PTLLS - Assignment - Ground Rules

Analyse different ways in which you would establish ground rules with your

learners, which underpin behaviour and respect for others.

One approach I could take to establishing ground rules with my learners would be to

be autocratic. This could involve me presenting to the learners, in the first lesson a

set of ground rules I had created prior to the lesson. The benefits of this approach

would include the learners gaining a clear understanding of what I, as the tutor,

would regard as acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, an approach advocated by

Smith (1988). This method would allow me to incorporate college regulations and

requirements and what I regard as good teaching and learning practice, and ensure

that regardless of age, culture or expectations, all learners receive the same level of

rights. The downside of this approach includes learners’ lack of ownership of the

ground rules. This approach also sets the tone for the rest of the course, and if I

want the learners to engage in subsequent activities, they may be less likely to

engage because I have set the tone as being me dictating to them rather than them

playing an active role.

To avoid this, I could use a laissez-faire approach which would involve the learners

setting their own ground rules. This approach would allow the learners to be

completely autonomous in deciding which ground rules they want and they would

therefore experience a high level of freedom. The disadvantage of this method is that

as a tutor at a college, there will be certain rules and expectations that both the

learners and I will have to adhere to. If for example, the learners decided that

punctuality was not a necessary ground rule; learners could arrive at different times

which could cause disruption and interfere with the learning, which would go against

college principles and the norm within lessons.

A possible third approach in me establishing ground rules with the learners would be

for me to be democratic. This would involve both the learners and I co-creating the

ground rules. Bee and Bee (1998) emphasise the importance of learners being

proactively engaged in writing their own ground rules which learners then have a

much greater sense of ownership of. This democratic approach would allow me to

include within the ground rules college requirements as well as learner preferences

Page 1 PTTLS Assignment 1 – Ground Rules – January 2011 – Aminder K Nijjar

and needs. I would prefer to use this third method as it incorporates the positive

elements of the first two approaches.

I would aim to establish ground rules with my learners in the first lesson of a new

course, in line with Atherton’s (2010) approach to setting the ground rules as soon as

possible, as they can form the basis of learning that takes place in the class.

Although I would need to be aware that “...the group may not feel ready to

discuss...any norms of behaviour” (Bee and Bee, 1998, p127) at the start of a new

course with people they do not know. To take account of this, I would remain flexible

in terms of my input and steering of the group during the process of establishing

ground rules.

In addition, in order to help ensure that a range of ground rules are created that meet

learners’ needs, that are inclusive regardless of learner’s prior experience and

culture, and meet college and course requirements, I would utilise Maslow’s (1954)

Hierarchy of Needs which discusses human motivation as being driven by needs. It

is an internationally recognised and used approach within learning and teaching and

would help me to structure the ground rules with the ultimate aim of them creating

the optimum learning experience for the learners.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs focuses on how humans’ more basic needs have to

be met in order for them to be motivated to operate at a higher level of realisation.

Maslow presents five levels of need, which appear in sequence as a ‘hierarchy’, with

the first level needing to be met before the next level can be achieved, the second

level being met before the third can be met and so forth. These needs are in order as

follow: the first is a person’s ‘physiological’ needs, which need to be met before the

next level of need which is concerned with ‘safety’. These two are the basic needs,

which if not met result in people not operating at the next levels, which are: ‘love and

belonging’, which if met is followed by ‘esteem’ needs, which if met is followed by the

final need, for humans to engage in ‘self-actualisation’.

As my lessons will be concerned with learners developing their knowledge and skills

and their engagement in self-reflection and self-development, I would align the

overall purpose of my lessons with the ‘self-actualisation’ element of Maslow’s


approach. With this in mind I would need to ensure that all the lessons meet all of the

levels of need within Maslow’s Hierarchy in order for the learners to engage in self-

actualisation.

To achieve this, the setting of ground rules for the course would present an ideal

opportunity as the ground rules could help foster the type of learning environment

sought throughout the course. Also, the creation of the ground rules within the first

lesson would give learners an early opportunity for them to explicitly express their

own preferences, thus creating an inclusive learning environment which

demonstrates respect for all learners. Initially I would introduce the concept of

ground rules and then ask learners what ground rules they would like for the course.

I would encourage the learners to think of these ground rules in terms of what they

want from the lessons which includes the type of behaviour they want from all those

involved in the lesson: their peers, themselves and me as the tutor. I would then

allow time for the learners to create and agree their ground rules. Following this, as I

review the ground rules with the learners, to ensure all learners and I understand

what each ground rule entails, I would also bear in mind Maslow’s (1954) Hierarchy

of Needs as use it as a framework for the ground rules.

As the first level of need is concerned with a person’s physiological needs and

Maslow presents this need to be the starting point for a person to be motivated to

engage in the next level, I would look for ground rules which focus on the physical

and environmental factors, such as, learners being able to drink water, frequency of

breaks and the availability and accessibility of rooms. If the learners had not

identified ground rules related to their physiological needs, I would ask them what

breaks they would like and if they wanted refreshments within the class (where

college rules allow).

I would then look for ground rules which are concerned with the learners’ safety, for

example confidentiality. Again, if this was not present in the ground rules produced

by the learners I would ask them if they wanted discussions and information

exchanged within the lesson to remain confidential.


The next level of need is focused on love and belonging. I would envisage that the

activity of setting ground rules would help the learners feel they are being cared for.

Also, the ground rules would be written by the learners and once finalised, I would

ask the learners to sign the paper on which they are written and then display the

ground rules in every lesson. This would encourage a sense of group ownership and

identity which allows a sense of belonging. Within the lesson, I could also make

reference to seating arrangements and within the group we could decide whether

learners would sit at the same place each lesson or whether they would move

around. This again, would give learners a sense of belonging and connection to their

physical space and each other.

To help learners to achieve their fourth level of need, I would seek ground rules

which focus on how learners will respond to other’s views and difficulties. An

example being how individuals will deal with an opinion expressed that they may

disagree with. Setting a ground rule which addresses this will help both the person/s

expressing the opinion and those holding an opposing opinion know that both views

are acceptable within the course I am tutoring, which in turn will help all learners feel

they are respected.

To help with the final level of self-actualisation, I would encourage the learners to

reflect on the activity of establishing ground rules they have just been engaged in.

They could note anything they learnt about themselves through the activity as well as

how they felt about being responsible for creating the ground rules.

Word count: 1422 words


References

Atherton, J.S. (2010) Learning and Teaching; Ground rules for the class [On-line]

UK: Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/ground_rules.htm

Accessed: 16 January 2011

Bee, F. and Bee, R. (1998) Facilitation Skills, London: Institute of Personnel and

Development

Maslow, A.H. (19) Motivation and Personality Third Edition, New York: Harper and

Row Publishers Inc

Smith, D.D. (1988) Starting to Teach, London: Kogan Page Ltd


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PTLLS - Assignment - Ground Rules