Roles Responsibilities And Relationships In Lifelong Learning

This assignment aims to analyse my volunteer ESOL Tutor role, responsibilities and boundaries complying with aspects of legislation, promoting equality and diversity in lifelong learning. Review points of referral; evaluate my responsibilities in relation to other professionals and explain how to promote behaviour and respect.

Gravells writes that the role of a teacher is varied. Aside from teaching he or she may find oneself coaching, counselling, training, assessing, mentoring, encouraging and supporting learners as and when necessary (Gravells 2010, 8) and also recommend teachers the learning cycle activities including: Identifying needs, Planning, Designing, Facilitating, Assessing, and Evaluating.

Students, especially adults won’t appreciate a hostile or stressful environment; they will leave the course at the first coffee break! I will take care to prepare the learning environment safe, secure, enjoyable and ensuring it is suitable and accessible for all learners, both physically and emotionally, adhering to the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). To keep their attention, I need to find the right balance between the role model and the authority figure in a way that they feel respected and so respect me and “setting ground rules helps everyone know their limits” (Gravells 2008). The teacher promotes to all learners ethical and social values, irrelevant of their colour, sex gender, nationality or ethnic origins. When “learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (David A. Kolb, 1984),successful achievements are based on involving and including learners to express their point of view, collaborate and share ideas.

Why are they doing this course? What do they expect from it? What is their motivation? “As a person matures the motivation to learn is internal” (Knowles 1984:12).Some adults will do further studies for a social purpose and others as a personal or professional development. The concept of motivation based on needs was developed in 1943 by Abraham Maslow. His theory defines that” our survival needs must be satisfied first” (A.Maslow, 1943). After that we are motivated to reach our high levels of needs. In Maslow’s hierarchy represented as a pyramid are included five goals: physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, esteem needs, and the need for self-actualization. Using Maslow’s model when teaching we approach and understand learners’ needs. It is important to identify the learner’s needs, so I can design the course (ESOL) to reflect the individual differences as: social (how the learner can interact with others), physical (how a learner can access learning having reduce mobility), intellectual (how a learner gain new skills), cultural (might affect values and beliefs), emotional (ability to concentrate).

Once the needs of the learners have been identified I would plan and design the ESOL course materials and resources which meet the requirements and the needs of the learners, incorporating a range of relevant activities within the length of time allocated to each sessions .

Petty (2009) states, that learner expect to be treated fairly with no favouritism shown to any students. As a teacher I adhere to the Equality Act 2010 delivering or facilitating sessions to promote equality through inclusion of everyone, valuing diversity using differentiation, avoid discrimination, and show respect to all my learners, whilst acting as a role model at all times. I will engage and motivate learners, using open dialogue to encourage learners to participate. I will be brave and ambitious to create and develop effective plans, clear aims and objectives and all records and paperwork up to date and filled securely, complying with Data Protection Act (1998).

I will assess learners fairly using multiple assessments measures as: written tests, oral interview, class presentation, role play, fill in the blank test, multiple choice exams, observation and review their progress on an ongoing basis, given them an accurate, concise feedback. This will help me to determine any individual support required, to ensure learners development throughout the course. Their progress and achievements can be recorded using a learner ILP or on a portfolio. After each session I would complete a lesson evaluation (report) which includes: strengths of the session and areas for development and improvements.

As a teacher I make sure that all handouts, lesson plans, presentations and any other writing I use, is spellchecked as any spelling mistakes will reflect on the learners! I understand that as a requirement, I must ensure to have the knowledge and attributes suitable for the teaching position: being adaptive, effective communicator, resourceful, empathetic, conciliatory, confident, creative, dedicated, enthusiastic, flexible, patient, organised, professional, receptive, respectful, responsible, responsive, trustworthy, supportive and “the teacher’s own continuous professional development (CPD)”,(Gravells 2010,8).

Teachers must act in a professional manner, understanding about teaching and learning, maintaining professional relationships; adhere to the rules, regulation and legislation, codes of practice, respect student’s right to refuse to disclose sensitive information and keep learner’s personal information confidential. Other roles of a teacher are to liaise with external bodies, referring learners for counselling and not at last to promote behaviour and respect. Our aim is to treat another with respect, share our responsibilities, acting as a role model, working alongside with the police, local authorities, and families to ensure that good behaviour and respect are promoted and everyone has the tools they need to stand against anti-social behaviour.