Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
Title - The aspects of information about a school and its place and function in the community.
TABLE OF CONTENT
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A- The essential guidance activities in life orientation
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B- Axelsons activities that form part of the life orientation teachers tasks
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C- Considerations to be taken into account when dealing with learners in a group
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D- Variables when assessing different learners from different backgrounds
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E- What is a grief crises? Gillis guidelines on assisting learners in crises caused by separation by parents List of sources
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Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
Question A Essential guidance activities with life orientation. It is the responsibility of teachers to act as life orientates while fulfilling their roles as teachers in specialised learning areas. It is also the responsibility for adults to guide children (learners) in a meaningful way which will allow them to be productive and happy citizens. In this process, the learners are increasingly able to realise their full potential, that is, to become what they can be, want to be, and should be. In other words, reach their selfactualisation. The following can be seen as essential guidance activities within Life Orientation which makes the above possible: 1.1. Providing a sense of security The guiding presence of adults (educators) gives learners a sense of security and encourage them to engage in further activity, exploration and decision making. This includes the willingness to listen attentively to learners, to support learners during a crises, to design problem solutions with learners and to treat learner’s affairs as confidential. 1.2. Confronting (contact) with reality Adults present learners with aspects of reality at levels that are suitable to their development phase and context in which they live. By setting a good example, Adults encourage learners to become responsible, productive and independent adults. Adults also present learners with knowledge, information and alternatives regarding their careers and personal and academic betterment. Adults allow for learners to explore new areas by clarifying things and dissolving learner’s confusion. 1.3. Accounting for and making sense of life Once learners have gained a sense of security, understood their personal reality and have orientated themselves towards their future, they need to reflect weather they have used or lost out on valuable opportunities in life. Learners need to account for their past, present and future actions. Through their relationship with adults, learners will be guided towards taking responsible and justifiable decisions and actions towards self-realisation. 2
Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
1.4. Anticipating and envisaging future events Adults help learners to set objectives which they need to work towards to achieve their goals in the future. For example, learners could respond to adult guidance by dispensing with an unrealistic or undesirable goal and reach out to attain new attainable goals. 1.5. Actualising the self-realisation and personal potential Through the guidance of life orientation teachers, learners can work towards what they can and want to become.
Question B Axelson (1985) has defined a number of activities that form part of the Life Orientation teacher’s task. These activities include:
Helping learners develop the possibilities of their personalities. Temperament is a set of in-born traits that organize a child’s approach to the world. They are instrumental in the development of the child’s distinct personality. As an educator of life orientation we need to try and tailor learners temperaments in a way that will create personalities that can adapt to real world situations in the future. This can be done through guidance and counselling for individual learners.
Helping learners draw from their natural resources and strengths. As an educator in Life Orientation, we should take responsibility in trying to bring out the best in each learner. Even though all learners have limitations and not the same availability of resources, we should focus on each individual’s strength and promote it in such a way that it will be beneficial for them to use in the future.
Help make something needed by learners available or useable. It is important for a Life Orientation educator to be seen as someone in which learners can go to for guidance and advice to discuss various matters. Many learners may feel neglected and need the feeling of understanding, sincerity and acceptance. Educators should create an environment of openness but at the same time confidential. Guidance counselling can be given to individual learners in which we should not be judgmental but rather empathetic and understanding towards learner’s issues.
Helping learners move from a present situation to providing more opportunity for effective use. 3
Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
Many learners are faced with difficult challenges in their lives. As a Life Orientation educator, we should be empathetic towards their issues and help them to overcome their current challenges in life and give hope that a better future awaits. Challenges learners may face may include Academic, Social and personal.
To help something gradually unfolds for the learner. As an educator in Life Orientation, we should try and create opportunities for learners in which they were previously restricted to. This may done through counselling and coordination that manages a variety of indirect services that benefit learners.
Help learners to grow to what they want to be. It is important that we take into consideration each learners strength and weakness and advise them on a suitable career path for the future. We should also consider learners interest and its practicality in the real world. Once learner’s strengths are highlighted, we should work with them on a continuous basis for them to reach their full potential
Help learners to acquire something they need or want. An educator plays an important role in helping learners achieve their goals. It is important that a life orientation educator sets guidelines for which learners need to follow to achieve their goals. At times, certain learners with great abilities may be restricted with opportunities. For them to grow and prosper, we should try to create these opportunities so that they are able to reach their full potential in the future.
Help learners expand by a process of growth. Human development unfolds in a series of life stages as it is influenced both heredity and the environment. As a life orientation educator, we are faced with the task of helping learners master the task of adolescents. As educators, we need to continually guide learners in all academic, social and personal aspects of life as well as create opportunities for them to grow.
Question C The following needs to be taken onto consideration by Life Orientation teachers when working with learners in a group:
Is it a homogeneous group? 4
Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
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Do all the group members share the same problem/have the same need? Are the group members familiar with each other? How can the group work process be followed up? How do I adapt the choice of my area, Identity and theme to suit the group Question D A number of variables need to be taken into consideration when assessing learners from different cultures:
Learner’s language proficiency. Learner’s proficiency in the home and additional language should be assessed before the evaluation is done. After this assessment, learners may be assigned to a culturally sensitive professional who is fluent in that same language. If need be, a translator may intervene between educator and learner but the following needs to be taken into consideration: - He/she must be aware of the issue of confidentiality. - Transilators should be thoroughly trained to the administration of the tests to be used. - Extra measures must be taken to ensure rapport between teacher, learner and translator. (The learner should not feel threatened by a third party)
Acculturation. When assessing culturally different learners, it is important to consider learners who are new and trying to adapt to a different environment. For example, a learner who arrives to the city from a rural area present challenges that are different from those who have been brought up in the city. When dealing with acculturation, we need to take the following steps into consideration: - Learner’s isolation and alienation from the new culture with rigid adherences to their own cultural norms. - Rejecting their own culture by dressing style, habits, changes in values and sometimes names. - Uneven adaption to the new environment by different family members which may lead to conflict within the family system. - Integration into the host culture while important attachments to the old culture are preserved. 5
Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
The role of parents. The role of parents in assessments for a learner involves much more than signing an authorization form. Many parents may not know about assessments and may even mistrust the whole procedure. It is therefore our task to attract parents to come to the school and explain to them how learner assessments are beneficial. Life Orientation educators should encourage parents from different cultures to get involve in school activities. Question E Grief crises – A grief crises is presented when individuals find themselves unable to cope adequately with the death of someone. Unfortunately little is done at home and at school to prepare a learner for the inevitable death of a loved one. Grief counselling should be offered to learners as mourning is a natural and necessary process. Not only should learners be comforted and supported, they should actively be helped to work through the process.
Gillis (1994) provides the following guidelines for learners dealing with a crises caused by divorce and separation:
Prepare them in advance: Parents should agree beforehand how children will be told and they both need to be present. The discussion needs to take place in a caring manner and both parents should emphasize their love for their children. Learners need to be helped to understand why there has to be a change and they should be allowed to express their emotions. Following the initial shock, learners should be helped to work through their feelings. Reassure them: Learners need assurance that - The divorce will not affect their parents love for them. - They are not losing a parent and will still have a fulfilling relationship with both of them. - They will not be rejected in any way. - They do not have to take sides. - They will be financially secure. - They are in no way responsible for the separation and there is nothing that they could have done to prevent the separation - They will have access to noncustodial parents.
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Name: Zubair Kathrada
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Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
Keep them informed: learners need to continually be updated on what is going to happen. Where appropriate, they should be encouraged to take part in any decisions that affect them. In terms of primary intervention, learners need to be provided with coping skills before a crises occurs. Such skills may include - An understanding of what constitutes a crises. - An awareness of feeling, thoughts or unfinished business that could be reactivated by a crises. - Changes in feelings and thoughts that may occur overtime.
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Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
List of sources:
Alexson, JA. 1985 Counselling and development in a multicultural society. Monteracy, CA: Brooks/Cole. Gillis. 1994 guidelines on assisting learners in a crises Locke, DC and Parker, LD. 1994. Improving the multicultural competence of educators in schools: Allyn and Bacon Greenan, H, MCIIveen, K and Humphreys, P. 1997. Involving students in counselling and learning: A nessesary evil? Quality assurance education 5(4): 231-238 UNISA, Pretoria.2015. Subject didatics: life orientation SDSGC0-D
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Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
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Name: Zubair Kathrada
Student Number: 56155336 Course Code: SDSGC0D Unique Number: 586839 Assignment Number: 01 Pages: 05
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RESULTS Question (a) = 19 Question (b) = 19 Question (d) = 19 Question (ei) = 5 Question (eii) = 20 Question (c) = 6 -----------------------------Total = 88 / 100 (88%)
COMMENTS 1 Elaborate on each point raised.