Setting_Groundrules_Within_Your_Lesson

Theory Task 4 Level 4 Ground rules are something that are set as a group or class; they should include and incorporate both students and the tutor. It is where, boundaries of acceptable behaviours are agreed and attitudes are discussed, by all members of the class, taking into consideration everyone’s suggestions, and coming up with a group agreement. Thus creating a safe and respectful space in which participants have the opportunity to benefit from the learning experience. When starting out with a new group of learners I feel it is important to set group rules at the very beginning. This is important because it is the initial stage where the group is coming together and is forming new relationships. Certainly not only is it a way of addressing any apprehensions that any one of the each individual student may have, but also acts as an ice breaker, giving all the learners the opportunity to have there say and get involved. This resulting in an agreed list of ground rules set by the group and also enabling relationships and team gelling to be formed. The ground rules that are agreed by the class become a working team agreement document and should be displayed each week. Learners including adults many of which may not have been in any education system for many years will still need a sense of structure and the need to feel safe and valued in the classroom or group. Here are some of the ground rules I would like to use within my lesson: Punctuality start and finish lesson/break times on time. Respect each other and their positive opinions Mobile phones off or on silent Quiet hand- let fellow students have their say without any interruptions. Examples There are many different ways to establish ground rules, I as the tutor could make a list of ground rules and give out, the advantages of this are ideal for perhaps lessons which involve health and safety issues which must be ad eared to, or if it is only one lesson and time is precious it is a quick method, but I feel there are many disadvantages of this method could be very alienating, it is non consulting and would seem very imposing. Another way could be whereby I invite a whole group discussion , and record all ideas offered, the advantages of this maybe would benefit a group already known to each other, the disadvantages could be that not all group members may contribute due to there level of self confidence. For any ground rules to truly work and be effective, the whole class needs to understand each rule and agree to follow them as best they can, this is achieved by group members having a shared understanding that everyone is treated equally and fairly and that they adhere to these rules. This way I feel is a much more effective measure than imposing ground rules, as trying to impose the rules may come across as you the tutor showing authority to the students and therefore have a knock on effect of the rules the group have implicated. The method in which I would use, to set ground rules within my class would be to ask each individual class member including myself to think of three ground rules they would expect to be followed within class, I would then mix the class up into sub groups and ask them to seek out which ground rules within the sub group they felt were important rules and that needed to be added to the whole class ground rules. This way everyone would have the opportunity to participate and comment. Then these ground rules could be discussed and put into place as a group effort.