Interesting experience, Carol. A clear demonstration of the need for a clear personal goal. (This can also be appplied analogously to setting goals and objectives for the course!)
A good point, Carol. I like the way you are able to take their experiences in one arena and help them see how these can be applied in a total different area. I think I have a tendency to focus on experiences that are directly applicable to the subject at hand, and should remember to help students look a little more globally.
Good comment. What a great course to teach! In nursing, sometimes I ask the students about family traditions when someone in the family is ill. Many times these traditions include soups, teas, hot or cold foods and drink, spicy, etc. depending on the diseaase type. This also brings the adult learner into the current day curiculum.
You need to be excited about the coure first. I like to ask students questions about their family histories, traditions, where they have traveled. Because I teach a culinary class, we can draw upon many examples about the importance of food, ceremonies, celebrations. After sharing information, we can then apply these examples to the current day curriculum.
Sometimes when adult students are insecure, it helps to acknowledge their past experience and give them kudos for it. It may be an opportunity to segue into a new learning opportunity - like "Wow, Nancy, you have lots of good experience in mortgage banking. What skills that you learned in the business do you think can be applied to communicating with patients?" When, as adults, we are given credit for past experiences, we can open up to unlearned areas with confidence.
A way that I motivate learners in my courses is to have each student identify their own goals in a "Dream Building" exercise. On the first day of class, they have to write, draw, cut out images from magazines, or create and print out a page on the computer that gives them images of why they are in class. Some draw roads leading to an educational goals, some put pictures of family, children, homes, or cars. I remember one student who wanted to drop out later in the course and I asked what her goals looked like on paper. She said she never finished it... Clear vision of a personal goal is self-motivation...
We have past graduates of the school visit and elaborate on how the instruction they have recieved at school has made them a success in the hardwood lumber industry.I also have industry magazines that show companies that thier ceo's and company managers are graduates of the school.
And as we know almost everyone loves food and loves to talk about it. Food, eating with others, smells of cooking are all very emotional memory connectors. Sounds like you are off to a good start!
Remaining positive and encouraging is important, so is remaining honest. Sometimes we need to acknowledge that there is (for example) a lot of material to be learned in a short time, that some things must be learned through rote memory, that learning isn't always fun and easy. Acknowledge that the students need to put a lot of work into the class, insist and expect that they do so, and commend them for their effort. As my old Latin professor said, "Knowing things is fun; learning them is hard work."
And, yes, sometimes we need to say,"C'mon, guys, you can do better than this."
Use of examples from personal experience is an effective tool as long as it is not over-used. We need to avoid the temptation to turn the class into a discussion about US. Yes, we've had all these neat experiences, but how do they relate to the students and what they are learning and getting into? Unless we can make THAT connection we are wasting everyone's time by indulging in sheer narcissism.
Absolutely, Melody, I remember this from when I returned to school. But we can't over-generalize; it gets complicated when you have a mix of students. I have one who graduated from HS last year, some who graduated 25 years ago, some taking their first steps toward a definite career goal, some starting off on an academic path, some merely seeking to augment their current knowledge and positions. Each has a different motivation. The one thing they seem to have in common is a stated desire to make things better for themselves and their families.
I was struck by your point of opening cultural doors in your course material. I will be a first time didactic course instructor in nutrition. It occurred to me that there will be a diversity of cultures in the classroom. The first day of class I will ask the students to introduce themselves and find out their relationship to eating, whether they eat alone or with someone else, whether they cook or rely on fast food, whether they have food preferences based on their culture. By finding out about their starting point I will be able to connect the content to their interests. Also they can share in future classes some of the food preferences of their culture.
Hi Melody,
You are right on with your comments about adult learners. We do need to be empathetic and understanding of their situations while offering them learning strategies that will enable them to be successful in this new life adventure.
Gary
Hi Tracesea,
Thanks for sharing these strategies with us. Instructors need to expand their instructional delivery options so they can respond to different class dynamics. The more examples we have the more choices we can make to better meet the learning needs of our students.
Gary
I try to find an emotional connection for them: the best motivation is self motivation, and if they see a real purpose for the class, I hope they will motivate themselves.
My experience has been "the world out there" seems very very far away and almost insurmountable when the adult student is faced with a sleepless night dealing with a sick child, money that won't stretch to cover the food bill yet alone book bill, a bus route that has been cut so facing a half mile walk with 30 pounds of books and winter is coming, or a babysitter that cancels last minute.
More often for the adult learner we need to focus on surviving the here and now reality while learning for the day. Teaching students how to disconnect from the outside world worries once they walk into the institution's door is one of the first tasks. Deep breathing, mindful meditation for a few moments, a physical act of setting down an imaginary bag...something to allow them to clear energy and mental space for learning.
On the subject of adult learners...this is one of the most terrifying, anxiety ridden, doubt producing, financially taxing, and time consuming decisions an adult learner will ever make...the decision to "go back to school". First acknowledging what it has taken to get into the first class seat is SOOOO necessary. This should be repeated by every single staff person the student sees in those first days! Students need to build a bank of good feelings to help them get over the slumps they may feel as the reality of balancing children, job, elder parents, divorce, illness, and now school comes crashing in.
Empathatic listening, compassion for the struggle, while encouraging to keep moving forward is how we can help.
I've found that my demeanor and tone of voice have a lot to do with motivating my students. When I get excited about a subject and students can tell from my voice and/or body language, it is contagious. I have often had students comment on my enthusiasm and how it made them more interested to learn.
I just think about the classes I have been in where the teacher droned on about something and it was so easy to just space out. When a teacher is engaging and shows excitement then it is much more interesting.
Another thing that gets students motivated and excited is to build in a lot of student participation. I like to have lots of discussions and sometimes activities where the whole class can participate. I think they are more excited when they can bring part of their knowledge and experience to me and the other students. Plus, I always end up learning so much from my students this way!
Sometimes I've found it to be especially helpful to get students to do something to get them interested and gain their attention. For example, using a power clap- where the entire class claps at once is a fun way to gain attention and make a loud boom. Sometimes a little energy is needed in the room and it gives the class a quick pick-me-up!
To excite and motivate students, I begin by using real-life examples of former students who have gone on to succeed in the field. I then ask each student what his or her short- and long-term, professional goals are. As our courses progress, I remind students at certain junctures that what we're discussing can be directly applied to achieving those goals.
