Task_1_Ptlls_Ground_Rules

Ground rules should be set out to ensure that the minimum conditions required for group learning are established as early on in the learning journey as possible. By setting out the ground rules at the beginning of a course you are gaining the commitment of the class and setting out both your own and the students’ expectations, building their confidence and establishing mutual respect. When teaching I would personally encourage the group to set the rules themselves as this would allow them to communicate with each other; listen to each others ideas and take responsibility for their own learning. Students would be asked to take part in a discussion about the rules which they felt were most important and each member of the group would be encouraged to participate by putting their suggestions for class room etiquette onto a flip chart. By doing this exercise the group will show how they negotiate and understand what is expected of them. It also gives me time to evaluate the group, ensure everyone is being included and that all opinions expressed are heard and valued. I can check their understanding and see if there are any confidence issues within the group as this discussion would more than likely model future discussions. I would also add my own ground rules to the chart for example I would ensure I started and ended the lessons on time and that I hand back any assignments in a timely manner with valid feedback, this along with my other suggestions would show my commitment to the group. Issues that I come across when teaching are mainly time commitment issues. As we set work in between sessions this can often be left incomplete as the student will not set aside enough time to prepare for our lesson, this can impact on them completing in a timely manner. Students will also show lack of respect by not being honest about why their work is incomplete and come up with a number of excuses as to why they are not prepared. To overcome this I encourage the group to add honesty and clear communication to the ground rules, if there is a valid reason why something can’t be done then I explain I would much rather be forewarned so we can amend plans to remain on target with our objectives. Use of mobile phones can also be a problem during lessons as they can interrupt the group and cause distraction, again I would hope that during our discussion the rules for phone use would be added to the chart but if not I would encourage the group to list this and ask for them to be switched off or placed on silent for the duration of the lesson. At the end of the first session the ground rules would then be placed in the classroom so that they could be referred to with ease when necessary.