Every profession has roles, responsibilities and boundaries; governed by copious legislation and directed through company policies/ procedures. These ensure objectives are met and identified persons can be made accountable for their functions. In the teaching/ learning sector however, roles can be blurred and legislation somewhat confusing, suggested by Holtrop (1997) “Obviously teachers wear many hats; friend, counsellor, judge, mentor, hundreds of roles and different roles for different classes, students and extracurricular duties”. Nonetheless, the protection and safety of individuals and groups is the fundamental principle, and can be broken down into three key areas; indiscriminate/ appropriate behaviour (Equality Act 2010), personal safety and in the work place (Health & Safety Act 1974) and data protection (Data Protection Act 1988). When working with young people, additional safeguarding is required and can be met through such legislation as The Children Act 2004 and The Work and Families Act 2006. In my role as a tutor in alternative education provision, a large number of my students are referred by Social Services, YOT’s and Police. Therefore our Confidentiality, Health & Safety and Equality & Diversity policies must be read by all staff. CRB checks and risk assessments are also paramount. Such codes of practice can provide different, relevant directions to specific learning environments.
To simplify and clarify governing factors, obligations are structured by the teacher/ training cycle. Consisting of 5 stages, the cycle seeks to identify clear roles, responsibilities and boundaries. Some teachers are involved in more than one stage as described by Holtrop, but under the cycle it is less disconcerting. In my teaching environment at PYP, I am involved in all of the stages and will therefore cover objectives for this assignment under the five headings.
IDENTIFY NEEDS
This is the stage of
References: Dunn, R. [Online} Available from http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/quotes [Accessed 3rd October 2012] Holtrop (1997) [Online] Available from http:/www.huntington.edu/education/lessonplanningroles.html [Accessed 1st October 2012] North Hertfordshire College (2012), PTTLS Handbook: Teaching and Learning, North Hertfordshire, City and Guilds 6302, pg35-36 Wayt, S. (2008), Holistic Health and Wellbeing, [Online] Available from http://www.balancetherapy.co.uk [Accessed 30th September 2012] (1650)