Photo by KayJay Photography
Adult education is always an interesting subject because it comes with two nuances: Adults are not children, so they will not swallow the content hook, line, or sinker, and they are plagued with the burdens of life, making it more difficult for them to focus on academic content.
But teaching adults is a lot of fun; you get to widen your perspective, learn from your students, and maybe even make a few friends. In my opinion, though, the most interesting part of teaching adults is that you get the opportunity to have your stance challenged, and through healthy debate, you may win the person on the other side over, or not.
Last year, the Solaris GreenTech Hub in Abia State invited me to facilitate a track of the IDEAS IGF Project which they were deploying in the state. The class was diverse, incorporating professionals, public and civil servants, young school leavers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and undergraduates, this was both a challenge and an opportunity to build my skill as a facilitator. Three months later, I can count this experience as one of the best parts of 2024. We had a wonderful ride and they even threw me a party with gifts at the end.
I had a great time delivering the training and also picked a couple of lessons down the way that could be valuable to you as an adult educator.
Understand your Students
Every class is different. This is a lesson every teacher would know by the time they teach more than one class a specific subject. This makes it very important for you to understand your class once the session starts. In my case, I gave an introductory task that helped me know where the class stood technically and socially. The result of this pre-test heavily influenced my teaching style across the two cohorts I lectured. It also helps to know the background of your students. A simple introduction goes a long way in telling you about your students and helping them connect with other professionals in their field.
Focus on the Impact
Much like any other class, I knew that some students would never pursue careers as virtual assistants or customer relationship managers. This raised an important question for me: What would make this class valuable to them beyond just the technical skills? The answer was soft skills.
As a result, I decided to incorporate soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership into the course content. This approach ensures that all students gain valuable knowledge that will hopefully benefit them throughout their lives.
Build Community
Everyone is busy, but a community helps you stay accountable, because it is no more about you, it is about others who are depending on your input. A simple strategy to build community is to create subgroups in a class. Keep it small enough for every member to be relevant, and only large enough to deliver on tasks.
Be Practical and Creative in Delivery
Through teaching this class, I realised that many concepts can be taught through practical methods. Utilising case studies, videos, group work, personal tasks, general tasks and presentations helps keep the class engaging and hands-on. By fostering conversation and empowering students to share their perspectives, you create a lively classroom environment where students can learn much more than if you were the only voice in the room each day.
Also, try to engage both collectively and personally with the students as much as possible. Remember to maintain eye contact and wear a smile to create a welcoming atmosphere.
Stay Curious
Curiosity is a skill that both learners and teachers should possess. Teachers can uncover a wealth of experience and wisdom in their students by staying curious.
Be eager to hear their perspectives and encourage them to share differing viewpoints on various topics. By empowering students to express their ideas, you also help them develop stronger communication skills. When they share their thoughts, listen actively to learn. This approach makes students feel heard and contributes to a healthy learning environment.
At the end of the day, people will remember not just what you said, but how you made them feel.
