Roles_and_Responsibilities_of_Teachers

YETTIE REVIEW WHAT YOUR ROLE, RESPONSIBILITIES AND BOUNDARIES AS A TEACHER WOULD BE IN TERMS OF THE TEACHING/TRAINING CYCLE To completely explore the task expected from the assignment, it is paramount to understand the meaning of the terminology used. According to the dictionary, role is defined as “one’s part, expected function, job, duty, task, responsibility” - Readers digest whilst online dictionary described “role” as an usual or expected function and “responsibilities” refer to accountability, that is the position of being accountable to somebody or for something. With these definitions, one can say that, role and responsibility are similar or have some kind of similarity. We are therefore accountable or responsible for our students/learners to acquire new skills or for learning to take place – Encarta (1998 -2005) “Teaching and learning should be a structured process. Teaching will follow a cycle and the teacher make use of this to ensure achievement” Wilson L (2009) The role of the teacher can be described as a cycle of four processes, which can be joined at any point, but needs to be followed through to be effective. In relation to my role as an NVQ Assessor, I follow and see the benefit of using the teaching cycle to ensure that I maximise the learning experience and these will be explained in the next few paragraphs, how I relate the cycle to my everyday activities. In planning, the first thing to do as a Teacher/Assessor is to identify needs of the learners by carrying out an initial assessment at the induction, as this will enable me to clarify their current level of understanding and to support them with different needs and particular assessment requirements of students who are working towards the achievement of NVQ. In all cases, I have the responsibility through out the teaching cycle to monitor their practice and ensure learners’ needs are met. It is my responsibility as the assessor to plan and design a course. We have an NVQ standard/Log book which meets the needs of the learners and the requirements of the course. The NVQ has to be delivered in a set way so I have limited opportunity at this stage of the cycle. An assessment plan should specify the target elements, identify opportunity for collecting evidence, state the type of evidence to be collected, specify assessment methods to be used such as Direct Observation, Reflective Account, and Witness Testimonies etc., With NVQ standards, I still ensure that the learning outcomes, aims and objectives for the course are covered in an appropriate way e.g. length of time allocated, delivery strategies, appropriate resources and assessment methods. If I have new learners which I have never met before, I might start with an Icebreaker activity to encourage collaborative learning. I will ensure that the candidate is not disadvantaged by the way in which the assessment is organised and conducted. For instance, some candidates might be disadvantaged by an insistence on written evidence when actually oral evidence would be acceptable, or by a requirement that evidence must be presented in a particular format. Others might not have fair access if I wasn’t prepared to take account of shift patterns in work or of the candidate’s domestic circumstances and only offered assessment with set hours. During the design/ delivery session, it is my responsibility to deliver a course, which is appropriate for the learners; I will take account of individual needs which have clear aims and objectives. The activities should be appropriate and varied to appeal to learners with different learning styles. The resources should be well prepared, sufficient for the numbers of learners and used to support learning activities and I will make cost-effective use of time and resources. For example, I have used handouts as one of the resources to deliver a session but unfortunately, the handouts didn’t go round, and some learners have to pair up to share one handout. During delivery, I will identify and review arrangement with the learners and ensure they have sufficient current knowledge or skill to deliver the course content and answer any learners’ questions. In establishing professional and personal boundaries, I perform the role required of me, with associated responsibilities, I will exemplify what we call professionalism which requires us to maintain appropriate standards and fulfil our responsibilities to learners, awarding bodies and colleagues. In April, 2008, a Code of Professional Practice was introduced covering the activities of teachers in the Lifelong Learning Sector. The institute for Learning is responsible for enforcing the code which is based around the six areas of: - Professional integrity - Respect for others - Care of learners - Continuing professional development - Disclosure of Criminal offence - Responsibility towards ifl Full details can be found at www.ifl.as.uk/services/docs/1269/Code of Professional Practice.pdf Summary My role as a teacher is to create a safe learning environment, assist in facilitating communication with learners in such a way that learners are encouraged to enter into a wider debate surrounding the learners chosen topic. I see myself as a guide, mentor, administrator and a role model. My role also embraces an awareness of the different learning theories in order to help inform my own practices. I need to be adaptable to suit students’ needs and understand that the structure of the training/learning cycle is such that balanced teachers will multi-task stages in a constantly evolving way. References: Wilson L (2009) Practical Teaching A guide to PTLLS &DTLLS Encarta (1998 – 2005) on line Dictionary www.ifl.as.uk/services/docs/1269/Code of Professional. pdf