Philosophy on Teaching Adult Learners

Jessie Upp, M.S.

 Reflecting most highly in what I call Significant Learning, a pragmatic and

useful outcome of education, my philosophy on teaching adults demonstrates a

higher regard for the learner as opposed to the delivered content.

By facilitating elements of Significant Learning in adults, I create spaces

for visual, active and collaborative learning. My teaching style adapts to each

class because each learner brings their own needs, self-concepts and worldly

views.

Affecting my interaction with students inside and outside the classroom,

adult learners are observing what I model. Punctuating this, I’m being a teacher

when I’m not inclined to argue with what I see or hear (Upp, 2010, #12).

As the saying goes, “What is learned is caught rather than taught.” To

move this forward, I often employ incremental lesson times, spontaneous

teaching, varying experiential approaches for group and solo learning, as well as

ample time for debriefing. The sole mission of my instruction is to create a safe

learning environment conducive to the following four phases: motivating,

training, experimenting and debriefing.

MOTIVATING

A requirement for instruction is a motivated learner and much of this

motivation comes from anticipation. My goal at the beginning of a program or

class is to assess a group’s motivational readiness and then find out what hooks
each student. I use these hooks as sources to instigate motivation and curiosity

and then move into the training phase.

TRAINING

I understand that I am planting seeds for adult learners to succeed in the

next phase of their life. Adult students pay attention to what is interesting and

applicable to them as they have spent considerable time articulating their

interests over the years. They come to class looking to fulfill specific needs. To

help spark learning and increase retention, I use a variety of teaching methods

and train in short increments so that learners can create mindful associations.

EXPERIMENTATION

This phase translates content into action-learning, otherwise known as

experiential education. This is a process that I adore because a students get to

“own” their learning when they attempt to fuse theory to practice. Students can

test self-concepts and try on new world assumptions.

During experimentation, I look for teachable moments. Teachable

moments happen: in times of conflict, during feelings of inadequacy, when a

need/problem is recognized, when a goal is set, or when searching for meaning

in life (Leypoldt, 1972, pg. 59). During these times, I adapt to the needs of

individual learners. For instance, I may ask questions as a means of getting

students to see other ways doing something. I may give a slow motion or

exaggerated demonstration, or match up students to help each other. I look for

any method that will give learners the chance to reach their potentials. This

heightens the learning experience so that new insights are revealed in debrief.

DEBRIEFING

My role in the debriefing stage is to help learners decode their experience

into words, categories and concepts. By examining their experiences, they create

significant meaning or Significant Learning in their life. During debriefing, learners

gain new insights, clarify their values and even change their trajectory of life

itself. I have found that small group and journaling activities are very effective,

along with 1:1 coaching sessions and time devoted to celebrating one’s learning.

CONCLUSION

To be an ideal instructor, my challenge is to be adept in all areas of skill

trainer, group facilitator, coach and program designer. Teaching is a matter of

planting seeds. When a student can recognize “sameness” in me, a place where

he recognizes himself, I am honored. For every experience a person has, he has

had forever (Combs, Avila & Purkey,1971, pp. 59-60). So, everything I shared

with a student, I have done forever.

A teacher is somebody whose respect a student wants, somebody whose

standards he wishes to make his own (Bruner, 1966, p. 124). This humbles me

and is threaded throughout my teaching philosophy and standards.

REFERENCES

Upp, Jessie (2010) Leadership Unleashed. Seattle, WA: Epoch Media.

Leypoldt, Martha (1972) Learning is Change. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press.

Combs, Avila & Purkey (1973) Helping Relationships: Basic Concepts for the

Helping Profession. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Jerome Bruner (1966) Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge, MA: The

Belknap Press of Harvard University.