Teaching and Learning Philosophy

Teaching and Learning Philosophy

RATIONALE

All students of London Life Training Courses will be exposed to learning experiences which will encourage them to strive to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their education, personal development and professional development. Our learners will experience a broad, balanced, and relevant curriculum in a positive and supportive environment, one that has an appreciation for working with and through issues of human difference and diversity. We will strive to provide equality of access to learning opportunities at London Life Training Counselling Courses for all our learners, while additionally assisting them to consider their ‘potential over reliance ‘and ‘dependence’ upon a single source (the ‘traditional’ teacher) for their learning and development needs.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES of the Counselling Portfolio

  • To provide a relevant curriculum.
  • To provide diverse and flexible ‘learning-while-doing’ opportunities and resources
  • To meet individual need through suitably differentiated tasks and learning opportunities and experiences.
  • To foster a sense of self-esteem and enable everyone to fulfil their potential in a safe, caring, positive and stimulating environment where human diversity, talents and achievements are recognised and celebrated.

                                                       Developmental Assumptions[1]: 

  • Trainers/trainees assertively agree to attend each training and development session.
  • All are emotionally competent enough for this level of skills/studies development work(e.g. In terms of knowing what it feels like/what it takes ‘for ME’ to be happy, glad, hurt, angry, needy, confident, etc. and also are aware of what it may be like for others around me when ‘I AM’ happy, glad, hurt, angry, needy, confident, etc.) and all are emotionally mature/insightful enough to make a ‘difference’(in their own lives) with this ‘knowledge of self and others’.
  • Trainers/trainees are clear of what level course they are on (and are not waiting and or otherwise ‘expecting something different to happen’).
  • There are regular opportunities for 1-1 and group tutorials (ones that trainees are encouraged to make full use of in order ‘to be ready for work’ with the least amount of prompting).
  • Diversity, equality and inclusion best practices are integrated throughout all of our programmes.

 

QUALITY OF PLANNING AND ORGANISATION

All Counselling Portfolio Teams will aim to ensure that:

  • Teachers plan their teaching on the basis of well-developed schemes of work which indicate the content and teaching and learning styles to be used.
  • The success of such schemes is regularly reviewed.
  • Individual lessons plans have stated learning outcomes that are shared with the learners.
  • Teachers share good practice within and across departments

QUALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

All Counselling Portfolio Teams will aim to ensure that:

  • Teachers employ a wide variety of teaching methods and styles to ensure appropriateness for all learners’ learning needs.
  • Teachers have high but realistic expectations.
  • Teachers set work appropriate to the range of abilities within the teaching group.
  • Teachers give frequent feedback on learners’ performance.

THE TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

All Counselling Portfolio Teams will aim to ensure that:

  • Rooms are tidy, well decorated, orderly, safe and attractive.
  • Stimulating and socially relevant wall displays are apparent, each department taking responsibility for displays in main corridor areas on a rota basis
  • ICT facilities are in good order and always up-to-date
  • VLE is always up-to-date and learner usage is regularly monitored (as part of quality assurance processes).

EFFECTIVE LEARNING

People learn in many different ways and there is a need to develop strategies that allow all learners to learn in ways that best suit them.   Different forms of intelligence are taken into account when planning teaching and learning styles.

Learners are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning

EFFECTIVE TEACHING

There is a focus on motivating learners and building on their experiences, skills, knowledge and understanding of the curriculum.

Due regard is given to information and targets contained in the students’ Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). There are high expectations of all learners.

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING:

Formative and Summative Assessment exists to help the teacher to help the learners. It ensures more effective teaching by providing the evidence for closer matching of tasks to the learners’ needs.

Successful London Life Training Counselling Portfolio student learners strive to work with/become:

  • self-directed
  • life-long learners in order to meet and compete within an ever expanding counselling and psychotherapy profession(locally, regionally, nationally, globally, etc.)
  • see the value of working with/through a ‘change’ from process oriented to outcome oriented and change from teacher centred to student learner-teacher centred managed learning and development environment.

Understand that this ‘movement’ needs commitment, leadership, and precise planning by all within London Life Training.

[1] Borrowed from Diversity Management LCL/Consider Celebrating Diversity and Sport 2016