008_Roles_and_Responsibilities

Roles, responsibilities and relationships in lifelong learning Introduction- apply relevance to HE Define roles/respons/relationships and attack the question Describe/ explain features Analyse and use examples from my subject area. Explain/discuss the point good/bad (include legislaion) Conclusion attack the question INTRODUCTION “Teaching is about helping someone reach their potential, whether this is for personal or professional reasons. Therefore you have the opportunity to help make a difference to someone’s life and career.” (Gravells 2012) In lifelong learning teachers work with mature students who have chosen to study, therefore the expectations, roles and relationships are different to those teaching in compulsory education. It is therefore the teachers duty to be aware of their professional roles, responsibilities and relationships. A Role can be defined as an individual’s function, particularly within a specific situation or status in society, that often dictates how a person should behave. A Responsibility can be defined as having an obligation to carry out a duty as part of a job, role, moral or legislation. A Relationship can be defined The principal purpose of having roles and responsibilities in lifelong learning is to protect teachers and learners. Due to the difference in age and group dynamics it is important that teachers still uphold their professional standards and boundaries whether working in a formal or informal setting. For the purposes of this assignment roles and responsibilities will be used interchangeably. THE INFORMATION PROVIDER A role that any teacher in the lifelong learning sector will have to adopt is that of the information provider. Traditionally teachers are responsible for passing on information and knowledge to their students in the form of lessons, lectures, seminars and tutorials. Its is the teachers responsibility to obtain and deliver the information in an accessible, relevant and timely manner. As a discover ME trainer delivering personal development and employability training I have a curriculum from which I deliver information and impart knowledge to my participants. I start every session with a welcome and logistics providing the participants with information regarding the facilities in the children’s centre, schedule for the day and health and safety. I do this by providing them with verbal and written instructions and asking for any questions or feedback. In this capacity giving participants the information is my responsibility as I am the only one that knows the logistics and the health and safety information could save lives. Providing information such as health and safety is the responsibility of the teacher as ITL requires that those qualified to teach in the lifelong learning have to follow legislation. Legislation such as ‘every child matters’, health and safety, equal opportunities, data protection are essential for maintaining professional boundaries and safety. The role of the information provider The information provided traditionally originates from standard texts, cirriculums THE FACILITATOR THE COUNSELLOR The information provider The lecturer: A traditional responsibility of the teacher is to pass on to students the information, knowledge and understanding in a topic appropriate at the stage of their studies. This leads to the traditional role of the teacher as one of provider of information in the lecture context. The lecture remains as one of the most widely used instructional methods. It can be a cost-effective method of providing new information not found in standard texts, of relating the information to the local curriculum and context of medical practice and of providing the lecturer's personal overview or structure of the field of knowledge for the student. The clinical or practical teacher: The clinical setting, whether in the hospital or in the community, is a powerful context for the transmission, by the clinical teacher, of information directly relevant to the practice of medicine. Good clinical teachers can share with the student their thoughts as a reflective practitioner, helping to illuminate, for the student, the process of clinical decision making. The facilitator The learning facilitator: The move to a more student-centred view of learning has required a fundamental shift in the role of the teacher. No longer is the teacher seen predominantly as a dispenser of information or walking tape recorder, but rather as a facilitator or manager of the students' learning. The introduction of problem-based learning with a consequent fundamental change in the student-teacher relationship has highlighted this change in the role of the teacher from one of information provider to one of facilitator. The mentor: The role of mentor is a further role for the teacher. The mentor is usually not the member of staff who is responsible for the teaching or assessment of the student and is therefore off-line in terms of relationship with the student. Mentorship is less about reviewing the students' performance in a subject or an examination and more about a wider view of issues relating to the student. CONCLUSION It is important that teachers are able to work safely within their area of expertise, knowing when to refer learners and to whom.  Therefore all teachers must be informed of their roles, responsibilities and boundaries within the profession through relevant teacher training. Bibliography Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Ann Gravells (5th Edition) 2012 SAGE Publucations Ltd, London Websites http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/contents/made