Task One Ptlls

Unit 5 - Learning Outcome 3: Understand own responsibility for maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment
The aim of this assignment is to demonstrate an understanding of tutor responsibility for maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment.   To maintain a safe environment the tutor should make learners aware of health and safety procedures and facilities such as awareness of fire evacuation procedure, smoking policy, complaints procedure, safeguarding, nearest toilets, library opening times, car parking, nursery and so on. The tutor should also inform learners of additional support available known as signposting.
The tutor can provide a supportive learning environment by gaining pre-knowledge of their learner so that the tutor can select appropriate learning resources and incorporate differentiation strategies.   This knowledge can also help tutors to get the most appropriate building, room and equipment for their learners, so that no one is excluded from the learning environment.
Ground rules give a learner clear instructions of what is acceptable behaviour in the learning environment.   The tutor should always establish ground rules at the beginning of the teaching course and revisit them regularly throughout the course. These are often called ‘Learning Contracts’ and this can include acceptable behaviour, teachers expectations, attendance and punctuality.   “All students require boundaries and rules within which to work. These must be made clear early on in the course. Setting ground rules helps everyone know their limits.” (Gravells, 2007:7)
There are many methods and approaches that the tutor could use to establish ground rules, three of which are teacher imposed, learner imposed or negotiated. The best way is to negotiate as this will make the learners feel like they are their rules and if any are missed the tutor can then bring in policies and procedures of the organisation, for example using a student handbook. By doing this the...