Teaching is teaching
Whether you are teaching children or adults they are the same when it comes to learning.
Hi Helen - Thanks for your post to the forum. I primarily teach adult students and do find that often they are more self-directed in their learning. Best wishes for success in your teaching career. Susan
I am new at teaching. However, I have worked in healthcare for quite a number of years. For different age groups, the way you approach them to do testing or therapy is very different. Explainations have to be on the level of understanding that the patient has. Equipment used for children is not just smaller sized, but adapted for the differences between children, adults, and infants. I can only think that education for different ages also has to be approached differently to appropriately meet the educational needs of the particular age group.
Having taught from 18-45 I can say that maturity is an important element to learning
I agree that learning styles remain somewhat constant for a persons life. However, time brings maturation, accumulative life skills, and personal exposure and experience. Therefore, I believe that teaching the adult is quite different than teaching the young, and it is our responsibility to factor these differences into our teaching. I have taught both Jr.Hi, High, and adult students. There are differences!!!
I totally agree with you Stacy as far as the learning syle concept goes. I would imagine that the factors that give a person a certain learning style are most likely born with them, though some things could also be environmentally imposed over time. I do think, though, that how we approach learning syles may vary a bit depending on whether we are teaching adults or children. I work in an adult technical training school where most of my students have been out of school for many years. Applying teaching techniques can be a bit tricky for these students who are often scared and apprehensive about being back in school and trying not to show it. I have to alter teaching techniques to account for the fact that they are no longer the enthusiastic, often fearless, youthful "sponges" that younger students can be.
