Ptlls Assignment 3 Roles and Responsabilities

Review your role, responsibilities and boundaries as a teacher in terms of the teaching/training cycle.

In the teaching profession the role and responsibilities of a teacher are numerous and a teacher might undertake many roles in a day , these could include planning a session, lecturing , paperwork , communicating on the telephone or assessing a students progress.

The responsibilities of a teacher will include making sure everyone has a safe and healthy environment in which to work or learn , that the needs of the learners have been taken in to account, this is essential as the needs of learners is the first link in the learning cycle, another important responsibility of a teacher is to understand and be aware of current codes of practice and legislation , these are government laws which must be adhered to examples being the Health and Safety at Work act 1974 , the Data Protection Act1998 and the Equality Act 2010 , there are many more and it is the teachers responsibility to understand the principles of them.

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

In my role as a teacher I believe I am passing on my many years experience and practical skills , to achieve this I have to take on many roles, my learners will have undergone an initial assessment on induction and I have to remember at all times that my learners will be a diverse group and they should all be treated as individuals, my methods of teaching will have to vary from time to time to take this into account , if I have a hard of hearing student for example I may have to stand so they can see my mouth in order to lip read or give them a lot of written handouts , a student lacking in numeric skills would need extra help with measurements and basic maths this can be achieved during the practical sessions as part of the assignments which invole 1:1 discussions and feedback, that way students will hopefully learn without feeling to different from the main group.

Another role I my field is that of demonstrator, as to physically build a wall you need to know and develop the technique required to do so, any number of handouts or books could explain the theory behind it but unless you actually see a Bricklayer using the tools and materials in situ you would never be able to do it properly , indeed there are many time I have stopped a student after spotting some misdeed or other and a simple demonstration of technique can turn on the light bulb in an instant.

More roles I undertake daily are that of a planner , lessons must be planned to ensure effective learning takes place, a listener , all students have questions so it is important to listen carefully and give informed replies, a Lecturer in theory lessons , and every day I take on the role of an assessor either in formal marking or on going assessments so the roles of the teacher are indeed many.

The main responsibilities of a teacher are to help our learners achieve to their maximum potential and by fulfilling my role as tutor, assessor, coach, trainer, demonstrator, lecturer and planner I would always hope that this is the case.
Other responsibilities include being a professional at all times , learners will give you respect if you turn up on time , dress appropriately , have an enthusiastic passion and expert knowledge for the subject you are delivering, and are able to listen and answer their questions, also students will appreciate well planned lessons that are varied and interesting that way they will remember them and learn without losing attention after five minutes.

Another responsibility is accurate record keeping which could be registers, disciplinary issues and assessments records all these would be subject to the data protection act and would all need to be kept confidential.

I believe to be a good teacher you must have a friendly disposition towards your learners but there are boundaries that should never be crossed, its all good to be friendly but its not a good idea to become friends or enter into a relationship with your learners this could create all sorts of problems and could lead to disciplinary action being taken. The same goes for lending students money its not a teachers responsibilities to sort out students financial matters, even if its only a couple of pounds this would still be beyond the teacher/student boundaries.

Boundaries can work both ways I try to keep my lessons light hearted and sometimes we will discuss the football scores or what was on TV the night before as an introduction to the days lessons, almost like an icebreaker to get the day started on the right foot. But when discussions are on other things apart from what is being taught always avoid giving out any personal information about yourself , if students think you are their “mate” this can lead to them taking advantage and becoming disruptive, you could end with a “ Oh he’s OK he won‘t mind us mucking about“ scenario, this can lead to you losing control and respect, always be firm and let them know you are in control at all times , this can be achieved in a relaxed environment where everyone feels they have been treated equally and fairly and all the aspects of the teaching cycle are taken into account.

Bibliography
Gravells .A (2009) Preparing to Teach in the lifelong sector 3rd edition
Learning Matters Ltd.
Francis.M. Gould.J (2009) Achieving your PTLLS Award
SAGE Publications Ltd

Albert Einstein quote from Think Exist available at http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/the_teacher/ 30th May 2010

Bibliography: Gravells .A (2009) Preparing to Teach in the lifelong sector 3rd edition Learning Matters Ltd. Francis.M. Gould.J (2009) Achieving your PTLLS Award SAGE Publications Ltd Albert Einstein quote from Think Exist available at http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/the_teacher/ 30th May 2010