Experience is the best teacher. Unfortunately, that same experience creates some of the most difficult students in a classroom or training session. Adult learners are not the sponges that children are and can make the most seasoned educator feel ineffective. Adults come into a classroom with their heads full of information, some valuable and some useless. They also bring an ego and the need for ultimate control. Here are five techniques that are effective in dealing with adult learners.
Break the Ice
Adults need to feel comfortable in their surroundings. They need to establish a sense of belonging. I teach adult volunteers how to work with dysfunctional families. We start our get acquainted session with "Two Truths and a Lie." After the standard name introductions, everyone has to state two truths and one believable lie about themselves. The group then works to figure out which statements are true and which is a lie. This ice breaker works in the type of class I teach because it gets the group in conversation with each other while introducing the concept that untruths, pervasive in dysfunctional families, are often hard to discern.
Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
Have a specific lesson plan, outlined and detailed. Never walk into a group of adult learners and say, "I know all about this. I am just going to wing it." That attitude communicates disrespect to the student. They are taking time out of their day to learn what you have to teach. Let them know that you appreciate that and have taken the time to formulate a detailed plan so as not to waste any of their valuable time. Start on time, fill the time with valuable information and end on time. The respect you show for students will be mirrored back to you.
Know Your Equipment
If you are using audio or visual equipment, perform a test run of everything before the session begins to make sure it is working properly and you know how to use it. There are two types of people in every classroom. One type is uncomfortable with technology and embarrassed for your ineptness because it reminds them of how they are. They other type is very good with technology and wants to rip the control out of your hands. Either type is squirming in their seats while you try and figure out how to turn on the projector.
Handling the Storyteller
Everyone has a story and a lot of people want to tell theirs. There is one great storyteller in every class and they are the bane of an instructor's existence because they monopolize valuable time. If you have a storyteller in your class and the monologue has gone on for more than 30 seconds, physically move your position towards that adult. If the story continues, gently place a hand on the shoulder of the adult. This tactic is slightly disarming and will help you regain control. For those most persistent students that feel that every story they have deserves to be heard in its entirety, speak to them discreetly, but directly during the break. Explain that you have a specific lesson plan and a limited time to teach. It will be awkward, but not as awkward as watching a room full of adults squirm with the onset of another great story about, "Well, when I lived in California . . ."
Send Them to the Parking Lot
Most new information needs to be learned in a sequence, but adult learners are prone to want to jump ahead. At the beginning of your session, put a large piece of paper on the wall and title it Parking Lot. Put post it notes on the table within reach of everyone. If a student asks a question that will be covered in later material, have that person write the question on a post it note and put it in the Parking Lot. This action validates the adult's inquisitive mind. At the end of each session, go through the parking lot item by item and ask, "Has that question been answered?" If it has, discard the note. If it has not, then either answer it and discard the note or inform the class that it will be answered in subsequent sessions and put it back in the Parking Lot. No matter what, honor questions because they are the sign of an active and engaged mind.
For five more tips on working with a mature classroom, read Teaching Adult Learners Part II.
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