Role_of_the_Teacher

PREPARING TO TEACH IN THE LIFELONG LEARNING SECTOR OCTOBER 2010 ASSIGNMENT 1: ROLE OF THE TEACHER NIALL INMAN CONTENTS Introduction Page 3 1. Role of the teacher Page 3 11. Identifying learners needs Page 4 12. Planning the course Page 5 13. Delivering the course Page 6 14. Assessing learning Page 7 15. Evaluating the course Page 8 2. Role of the teacher in administration Page 8 3. Role of the teacher as a tutor Page 9 4. Boundaries of the role Page 9 5. Current legislative requirements and codes of practice Page 10 Conclusion Page 11 Bibliography Page 12 Introduction The role of teacher varies greatly. Teaching is just part of a demanding yet rewarding career where a teacher has the opportunity to change life’s. 1.1 Role of the teacher The teaching and training cycle is a continuous feedback loop and it is essential to enable a teacher to fulfill their duties and to understand and assess the learner’s needs, styles and motivation for the course. From the outset a teacher’s role and responsibilities are to outline the course information, set the ground rules with learner interaction, assess the needs of the learner and explain what shall be expected from the student during the course. The teacher must also keep in mind a “need to reassure your learners that you will help make their learning experience a positive and rewarding one” (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Ann Gravells). 11. Identifying learners needs It is vital to be able to support all students. To do this the teacher must identify the individual needs of each student. Within the ‘Built Environment’ department of Cambridge Regional College there are different methods used to identify these needs. In order to obtain knowledge on individual requirements a pre-course application form is issued to each student to identify personal needs in areas such as disability, religious or food requirements. Extra support or specialised equipment is also identified through the forms. At the start of the course each student must provide evidence of qualifications to highlight areas of strengths and weaknesses followed by a diagnostic test to further identify strengths and weaknesses in key subjects. Maslow, a humanist psychologist, suggested that there are universal, instinct-like needs, which every human being strives for. Maslow gives these needs a hierarchical order (Teaching Today, Geoffrey Petty). A need towards the top of the order would only be of importance to the student if their needs lower down were achieved. By satisfying physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, and esteem needs then the teacher will ensure that the students achieve ‘self-actualisation’. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 12. Planning the course Critical to the success of the course, the teacher must plan and design the elements within the course. This could include suitable dates, realistic locations, ensuring class rooms are free and have the correct resources available e.g. powerpoint, lighting, size, seating, white boards etc. A scheme of works will provide a structured programme for the course and furthermore lesson plans will identify resources such as handouts and technical equipment as well as set measurable aims and objectives to deliver the course and each lesson. The handouts and the class activities should be based around the course syllabus, and should take into account any special needs that have been highlighted. The teacher should identify those students requiring to be ‘stretched’ on their learning whilst accommodating those who need to be guided. When working with a new group of students in the ‘Built Environment’ department the teachers are encouraged to carry out icebreaker activities. The idea behind icebreaking activities are to relax students and for them to get to know each other. Other factors to consider in the planning and design stage is the provision of information regarding the qualification and maybe include a tour of the college site, H&S procedures and catering facilities etc. 13. Delivering the course The delivery method of each lesson must satisfy the students needs. The teacher must consider learning difficulties or physical problems of the students, for example students with hearing difficulties may find lecturing difficult or a powerpoint presentation would not benefit a visually impaired student. Students are individuals and have different ways of learning. When planning the lesson the teacher should aim to cover all learning styles. There are different learning styles, such as visual, aural and/or kinaesthetic, (known as VAK learning style). The teacher could use a variety of activities and resources to cover the three learning styles hopefully satisfying each students needs. Alternatively, Honey and Mumford (1986) published the Manual of Learning Styles which identified four main learning styles (Teaching, Training and Learning, Ian Reece and Stephen Walker): • Activists- Enjoy the present, like the immediate experience and respond to short term issues • Reflectors- Prefer to think about things and explore all aspects before coming to a conclusion • Theorists- Like principles, theories, models and systems • Pragmatists- Look for new ideas and are keen to experiment The variety of teaching methods can incorporate activities that are learner centred. Support of the learners not only comes from the teacher but also from activities and group work which also encourages interaction with fellow peers. 14. Assessing learning Assessments for the learning should be part of effective planning. This can be done through assignments or tests that have been written or provided by the teacher. Assessing and testing will identify whether the students have learnt to the required level. Following assessments or tests the teacher should provide feedback to each student for their benefit. Records of this process should be kept. Assessment of the learning should be continual throughout the course allowing the teacher to assess the measure of a learners achievement against the criteria and also the quality of student learning, their styles, needs and boundaries and if they have any concerns that need to be addressed. The form of assessment can therefore be separated in to two categories: • Formative assessment- On-going assessment for learning. It provides feedback to both teacher and learner about how the course is going • Summative assessment- Assessment of learning. Teachers can use summative assessment to discover what a learner has achieved during the course 15. Valuating the course Peer observations between teachers are frequently carried out in the ‘Built Environment’ department at Cambridge Regional College. This has proved a worth while exercise but feedback from students will furthermore benefit a teacher. Students could be asked to provide feedback to the teacher. The use of student feedback forms will help improve teaching styles and techniques, course content or provide future recommendations. 2. Role of the teacher in administration The administration duty of a teacher plays a vital role in both the education of a student and the everyday life of a student whilst providing a useful resource for the teacher. A file of each student should be stored where educational and private details are kept and any requirements identified. Past and future details can be stored on the file and all information must be confidential. The Built Environment department at Cambridge Regional College regularly updates student files via the EBS system. The class register will identify any absence patterns as well as providing attendance information in each class in case of fire. The preparation of lessons involves administration duties in the form of writing, copying and collating tests, hand outs, schemes of works, lesson plans and assignments. The role of the teacher in administration should not be underestimated. 3. Role of the teacher as a tutor The role of a tutor might vary from person to person and from college to college. Where the role of the teacher is to teach, the role of the tutor is a blend of facilitator and instructor, 'parent' and 'friend'. A tutor is not concerned simply with homework or how well a student is getting through their work, the tutor is concerned with the student as a whole. Tutorials could be in the form of group tutorials or individual one-on-ones where the students’ individual or group needs are priority. The various elements of a tutor's job are as follows: • Listener • Counsellor • Inspirer and morale-booster • Confidant • Communicator • Problem solver • Nurturer • Enabler • Administrator • Monitor of academic progress • Manager of behaviour • Praise-giver • Monitor of social development • Motivator • Team-builder 4. Boundaries of the role A teacher must know their own boundaries, the point when they can no longer be of assistance and when specialist advice could help. Giving the wrong advice could be more harmful than giving no advice at all. Understanding when a student requires further help beyond the teachers remit is a boundary which should be effectively utilised. A teacher must be able to recognise when additional help is required to further the learning experience or to help on a personal level. Other boundaries include making telephone calls to learners but not harassing them. A teacher must not get over friendly or personal with learners and should not get involved emotionally, only contacting on a professional level. Handing out personal data to students could overstep these boundaries. 5. Current legislative requirements and codes of practice There are a number of legislative requirements and codes of practice to follow as a teacher within the ‘Built Environment’ department at Cambridge Regional College. As one of the interviewer panels for potential students the teacher must take into account a number of laws and legislations including the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) as it “Makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people both in respect of Employment, Education…”. The same act applies to the building the students are taught in where appropriate welfare and access facilities should be provided for disabled users. Along with the Data Protection Act (1988) the teacher must adhere to the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) as a duty of care to themselves and those they work with. Teachers within the ‘Built Environment’ department at Cambridge Regional College occasionally use the ‘workshop’ area for practical activities such as bricklaying or using power tools. It is the teachers responsibility to ensure that all personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to all students, lecturers and visitors within the workshop. This includes steel toecap boots, goggles, gloves, hardhats, and high visibility vests. Ultimately the teacher must treat everyone fairly without discrimination of race, disability, gender, beliefs, religion using the relevant laws, legislations and codes of practice available. Conclusion The role of a teacher varies from teacher to planner to assessor to evaluator to administrator. Great research has gone in to the study of teaching and of the learners. Maslow has created a hierarchy of needs which identifies the needs of the students in order to achieve self-actualisation whilst Honey and Mumford and VAK identify the different learning styles. The studies now play a role of their own in the role of a teacher. Bibliography Gravells, Ann. Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 3 Revised ed. Exeter: Learning Matters, 2010. Print. Reece, Ian, and Stephen Walker. Teaching Training and Learning. 6th ed. Sunderland: Business Education Publishers Ltd, 2007. Print. Petty, Geoffrey. Teaching Today: A Practical Guide. Philadelphia: Trans-Atlantic Publications, 1993. Print. ----------------------- Deliver (or facilitate) Plan & design Evaluate Assess Identify Needs