Role, responsibilities and boundaries are evolving qualities within the teacher which are
assessed and reflected upon using the teaching/training cycle; a cycle of assessment, planning and
review. The main role of the teacher is to facilitate communication in such a way that all students are
encouraged to enter into a wider debate surrounding the topic they have chosen. To ensure sessions’
aims and objectives are meaningful and applicable to students the teaching role incorporates ongoing
administration and assessment. Assessing varying learning styles within a group and considering
learner’s motivations and previous experiences helps identify various teaching methods that could be
useful throughout the program. Sessions incorporating visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles
ensures students have equal rights to learning and provide the opportunity to re-evaluate what is
already known while exploring aims and objectives from a different perspective. I teach holistic health
and wellbeing classes where motivations and previous experience constantly change as better health is
experienced. My role is to create a safe learning environment to establish open and trusting
relationships. Recording changes by completing relevant admin ensures records are up to date in order
to evaluate changes to forthcoming aims and objectives.
The main responsibility of the teacher is to continually reassess development and change during
the course and create a seamless transition to ensure smooth delivery. As students develop better
understanding of aims and objectives their needs change and this must be reflected in continual
reassessment. It is the teachers’ responsibility to monitor, evaluate and improve the quality and
effectiveness of their delivery by taking into account learners changing needs. Course structure and its
coherent delivery are responsibilities which require adaptation and flexibility to reflect newly identified
needs as seen in the teaching/training cycle. In holistic health classes, learners are encouraged to take
responsibility for their own learning. My responsibility is to encourage progressive reflection in
students to allow their personal growth and development to be useful to their lives. Progressive
reflection sheets form the core assessment of the course culminating in an end of course interview. This
interview allows the student to demonstrate their development of understanding in a meaningful way.
Discussion and presentation of a portfolio of lesson sheets provides the opportunity to identify
changing needs and re-evaluate the structure and delivery of the course
Holistic Health and Wellbeing
2 Sarah Wayt BSc MAR
2008
Boundaries ground our ethics; they are core to recognising our limitations and realising when
changes may be needed. Being open to change and incorporating others’ input involves recognising
when boundaries must be revisited. Obvious boundaries such as the appropriateness of the
teacher/learner relationship and disciplinary lines for misconduct are strong ethical issues which are at
the core of every teacher. Understanding when a student requires further help beyond your remit is a
boundary which should be effectively utilised. A teacher must be able to recognise when additional
help is required to further the learning experience. In holistic health classes boundaries are revisited
through reflection upon sessions as well as looking at the overall effectiveness of the course. It is
essential that all voices are equally heard and explored without having teaching opinion that is imposed
upon the course. My passion for holistic health and wellbeing fuels my enthusiastic delivery of the
course encouraging healthy debate and open communication, but should not impose a rigidity that
makes learning difficult.
The teaching/training cycle provides a cohesive structure within which roles, responsibilities
and boundaries can be assessed and reflected upon. The structure of the cycle is such that a balanced
teacher will multitask stages in a constantly evolving way. This ensures that teacher and students’
reflective growth of role, responsibilities and boundaries remains core to reaching a greater
understanding of the aims and objectives relating to development with the course