areas that may need revisiting in lessons. Continuous reflection by the teacher and from the learner will ensure that the needs of the course and the learner are being met. Thus providing the platform to adapt and redesign aspects which need addressing and continues the cycle. At this stage, it is imperative that a teacher provides constructive feedback for the good of the course development and to request feedback from learners. Teachers should not ignore the feedback provided by their audience and so create actions which are needed. Wallace (2001) comments that evaluation is important to demonstrate constructive analysis of professional practice and so can be an effective tool for ensuring a teacher’s continuous professional development (CPD). The thread of fairness, equality and inclusion are present at every step of this cycle and it is difficult to differentiate some roles from responsibilities and boundaries and there is potential for overlap of considerations between stages however, it can be deduced that a teacher within the lifelong learning has many considerations, roles and responsibilities and boundaries and that many are required from professional codes of practice and legislation but many as a teacher I would consider that student achievement and ensuring that all learners have equal opportunity to participate fulfil their potential as a very strong driver for adhering to and delivering the above. References Gravells, A., 2008, Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector: Third Edition, Exeter, Learning Matters < http://www.lluk.org/documents/professional_standards_for_itts_020107.pdf> [accessed 6/11/10] Minton, D., 1997, Teaching Skills in Further & Adult Education, Basingstoke, The Macmillan Trust Ltd Minton,D., 2005, Teachinh Skills in Further & Adult Education, Thomson Learning Wallace, S., 2001, Teaching and Supporting Learning in Further Education: Meeting the FENTO Standards, Exeter, Learning Matters. Wilson, L., 2008, Practical Teaching: PTLLS and CTLLS, Delmar ----------------------- [1] http://www.lluk.org/documents/professional_standards_for_itts_020107.pdf