INSERT YOUR LAST NAME 1 INSERT YOUR FULL NAME INSERT PROFESSOR S TITLE AND NAME INSERT COURSE TITLE INSERT DATE Interview Between Two Adult Teachers For this interview with a teacher of adults, my colleague and I met informally to discuss Pat s 1 experiences with teaching adults at the post-secondary level in an academic setting. Since we are colleagues, we have discussed some of these ideas before, so the setting was quite informal and seemed like a natural extension of our regular conversations. The questions that I asked were as follows: What is your teaching style? What instructional strategies do you use why? How were you prepared to teach what you teach? What are some of the most important things to remember when teaching adults? What obstacles do you encounter when teaching adults, and how do you overcome them? How do you determine if students are learning? How has your idea of teaching/learning changed over the course of your life, from being a student through various phases of your teaching career? As a follow-up, I asked additional clarifying questions or made summarizing comments to many of Pat s responses. Therefore, the above questions were not the only contribution that I made to the interview. Philosophically, Pat and I share many similarities in our ideas of adult learning and teaching. In particular, we both agree that motivation is necessary for learning to occur, that the teacher s role should be that of facilitator rather than authoritarian, and that communicative activities are ideal for language learning. We 1 Names have been changed to protect privacy. In addition, minimal details about interviewee s background (schooling, languages spoken, etc.) have been shared.
INSERT YOUR LAST NAME 2 are also different in the sense that I tend to be much more tolerant with my students. I also did not receive any formal pedagogical (or andragogical) training until now, while my interviewee formally studied Education at the post-secondary level. The following paragraphs summarize the interview questions and responses, making connections along the way with various andragogy theories from The Adult Learner by Malcolm Knowles, Elwood Holton, and Richard Swanson. We started with the question, What is your teaching style? According to Pat, he/she teaches in a style that is direct and engaging, demanding collaboration between the teacher and student. Pat explained that direct, means explicit instruction in order to make sure that students understand the idea being conveyed. Perhaps not for all subjects, but explicit instruction is particularly important for second-language learners since they require a basic understanding of the language in order to communicate how can learning occur without the tools for basic communication? By engaging, Pat meant that lecturing is not an acceptable way to teach since it does not require active engagement, and in order to truly learn, students must actively participate in their learning process. One of the instructional strategies that Pat uses includes various communicative activities that require the student to practice the language. Pat uses different strategies based on the skill level and personalities of the students in each class. This differentiated approach relates perfectly to the andragogy model that recognizes the lack of homogeneity among learners and learning situations (Knowles et al. 79). Pat specifically mentioned problem solving, collective brainstorming, and other forms of group/pair work as the types of strategies used in the classroom. It s interesting to note that this approach to teaching is not new, as Fields brought up this point in 1940 stating
INSERT YOUR LAST NAME 3 that, lectures must be replaced by class exercises in which there is a large share of student participation (qtd. in Knowles et al. 26). Pat prefers this approach this is to make sure that the students are engaged in their own learning and are retaining the information, leading to what Pat described as true learning. Pat guides the students through the learning process rather than telling them what they need to know, which is akin to Carl Rogers belief that, we cannot teach another directly; we can only facilitate his learning (Knowles et al. 30). As previously mentioned, Pat studied both foreign languages and education. As part of the formal training in education, Pat put into practice the theories and methodologies studied by actually teaching at the secondary level. As Pat s introduction to the classroom, this experience proved to be similar to teaching young students at the post-secondary level. Another interesting aspect of Pat s preparation for teaching a language was the language-learning process itself. Pat is multilingual and has used selfobservations as a way to step into the shoes of students and understand the challenges of learning a second or third language as an adult. When I asked about the motivating factors in Pat s own learning experiences, he/she stated that the teachers who showed genuine interest in their students progress were one of the most important factors. This idea of the teacher s role in the learning process seemed to provide a contrast to Pat s general belief that the student must be motivated from within since Pat did not specifically mention his/her own interest in learning the languages. The next question really began to delve into the ideas of adult learning in particular. At first, Pat expressed confusion about the question and stated that he/she teaches adults as any other student. I then explained some of Knowles adult learning
INSERT YOUR LAST NAME 4 principles, including self-concept, motivation, and experience to try to guide the conversation toward andragogy versus pedagogy. Afterward, Pat stated that as adult teachers, we must throw away the misconception that [adult learners] are all motivated because many of them don t want to be there. Coming from another culture, Pat sees very clearly that, US culture assumes, and therefore permits, a growth rate that is much slower [and] does not nurture the development of the abilities required for self-direction (Knowles et al. 42). This is not solely the fault of the students, as they are products of a life s worth of prior education by the time they reach the university, nor is it solely the fault of the educators. While this is a particularly cynical view, we also both know from experience that there are highly motivated adult learners and perhaps this lack of motivation stems from the learning relevant to the learner, and puts into question the academic tradition of required courses (Rogers qtd. in Knowles et al. 31). We both teach a foreign language, and many of the students in our classes are simply interested in fulfilling a requirement mandated to them by the university. Still, there are others that do want to expand their communicative and cultural horizons and in these cases, the adults are responsive to some external motivators, but the most potent motivators are internal pressures (Knowles p. 47). In order to overcome these obstacles, Pat stated that, the students have to allow you to motivate and guide them. According to Pat, many students are not open to learning and regardless of how enthusiastic the instructor is the student must be receptive to the material, which aligns with both Knowles andragogy principle on the readiness to learn and Goodwin Watson s guideline that, how ready we are to learn something new is contingent upon [ ] adequate significance and relevance for the learner to engage in
INSERT YOUR LAST NAME 5 learning (Knowles et al. 45, 125). With regard to the misconception of learning, Pat believes that many students simply do not understand that they must play an active role in their learning process. When determining if learning is taking place, Pat uses a methodical plan that consists of baby steps leading to a main objective. This is the path down which students must allow you to guide them. Pat has a plan for each learning objective and checks their progress along the way through formative assessments such as Q&A, review, and other feedback. One of the key elements for Pat s plan is to build the students confidence along the way so that they do not become overwhelmed. For example, if the objective is to write an essay, the students build their confidence by first writing a sentence. Pat will review with students, help them correct their mistakes, and eventually guide them to the ultimate objective. Finally, I was curious if and how Pat s ideas of teaching/learning changed over the course of time. According to Pat, the more experience gained, the more humbling teaching becomes. At the beginning of his/her career Pat thought, I got this, when it came to teaching. Shortly afterward Pat realized, I don t have this. For Pat, the teaching/learning process is about being open, flexible, and to continue learning together. This is the sign of a great teacher as we say in common parlance, and as Gessner stated, None but the humble become good teachers of adults (p. 22). Still, there seems to be a pervasive disconnect amongst both learners and instructors, myself included, with regard to the theory and application of andragogy principles and what we know about how learning occurs. In order to put andragogy into practice, we as teachers must learn to release our own energy and that of our students (Knowles et al. 247).
INSERT YOUR LAST NAME 6 Works Cited Knowles, Malcolm S., Elwood F. Holton, and Richard Swanson. The Adult Learner: The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. 8th ed. Amsterdam: Routledge, 2015. Print.