Analyse different ways to establish ground rules with your learners', which underpin behaviour and respect for others.
As a teacher you have to establish a safe and appropriate learning environment. Learners' differ in behaviour and respect for others', so the way you establish ground rules will have to reflect this difference. For learners' to get the most out of their learning experience they all need to have an equal voice when expressing opinions. Mutual repect grows from a possitive learning environment. This includes the physical and the psychological environment. A positive relationship between teacher and the learners' and the teacher and the individual are important. It is essential that the ground rules are established in the learning environment as early as possible.
One way of doing this would be to ask the learners' to discuss in pairs what rules they would like implimented and why, then discuss this as a group. This will then give the teacher the chance to establish their own rules and the reasoning behind those rules, reflecting their commitment to the teacher/ learner relationship. Each rule should be disscussed to ensure all, both understand and agree. This can then be written as an unofficial contract, a poster for the wall or a handout.
Another way of implimenting ground rules would be to get a happy and a sad face, one on each side of the table. In the centre, put a mixture of both appropriate and inappropriate rules. Then in pairs or small groups, the learners' should discuss the rules and which rules they believe appropriate for the class. Then get them to place the appropriate rules on the happy face and the inappropriate rules on the sad face. Then collate all the learners' answers on the board to discuss as a group, adding any rules that are missing.
Ground rules are a mutually agreed arrangement where the teacher and all learners' views are appreciated and valued. Creating a safe and respectful space that all have the...