Task_4_-_Analyse_Different_Ways_in_Which_You_Would_Establish_Ground_Rules_with_Your_Learners,_Which_Underpin_Behaviour_and_Respect_for_Others.

ERWYN AQUINO Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector Task 4 - Analyse different ways in which you would establish ground rules with your learners, which underpin *behaviour* and respect for others. Every teacher has rules and regimes, even if they are not overtly stated (Teaching Today by Geoff Petty. Rules and regimes, page 102). On the other hand, all students have different expectations of themselves, of each other, of their teacher and of their learning environment. Therefore, it is often necessary to establish ground rules with the learners, which underpin behaviour and respect for others. It is especially important to establish a set of ground rules when meeting with a new set of learners. The ground rules that will be set will form the backbone of respect and discipline to form and gel the group with their teacher and each other. The rules must be clear, fair to all and adhered to by everyone. Under the direction of the teacher, the group has to identify and agree good practice guidelines and to discuss ways of creating a positive culture and climate in their learning environment. If transparency isn’t ensured, ethically it would be unfair to castigate learners for violating rules when they may not have known or fully understood them. Rules set by an organisation, either internal or external, are usually ones that cannot be changed or disputed. They can be presented to the learners as a list in class or before the course. These rules have to be accepted by the learners; however, it may be difficult to get them to agree to some of the rules if the learners do not see any benefit in the rules. To get the learners to agree to these kinds of rules, they should be discussed in class so that the learners can see the benefit to the class as a whole and understand the reasons behind these rules. Examples of these rules in my own organisation are: All staffs are not allowed to wear any jewelries that can pose a risk to themselves or the residents(residents with dementia can be physically abusive) No lifting policy in the home except in the case of emergency The three main ways of establishing ground rules with the learners are: The teacher setting their own The learners setting their own The teacher and the learner setting them together There are advantages and disadvantages to all the above methods, the main ones being, if the teacher sets the ground rules they may suit the teacher more than the learners, whereas if the learnersmake the ground rules it could achieve the opposite effect. However, if the learners are allowed to set their own ground rules they may take ownership of them and will be more likely to adhere to them. My learners which are adult learners attends our sessions voluntarily, are motivated to learn, have more self-discipline than younger ones and are not usually disruptive. In light of the above, it would appear to be more effective to use the third method in my case so both I and the learners have an opportunity to put ourviews forward. Once all views have been considered, a fair and useable set of rules to suit everyone can be produced. A disadvantage to this method may be that it takes a little longer to sort out! When considering the views of everyone, I always bear in mind that the adult learners are not children and will not tolerate being treated as such but at the same time also remembering that without ground rules disruptionscan occur. Having ground rules gives a firm boundary for all learnersto work within. Often, if a ground rule is broken, it is the other learners that will reprimand the offender, saving methe job. (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector by: Anne Gravells). Listed below are some examples of ground rules: arriving at the session on time switching off mobile phones or set them to silent mode being respectful to fellow learners and teacher treating others equally no eating or drinking in class Once the rules have been agreed, the teacher must ensure that everyone is aware of them. Whether or not the rules are made explicit, expect them to be tested, and be consistent in their enforcement. (Teaching Today by Geoff Petty. Rules and regimes, page 102). Upon agreement of the ground rules, a printed copy could be given to each learner as a reminder, and or a copy can be placed in the class room for all to see. BIBLIOGRAPHY Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector by ANN GRAVELS Teaching Today by Geoff Petty