Roles, Responsibilities and Boundaries as a Teacher and the Importance of Good Record Keeping.

Roles, Responsibilities and Boundaries as a Teacher and The Importance of Good Record Keeping.

As a teacher your roles and responsibilities are far reaching. In my present position as a trainer within Learning & Development this is influenced not only by the requirements of the learners, but also by the requirements of the organisation. Some roles and responsibilities however are applicable to all teaching situations and it is those I have covered below.
Planning any delivery activity properly is imperative in a teaching role and this will involve designing programs of study, planning and preparing lessons, developing interesting delivery methods and ensuring sessions are applicable to learners requirements. I currently work within a team of trainers who deliver information and practical sessions based around the learners role within the organisation. The programs of study are reviewed and re-written on an annual basis following in depth discussions and assessments of feedback received from learners in order to ensure sessions are achieving both the learners and organisations aims and objectives. Attendance is arranged via an admin department but monitored by trainers on an attendance form much like a traditional register.
Many of the roles of a teacher are ongoing before, during and after the delivery session and these would include assessing the impact of learning. This is achieved in my case, by questioning during the lesson, observation of adoption of new techniques and demonstration of adopting new knowledge in the work place as well as testing for skills decay with follow up assessment days. When learners are following an on going course of study I will also use these methods to monitor progress of the learners and in all situations a teacher must provide quality feedback coving good points, learning points and, if necessary address any further teaching input required.
Throughout the process a teacher must also act as a role model to their students. In my case this would start with my personal appearance, my punctuality, my conduct in the classroom and ensuring I follow through on any further actions needed such as providing further information or hand outs. During any teaching activity there may also be a need to demonstrate confidentiality and a certain amount of learner pastoral care. As an instructor of breathing apparatus wearers my own most common issues to deal with in this areas relate to medication a student may be on that could effect performance or any welfare issues that could effect a learners attention span or commitment to the days input.
In addition to the roles above a teacher has responsibility attached to their role that are dictated by both internal and external organisations. As an instructor in the my actions are governed by legislation and professional standards laid down in various forms covering issues such as organisational policy, health and safety legislation, equal opportunities legislation, data protection act and copyright guidelines. Failure to comply with any of the above could result in criminal or civil proceedings that could effect the organisations financially as well as public opinion and the way the company is viewed.
Record keeping is an important part of the roles and responsibilities of a teacher and must include learner enrolment, qualification register, attendance register, training needs analysis, pdp’s, feedback forms and course evaluation forms. It is through these documents that teachers are able to structure course material and monitor progress of students as well as evaluate the quality and appropriateness of the lessons delivered and thus adapt lesson plans and delivery material accordingly.
As well as the responsibilities outlined above its imperative for a teacher to be aware of their limits of authority and the boundaries as to what they can or cannot achieve even if these do not always align with learner expectations.. The requirements of the learner are always paramount but teachers must realise that other systems of support are available and that they must recognise the time at which to refer a learner to others for assistance.
From the above information it is clear that teachers have a great responsibility to learners to plan and produce quality lessons, record the progress and development of students and adopt a caring role that will support and enhance the teacher, learner relationship. However the value of outside third party assistance should not be ignored.