I personally believe there are benefits as well as negatives when it comes to negotiation and my belief is supported by Ian Reece and Stephen Walker (2003, pg 259). Some negatives are that negotiated targets may be too difficult to manage if they are unrealistic. Within the hairdressing industry the practical considerations are great, are my learners going to be able to find a client with the right hair and service requirement to suit particular assessment criteria? Even though targets are set, the practical ones can only be re-negotiated as necessary until the relevancy is met. The theory has set targets and has definite set targets that will only be negotiated under certain circumstances.
Inclusive Learning
‘facilitating inclusion in a sensitive and supportive way is not a quick or easy process .......’ (S. Wallace, pg, 44), I feel that this statement sums up inclusion it should be dealt sensitively and supportively.
The initial assessments convey each learner’s style of learning which indicates the type of delivery method resources and allows for any adaptations necessary for lesson plans and during sessions. Initial assessment results are relayed to the teacher who will implement it within induction. Induction plays an important part to making the learner ‘.... feel valued, respected and wanted, and have any fears allayed ...’ (G. Petty, 2004, pg 515). As a teacher I believe that learners should be acknowledged and respected given their individual needs by providing the support as and when required, hence aiding inclusion.
Ice breakers are in my opinion a sure way of learners willingly participating in education and becoming part of a team. They remove barriers at the start of the session and help even the quieter ones and those that feel excluded, feel involved by having to contribute even just a few words of “I learnt how to curl with GHD’s” starts a discussion of sharing personal skills and experiences.
It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all learning styles and needs such as dyslexia, behavioural issues, are catered for to allow for positive and active inclusion. For learners who do have difficulties in learning I would introduce the relevant support set realistic goals with logical structure covering all levels of questions and activates to promote a positive environment for the learner to want to be part of. This will promote self inclusion for the learners.
Inclusion can only succeed if organisations implement it within their structure and upon their staff. This in effect leads to better understanding and delivery of sessions with strong inclusion representation for all learners, promoting positivity, willingness to negotiate to achieve and results in good communication.
Being aware of the above and by actually spending a little time with your learners helps you as a teacher to make all the necessary changes such as adapting sessions as you need to and also lesson plans, arranging all the relevant recourses such as coloured paper or a reader. Personally in my sessions all learning styles are catered for which works extremely well and is reflected upon exam and assessment results.
My sessions ensure that delivery includes group discussion and I provide relevant handouts for learners to add to, full notes are provided to some learners. I encourage internet research for learners to gain further knowledge I believe self motivation helps learners gain more and find them willing to help others.
Integrating Functional Skills
Functional skills is used in the broad sense to ensure that every learner is provided with the skills, abilities and knowledge needed to undertake responsibility in their everyday life, work, education and community.
Functional skills are integrated into every lesson plan within my organisation. The reasoning behind functional skills is not to teach a person maths, English and ICT but it is to relate the relevancy of it to everyday life including career and socially and how to apply it.
Functional skills consist of these areas: ICT, Maths, Communication and literacy each has its own important influence within almost every industry to date. It is important for teachers to develop their own skills as well as their learners (F. Fawbert, 2005 pg 334) Within my profession, hairdressing all are relevant and are delivered in each session (practical and theory) as well as being embedded within the actual lesson plan. These are just basic examples of how they are relevant:
ICT in hairdressing is becoming a common thing however it is not the most important skill upon the salon floor as it is within the educational field. In salon some use this for emailing clients, booking appointments, stock and financial control and updating record cards. In the educational field it is used when writing assignments, research, power point presentations and so on. In our organisation our exams are also sat online. I have found that 99% of my learners are very well equipped to deal with basic ICT and that they only need basic input as they are very confident and competent at carrying out tasks.
Maths is an important part of the industry in all areas. When it comes to cutting things like length, angles, degrees and tension need careful consideration or the result will be incorrect. For colour timing for development and application needs monitoring, the chemicals must be accurately measured in grams, millilitres, inches or quarters. In case of not having the relevant peroxide learners must be able to calculate in ratios. Other areas require money handling, stock control and temperature control. I find that learners are very familiar with money handling, stock taking and measuring products they do this every day at work and so the maths side of things are done automatically. When it’s time to put pen to paper learners tend to worry, as they tend to do this mentally rather than working it out.
Literacy, vastly used when learners write assignment drafts or when sitting paper based exams, grammar and punctuation is observed when marking assignments. Filling in record cards and writing down messages or appointments requires neat and eligible hand writing especially when writing reports.
Communication
The two types of communication verbal and non-verbal are used in everyday life mostly at the same time. In education I feel as a teacher you must be able to understand how your learners receive what you are saying and doing. I believe effective communication also allows for you to take control of your class and for you to retain and earn their respect and behaviour.
Body language (non-verbal) is used without even thinking. Gestures, rolling eyes, facial expressions, your stance being relaxed or tense all reflect how you feel. When we talk (verbal) we think about what and how we say things, the tone of voice and pitch used influences this also. During a client consultation a stylist is able to pick up body language indicating how a client feels or requires based upon their body language and expressions. consultation also requires good talking and listening skills to extract the information required to carry out the correct service.
Important as it is for a teacher to read and understand a learner’s communication it must also work the other way. Teachers have various ways of communicating to learners and must adapt to cater for all learning styles of learners, this is not always an easy task.
To ensure for effective communication the teacher must ensure for any barriers learners have to be removed. Barriers prevent learners form learning therefore have an effect upon their performance educationally, socially and personally. A teacher should always take into consideration any physical, systematical, psychological and physiological factors that are barriers. Learners with learning difficulties, English may be a second language for some at times it may be the teachers’ way of presenting or even the words they use.
Communication is parting and receiving information through words, actions, and media. It is vital to continually improve and develop to ensure the correct information is relayed and received, especially in the educational industry.
Rationale
I have written the content based upon my own professional and personal experiences. This had all been reinforced by researching books, internet, DTLLS sessions and handouts from DTLLS.
Learners naturally want to achieve but are unsure of how to, anything they are unfamiliar with or if there are any social/personal/professional issues, these can create a barrier and can only be removed by negotiating and learner achievement. This is has been reinforced by my research. Learner achievement works and develops immensely through inclusive learning and this is a strong opinion of mine as I have tried and tested this with very good results with both groups I teach.
Within my industry there are two very different sides one being practical and the other being theory. Practical demonstrates learner competence and understanding of knowledge that is delivered through theory which I can assess through exams and practical observation. It is a cycle of learning.
There is much information out there and can be difficult to actually take on board. to start with it is trial and error and as you learn about your group and understand the key aspects of planning and enabling learning you will improve your skill immensely benefiting all involved.
The research has broadened my whole outlook upon planning and enabling learning and I hope to develop further upon what I have learnt.
Reference
Susan Wallace, Teaching, Tutoring and Training in the lifelong Learning Sector, third edition, the learning matters, 2009
Geoff Petty, A Practical Guide Teaching Today, 3rd Edition, Nelson Thomas, 2004
Fred Fawbert, Teaching in Post –compulsory Education learning skills and standards, continuum books, 2005
Ian Reece & Stephen Walker, Teaching Training & Learning a practical guide incorporating ‘FENTO’ standards, 5th edition, Business Education Publishers Limited, 2003
Andy Armitage, Robin Bryant, Richard Dunhill, Mandy Renwick, Dennis Hayes, Alan Hudson, Janis Kent, Shirley Lawes, Teaching & Training in post-compulsory Education, 2nd Edition, Open University Press, 2003
Sue Cowley, Teaching Skills for Dummies, UK edition, Wiley, 2009
12.51am, Monday 3rd may
