4.3 How involved should you be?
One question to ask yourself is how much space you should give your learners. Should you give them plenty of freedom, so as not to cramp them, or should you monitor them closely, so you know how they are? This raises questions about how much you should be involved as an educator. How much time do you have? What are the contact preferences of you and your learners? Where are your boundaries?
Good communication can facilitate the learner–educator relationship, especially for someone with mental health issues. Imagine a learner and educator who communicate frequently, the educator providing clear, constructive guidance, and the learner feeling able to freely ask questions to clarify queries. The learner is likely to trust the educator more, by knowing what is being aimed for, and may therefore achieve more. The educator can see the progress of the learner, can initiate and maintain clear lines of communication, and can encourage utilisation of the learner’s own knowledge and experience. Positive educator–learner relationships are based on honest and open communication and the sustained engagement and interest of both parties. Communication techniques will be covered in more depth in Week 3.