Through careful research and planning this can easily be overcome, simulation exercises are introduced step by step with a gradual learning process ranging from initial learning to becoming an instructor in your desired field of expertise. Through positive feedback this learning process can be adapted to suit the needs of the organisation and the learner by providing them with up to date information and training techniques.
Incorporating diversity in to your teaching strategy plays a key role in the learning process. However there are some times other areas of the teaching process that may require the teacher to accept and understand diversity issues that affect the learners. Today law and society has changed to allow people from all ages and backgrounds to be given equal opportunities when learning or working. As a teacher it is your responsibility to ensure that each learner is treated fair, each learner should be given merit on their ability and their input to the lesson. The teacher should have confidence in all students regardless of ethnic backgrounds, disabilities or their minority status. It is also important here that as a teacher you acknowledge each student in the same way, siding with certain students could undermine them and have a negative effect on their learning there could also be a negative reaction from the other students which would affect the learning environment.
In order to introduce fairness and equality to the class a pedagogical approach can be adopted, through using inclusive language the teacher can relate to the whole of the class. The teacher can use a variety of examples and experiences to get a point across, by refraining from using slang comments and phrases the class would acknowledge diversity and it would become more acceptable, “your role as an educator is to be thoughtful and reflective about the nature of activities and instructional materials provided in the classroom. Does the curriculum reflect diverse racial/ethnic experiences?” (Clauss-Ehlers, 2006, p.55)
Throughout the fire service it is a vital part of selection and training that the learner is able to demonstrate an acceptance to minority groups. As a teacher it is your responsibility to demonstrate a diverse attitude towards the learners. The issues that are regularly faced regard female fire fighters and ethnic minority groups. When teaching groups it is important to include and treat them as equal to every other fire fighter within the group. To achieve fairness towards all learners the physical requirements for male and female fire fighters remains equal and the written requirements require the same level of competence regardless of the learners ethnic group, English language and mathematics skills. Adopting a set standard of competence required by all learners encourages respect between students and teachers and also discourages racism within an organisation that can sometimes become a problem through bullying. When confronted with a situation such as racial bullying it is vital that the teacher is able to address the situation in order to eliminate the problem and minimise the negative effect it will have on the learner and the group as a whole. “Critical to your role as a multicultural educator is the ability to model proactive, prosocial behaviour that sets the tone for the class. Too often my students have shared that they experienced racism in school and no one intervened.” (Clauss-Ehlers, 2006, p.55) This negative attitude towards racism will reflect on other students where they may think that it is socially acceptable to act in such a way, or students will lose confidence in your ability as a teacher and a role model.
The correct management and use of resources is a key component for a teacher and learner to enable progress and development. The teacher needs to use his experience and skills to devise a programme of activities in order to develop a learning strategy to suit the needs of the learners. Good management should effect on the outcome of the lesson, the teacher should focus his attention on the learner to develop the aims and objectives, and to choose which teaching strategy would suit the learners’ needs. This would depend on which skill is being taught and how best can the message be put across to the learners, for example when teaching a motor skill it would be more appropriate to use demonstration or individual participation where the learners can demonstrate and gain a clear understanding or their new skills.
The use of information learning technology has become increasingly popular within learning organisations. The correct use of ILT can greatly benefit the teacher and also the learner ILT should be backed up with good quality teaching resources a teacher should have the ability to choose which resources would best suite the lesson and the needs of the learner, the teacher needs to think about when to use the board, handouts, Power Point or DVD/Video.
Having good handouts will motivate the learners, give them a better experience and will help them to retain the knowledge and understanding of the subject, they can also refer back to the information at a later date. “You should avoid large blocks of type. White space makes a handout easier to read. If possible colour should be used where it is necessary to differentiate between different aspects.” (Reece & Walker, 2003, p. 39)
With this in mind it is important to ensure that the content of the resources is not compromised for the design and presentation, you must ensure that the information is relevant to the age group and the subject of the learners and that it can easily be interoperated and accessed by them.
Other than handouts a teacher could use Power Point presentation in order to get across the learning message. There are many advantages to using Power Point where the learners can become more interested in the subject with the use of new technology however the teacher needs to balance its use by the involvement of the learners. This can be achieved by having the learner to complete group or individual tasks during the session in order to break up the monotony of the teacher simply reading from the slides. Other advantages of power Point is that they can be prepared in advance and can be easily updated or improved to suit the needs of different types of learners from year to year, and with technology today large amounts of information can be carried from room to room with ease.
As part of the learning process the students must demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through assessment. The assessment criteria will form part of the syllabus that will outline the competences required in order to achieve a pass. The assessment can be written, verbal or practical tests or a combination of some or all of these assessments may be required. Assessing the students learning will give the teacher an understanding of the students knowledge and retention of knowledge, and it will sometimes indicate the effectiveness of the teaching strategy and the teachers ability to offer a wide range of diverse teaching methods.
Within the fire service the assessment process takes place from the application form where summative assessment techniques are used in order to assess the ability of the candidate to develop their knowledge and skills further. This then develops to physical assessments and formative assessments that are required to meet the needs of the role as a fire fighter. Once the candidate has demonstrated the required skills the interview process will again assess the ability of the candidate to determine the suitability for the role and whether they can demonstrate the ability to progress as a fire fighter.
The development process includes formative techniques where the learners are given Q&A, are required to provide assignments and practical tests. It is important that the learner is given feedback as soon as possible. “An effective technique is to get the students to describe what they have done. In this way their understanding can be gauged and rapid feedback provided.” (Reece & Walker, 2003, p.317) Applying these methods of assessment allows the assessor to gain an understanding of the knowledge of the students and providing feedback in this way allows the learner to develop an early understanding of their knowledge and it provides them with a greater opportunity to develop their skills further and self reflect on their performance.
Following the assessment there is analysis and evaluation of the teaching process. This gives the learners the opportunity to give feedback to the teacher, this will give the teacher the opportunity to develop and reflect on lesson plans, teaching strategies and learning aids that did or did not provide the learner with sufficient knowledge or stimulation during the course. This will allow the teacher to professionally develop the teaching skills required to provide the learners with the materials needed to complete the assessments and progress within their subject area.
The teacher will also gain an understanding of the relationship built between the learner and teacher, he could reflect on the approach to the lesson and the methods of communication that could be adopted and developed in order for the learning and assessment process to become more successful. This will allow the learners to develop with greater understanding and provide them with a better learning experience. “Much more effective are early feedback activities that take place during the term (sometimes called formative evaluation or informative feedback). Early feedback activities can elicit the specific comments and constructive criticism you need to improve students’ understanding of the material and their subsequent performance in exams.” (Davies, 2009, p.461) With this in mind all feedback regardless of the quantity should be viewed and treated in the same context, a teacher should not feel let down or angry by negative comments but allow them to become constructive and allow development within the subject and teaching methods.
The development of effective teaching strategies combined with good preparation will enable the smooth running of a course; however it would be good practice to take in to consideration the possibility of the learners requirements not meeting the initial strategy. The teacher needs to be diverse when preparing to teach, a good teacher will be able to think on their feet and offer the learners a different style of learning at an instance, through relating the subject to real live experiences. The teacher should offer the learner different methods of assessment as this will give an overall profile of the learner where you could pin point the preferred style of learning for each student, this will also provide the teacher with a good understanding of their knowledge and skills. This method of assessment will also help to motivate the student which is a key component in their learning, where without motivation they will become distant and unresponsive to the lesson and the teaching strategy. To help keep students motivated it is important to vary the learning process by providing good management of ILT and good structure to the lesson by asking relevant questions the learners will remain alert in class and retain their knowledge. Professional development through constructive feedback is vital to ensure lesson plans and teaching strategies develop to suit the needs of the learners.
Reference List
Clauss-Ethers, C.S. (2006). Diversity Training for Classroom Teaching a Manual for Students & Educators. The State University of New Jersey, USA: Rutgers.
Davies, B.G. (2009). Tools for Teaching. 2nd Edition. USA: Josey-Bass.
Reece, I and Walker, S. (2003). Teaching, Training and Learning. 5th Edition. Great Britain: Business Education Publishers Limited.
Bibliography
Clauss-Ethers, C.S. (2006). Diversity Training for Classroom Teaching a Manual for Students & Educators. The State University of New Jersey, USA: Rutgers.
Davies, B.G. (2009). Tools for Teaching. 2nd Edition. USA: Josey-Bass.
Gravells, A. (2008). Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong learning Sector. 3rd Edition. England: Learning Matters
Reece, I and Walker, S. (2003). Teaching, Training and Learning. 5th Edition. Great Britain: Business Education Publishers Limited.
Wallace, S. (2007). Teaching, Tutoring and Training in the Lifelong Learning Sector. 3rd Edition. England: Learning Matters
