Ptlls_Assignment_1

Own Role, Responsibilities And Boundaries Of Role In Relation To Teaching. As an instructor my roles and responsibilities are varied and extensive, ranging from completing records, following professional values and ethics, having a duty of care and designing a program of study. The first and most important roles as an instructor are getting to know my students needs and ensuring a safe learning environment. From being a learner on the PTLLS course I have been able to see how different peoples learning styles are, even if we are there to achieve the same result. Therefore, one way to discover the requirements, learning styles, concerns and apprehensions of my students would be to carry out an ice breaker activity. Wilson describes an icebreaker as: “I – introduce yourself C – create a comfortable setting E – encourage communication B – break down barriers R – reveal concerns E – encourage team spirit A – ascertain needs K – know your learners E – establish rules R – re-visit previous learning” (2008: 13) Another one of my responsibilities as an instructor is to plan lessons to cover the standards set out for the course by the National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT). According to Wilson “Teaching and Learning should be a structured process. Teaching (and Learning) will follow a cycle and the teacher makes use of this to ensure achievement” (2008: 15). The training cycle would look similar to this:- Identifying Needs: Of the organisation, myself and my students by agreeing lesson plans and carrying out initial assessments (Gravells 2012:11) Planning Learning: Prepare lesson plans, schemes of work and ensure adequate materials for the learning (Gravells 2012:11) Facilitating Learning: Using a variety of approaches and techniques carry out the teaching (Gravells 2012:11) Evaluation: By obtaining feedback from students and myself improvements can be made for the future (Gravells 2012:11) Assessing Learning: Ensure the necessary skills and knowledge have been achieved by students (Gravells 2012:11) The training cycle is a continuous process, which can be joined at any point, but needs to be followed through to be effective. The beginning of the cycle is identifying the student’s needs. This could be carried out via the icebreaker as describe earlier. However, the students’ needs could change throughout the duration of the course program. Some students may require additional support from other trained professionals for issues such as learning clarification to transport requests, or even an occupational health referral. “Knowing the boundaries of the teacher’s role is essential to an effective learning environment, it is also important for the teacher to realise that there are some aspects of the learners expectations that are beyond the role of the teacher” (Wilson 2008: 23). As an instructor my methods of teaching and learning resources must meet the students’ needs and learning styles. These styles, stated by Fleming (2005) can be grouped into four different styles: Visual: Learn by Seeing Aural: Learn by Listening and Talking Read/Write: Learn by Reading and Writing Kinaesthetic: Learn by Doing (Gravells 2012: 31/32) All these learning style are covered within the course I would be instructing on via: Visual, classroom based presentation with oral explanation Equipment demonstrations followed by practical sessions Hand out of equipment notes After each lesson it is important to evaluate the session. Through feedback, from the students and myself, we can reflect on what went well, if the students’ needs were met and did the students achieve my predicted outcomes' Part of this process will include assessing the students’ knowledge and understanding of the topics covered. In my current role as a High Volume Pump instructor I must abide by the policies and procedures of both Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service and NRAT, also attend meetings and workshops with my fellow instructors and managers. I must also work within the boundaries of the law and professional values of the above organisations. Some of the legislation that I must be aware of are: Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Equal opportunities, Data protection etc. Within the classroom setting and external venues it is important to set out some ground rules. All learners require boundaries and rules within which to work. These must be made clear early on in the course; they could be set by the organisation and/or myself. Setting ground rules will help everyone know their limits (Gravells 2012:91). Ground rules will empower the students with the responsibility for their own learning and safety. As an instructor I would like to set ground rules with my students during the introduction / icebreaker session. If the group take ownership for their own rules, they are more likely to keep them (Gravells 2012:91). It may also become my responsibility to motivate the students. However, not all students are motivated by the same values, needs, desires or wants and many factors will affect the students motivation. Such as, persistence, patience, self-esteem and general desire to achieve. According to Gravells (2012:40) “To help motivate your students you can: Ask open questions Avoid creating intense competition Be aware of attention spans Challenge and support those who need it Give on-going constructive feedback Maintain an organised and orderly atmosphere Make tasks interesting, practical and relevant Negotiate clear targets Treat them with respect and as individuals Vary your teaching approaches to reach all learning styles Give praise and encouragement” Therefore, as an Instructor I should be able to identify each students individual learning styles and have the course tailored to meet all their individual needs. I must encourage the use of group orientated ground rules. And to understand where my role as an Instructor ends and the need to bring in / meet with other professionals. Word Count: 964 Bibliography: Wilson. L. (2008) Practical Teaching, A Guide to PTLLS & CTLLS. Delmar Cengage Learning. Gravells. A. (2012: 5th Edition) Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. Learning Matters.