The Adult Learner
Who is the Adult Learner?
Multi-faceted
Adult learners have rich and full lives with family concerns, jobs, and other demands on their time and energy, but they may have fewer resources and skills to use to address crises and traumatic events. Thus, in addition to coming to class to learn, they could be struggling with life issues.
 |
“I think the teacher should be patient [with us]…so they can…understand…all the things students is dealing with…” |
 |
“Very often I find that my adults are going through very traumatic events in their lives. Recently, a student asked to come in to work on prerequisites for a day job. He had recently lost a son in a car accident, and his wife could not be left alone at night while he worked. Another time, a young lady came in to work on a course, and I noticed that she was having trouble concentrating. I learned by talking to her that her house had burned that week and that she was living in a motel while working 12-hour shifts.” |
Take a moment to consider how students’ multifaceted lives can impact instruction for adult literacy learners.
 |
On your worksheet, record your initial thoughts about all the “outside” issues adult learners may be facing. Also note any insights or ideas you may have at this point. |
There are several issues that might hinder the progress of some adult learners: health-related issues, especially in older students, family and job issues, daycare, work schedules, divorce, traumatic events, etc. Transportation, schedule changes, and finances can often keep students from attending class at all. Lastly, students may be frustrated by the difficulty of the work, or impatient with the pace of their success - they may have reached a “learning plateau” and feel that they “aren’t getting anywhere.”
Below is a real-life adult education scenario. While you are reading, consider what outside pressures might be influencing the students. Then consider what you might suggest to the instructor.
Real-Life Scenario—Marlin’s Class:
Marlin is a literacy instructor working with a small group of six adult students in a volunteer program. He’s been meeting with them twice a week for two hours at a time for about four weeks. All of them seem serious about wanting to improve their reading and writing skills, but they don’t always get to class on time and even miss class from time to time. Even when they do get to class, some do not seemed as focused as they have been in the past.
|
On your worksheet, record your thoughts on how outside pressures might be affecting these students. Then record any ideas you have for the instructor. What might he do to better accommodate his students’ needs? |
Click the + sign in the box to the right to see ideas from other Adult Education Instructors. | [?] |
-
I try to find out as much as possible about their families and work situations. I know, this sounds like intruding, but if a student is having trouble at home or at work, the only way I can be helpful and understanding is by knowing something about his life situation. And I have to find this out before there is a problem. Of course, I never push a student who is not comfortable sharing this kind of background information.
-
I used to teach survival skills for women and I bring a lot of that in here. For instance, if you can’t get to school using plan A, what’s your plan B? What’s your backup when your child is sick, your car won’t start, all of those things.
-
I try to remember not to jump to conclusions. Just because a student doesn’t get to class all the time doesn’t mean he isn’t motivated. If possible, I sometimes arrange for a different meeting time or a time for some catch-up work.
In reviewing these ideas, did you find any similar to your own? Did any of them strike you as particularly interesting? Did they provide any new insights on the instruction of adult literacy learners?
|
On your worksheet, make note of any tips, insights, or new ideas gained from the instructors’ suggestions. |
In Summary:
- The adult educator needs to be aware that outside responsibilities and pressures may affect a learner’s attendance and learning process.
- Teachers should be alert to signs of stress, frustration, and distraction.
- Students need to feel that the instructor is aware of their issues and willing to work to accommodate them.
|
On your worksheet, record any final notes or thoughts, specific ideas you want to remember, plans for further study, etc. |
Click “Next” below or a specific topic on the outline to the left to continue.
