Teaching, Tutoring, Learning

and Adult Literacy

Insights to Teaching Adults

1.    Adult personalities and study habits have been securely formed, either for good or bad.

2.   Adults have more emotional connections which they associate with words, situations, institutions, and people. 

3.    Some adults may have negative feelings about the learning process or authority figures.

  4.    Adults often have a

burden of stereotypes about personality or beliefs. Children, in more formative stages of development, are less likely to carry these burdens.

 5.    Adults may have some fears of inadequacy and failure.

6.   Adults may subconsciously fear the changes that come with education.

 7.  Most adults prefer to see immediate relevance and practical applications for knowledge. 

8.  Groups of adults vary more in skills, interests, experiences, and education  than children; flexible and varied teaching strategies may be required.

  9.    Learners of all ages can look

at situations, not as they are, but as they perceive them.

  10.  Adults have different

motivations for entering learning environments. These may include vocational skills and social status.

11.  Adults like participating in learning, rather than being lectured.  

 

12.  Adults expect  clear directions. If they don’t understand, examine your explanation, and explore new methods.

 …

13.  Adults have formed more connections between thinking, feeling and doing.  New learning can disturb these patterns.

Despite some handicaps, we know how to make the job easier…   14.  Adults learn best in order to meet personal

goals… 

15.  Adults also learn best when they are comfortable within their learning group.

 

16. Adults may have barriers to learning which need to removed.

These may include language barriers, learning disabilities, or other

impediments. Many online ESL resources are available to help consider cultural background, and communication & learning styles.

On-line Tutor Training! can be useful.

And Literacy is worth the effort! When our students become partners in

learning with us, they become more successful community members,and their personal lives are enrichedbeyond measure…

We have many different centers, each with unique types of clients with a diversity of needs. Beaverton Community Center Murray Hill Church Beaverton Library Elsie Sturh Center Allen Baptist Church Bethel Congretational

Each center will require individualized techniques and procedures. Teachers and tutors at each center will use our resources to develop teaching systems appropriate to the population.

All of the centers share the same goals, learning and literacy! We are blessed to have have many skilled

and experienced teachers to help us with these goals. We welcome everyone who contributes to this effort. A special thanks should be extended to the Beaverton Library and the City of Beaverton for their support for the Beaverton Literacy Council programs and services…

Thanks for your attention!

There are a multitude of learning aids which can be found Online,

at www.WritingResource.org/ 

and at Purdue University Online Writing Lab *

  These include PowerPoint presentations

The illustrations used in this presentation are from Fotosearch and Photosearch, are trademarks of Fotos earch, LLC  All rights reserved. © 8/24/2005

Return to: www.WritingResource.org/ Return to: Beaverton Literacy Portal   Copyright © 2005  [Tim Flanagan]. All rights reserved to contributing authors and institutions.