Different Strokes for Different Folks
As someone who went back to school later in life, I really related to this segment. Adult learners relate far more to real world application than abstract theories. This is something I always keep in mind while teaching a non-traditional student body.
This is what makes us all different!
I love having a diversity of ages in the classroom. It makes for incredibly lively discussions. It adds the generational perspective to everything, and being primarily a technology teacher, the younger generation and the older generation vary greatly in their attitudes and perspectives.
Christie,
while there are challenges with the different ages in the same classroom, there are many rewards as you have identified.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
In my classes, I have taught a wide range of students in age from 18 - 52. This has given me, as the instructor, knowledge and relation to what works and doesn't work for the wide age gap. It definitely keeps me active in reflecting on the success of my lessons!
This is something I am looking forward to in my adult class. It will be nice to have those people who want to relate it to real-world and not ideal-world.
Monica,
so true & this is why I love teaching adult learners; they are very quick to say "that's nice in theory, but how does this work in real life" & I love those kind of discussions.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
