Each One Teach Ones

Professional Development
Workshop Series 2015

Six Secrets to Creating a

Highly Successful Adult
Education Classroom
presented by

ESC, Region 20s iLearning

Create an Emotionally
Safe Learning Environment
Secret 1:

Adult students have often been unsuccessful in

earlier educational settingsMost adult students
are anxious about their return to the classroom,
about their ability to learn, about their ability to
achieve academically.

Creating an
Emotionally Safe Learning Environment
Three proven strategies:

Model Academic
Success

Be available to learners before class.

Dress professionally.

Always be prepared!

Expect
Respect

Respect learners cultures,

religions, situations, etc.
Create a safe environment.

Include &
Care

Create a sense of inclusion,

belonging.
Show genuine interest in your
learner.
Discuss learners opinions and
feelings.

Creating an Emotionally
Safe Learning Environment
Your Strategies:

Model
Academic

A.
B.

Expect
Respect

C.
D.
E.
F.

Include &
Care

Involve Learners
Constantly
Secret 2:

Your student are capable adults who have much to

offer. Ask for their input! Most adults are happy to
have their lives validated by your suggesting that
sharing their life experience could be beneficial to
others.

Three Proven Strategies:

Involving Learners
Constantly
Set Goals
Together

Provide
Variety and
Choice
Invite
Learner
Feedback

Create short-term goals leading to long-term goals.

Vary your presentation style.

Let learners choose how they
will demonstrate
understanding.
Remember you and your
learner make an educational
team.
Elicit feedback from your
learner.

Your Strategies:

Involving Learners
Constantly
Set Goals
Together

A.
B.

Provide
Variety and
Choice

C.
D.
E.
F.

Invite Learner
Feedback

Keep Learning
Relevant
Secret 3:

In order for adult student to feel like they are not

wasting their time in adult ed classes, they need to
be convinced early on that what they are doing
makes sense, that it is relevant to their lives, that it
will help them achieve their educational goals.

Three Proven Strategies:

Keeping Learning Relevant

Give Real
Life
Examples

Use realia, real life examples.

Seek
Learner
Input

Ask learners what they need

to know.
(Record your learners needs
in the learner folder.)

Make
Learning
Challenging

Bump up or bump down

lessons to make them
challenging.
(Get Esthers help!)

Your Strategies:

Keeping Learning Relevant

Give Real
Life
Examples

A.
B.
C.

Seek Learner
Input

D.
E.
F.

Invite Learner
Feedback

Use Brain-Based
Learning Concepts
Secret 4:

Using an eclectic mix of strategies allows teachers to

accommodate students' preferences for information
gathering while connecting learning to adult students'
real lives and emotional experiences, as well as their
personal histories and life experiences.

Using BrainBased Learning Concepts

Three Proven Strategies:

VARK

Adjust teaching to address your learners learning style.

Multiple
Intelligences

Theory that learners learn

in a variety of ways.

Projectbased/
Problembased
Learning

When possible, have

learners work in teams.
Bring out real life
meaning in learning.

Additionally
Remember to add music, movement, natural
elements, brainteasers, creative elements and more
to your lessons. Work through the exercises
provided for you, but ask what other materials are
available to use in your lessons. Feel free to bring
your own learning-based materials.

Using Brain-Based
Learning Concepts
Your Strategies:

VARK
A.
B.

Multiple
Intelligences

C.
D.
E.

Project-based/
Problembased
Learning

F.

Role-Model a Love of
Lifelong Learning
Secret 5:

If you can convince adult students to get in the

habit of curiously seeking new knowledge (even
frivolous knowledge) you will have given them a
great gift.

RoleModeling a Love of Lifelong

Learning
Three Proven Strategies:

Share
Examples
Regularly

Share with your learner something

youve learned since your last
session.
Recommend learning experiences.

Read to Your
Learners!

Read a short selection at the

end of each session.
Let learners experience the
beauty of words.

Teach
Reflection
and
Journaling

Encourage your learners to

reflect, write, and expand
upon ideas.

Three Proven Strategies:

Examples
Share
Examples
Regularly

A.
B.

Read to Your
Learners!

C.
D.
E.

Teach
Reflection and
Journaling

F.

Your

Secret 6:

Celebrate Successes!

A combination of small rituals, classroom

ceremonies and the occasional class party will reap
benefits far beyond the effort required to plan and
carryout these events.

Three Proven Strategies:

Celebrating Successes!
Draw on Past
Successes

Draw out successful past choices

or achievements.

Recognize
Achievemen
t
Create
Celebrations

Create an atmosphere of
encouragement.

Promote short-term goals as

progress toward long-term
goals.
When possible, celebrate as a
group, building a sense of
community.

Your Strategies:

Celebrating Successes!
Draw on Past
Successes

A.
B.

Recognize
Achievement

C.
D.
E.
F.

Create
Celebrations

Your homework:
Consider all that is presented in the workshop. Fill in
the Your Examples pages of this packet,
considering how you will apply each strategy in
lessons with your learner. Bring this reflection to
Kate, Thomas, or Vanessa, and get 30 minutes of
additional PD credit!

For more information, review this lesson at:

http://ilearning.esc20.net/ilearn/en/learner/jsp/offering_de
tails_home.jsp?classid=3662872