Teaching Adult Learners

About This Course

If you’re excited about the challenge of reaching and teaching adult learners, you’re in the right place! In this course, you’ll discover how to use the newest educational methods to create a student-centered classroom that’s perfectly suited for adult learners.

First, we’ll explore the unique needs and motivations of adult students and find out just what they’re expecting from your class. After that, we’ll examine your students’ different learning styles and multiple intelligences and look at how you can teach to each learner’s strengths. We’ll also talk about ways to get misbehaving or under-achieving students back on track.

Next, we’ll delve into a host of innovative teaching techniques that will turn your students into active learners and set them up for success. We’ll also look at high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech educational tools you can use to capture and hold your students’ attention.

We’ll follow that up by tackling a challenging topic: how to organize your material effectively and design strong lesson plans. We’ll also talk about creating a warm, welcoming classroom environment and preparing a fun orientation.

In addition, we’ll look at how to create effective tests and how to teach your students good study skills. We’ll also check out a wide range of assessments that will help you grade anything from a hairstyle to an ESL essay. And finally, we’ll talk about making your classroom accessible and enjoyable for students with disabilities.

If you’re training to teach adults, the information and hands-on activities in this course will give you the confidence you need to succeed—and you’ll know all the tricks and techniques for winning over this fun, exciting, and very demanding group of students.

About The Instructor

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be James Thompson.

James Thompson, Ph.D. has over 25 years experience in the creation and delivery of distance learning courses for teachers. He is the author of Teaching Responsible Behavior and over 100 workbooks and videos on the subject of classroom discipline. His distance learning courses have trained more than 250,000 educators worldwide in techniques to improve student behavior and learning. His works include: Teaching Students Responsibility, Dealing With Discipline Problems, Human Relations and School Discipline, Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms, Every Student Can Succeed, and Dealing With Difficult Students. His course Solving Classroom Discipline Problems has earned the praise of both teachers and parents and has been selected by Education to Go as its demonstration course.

Syllabus

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

Wednesday - Lesson 01

A great classroom starts with a great teacher—and that’s you! In this lesson, we’ll look at how you can grow in your job as an adult educator by enhancing your professionalism and managing your time effectively. In addition, we’ll look at ways to boost your confidence and establish your authority in the classroom.

Friday - Lesson 02

Adult students are different than kids, and understanding those differences can help you reach and teach them. Today we’ll look at what makes adult learners tick and how you can best meet their needs. In addition, we’ll talk about preparing for that big first day by getting your paperwork in order. Finally, we’ll look at seven different seating arrangements and the pros and cons of each.

Week 2

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Jill is a risk-taker who loves testing the rules. Germaine is a shy bookworm. Claire is an artist, while Dave’s your most popular student. All of these adults have different learning styles and intelligences—and to win them over, you’ll need to teach to their strengths. In this lesson, we’ll explore two different models of learning styles, and take a look at the eight intelligences you’ll want to factor into your lesson plans.

Friday - Lesson 04

Zzzzzzz. That’s the sound of Darren snoozing in the corner as you’re trying to lecture. Meanwhile, Emily and Sherelle are too busy gossiping about their weekend dates to pay any attention to you. Does this sound like your classroom? If so, you’ll enjoy today’s lesson, where you’ll learn loads of tricks to get misbehaving students back on track. We’ll also talk about ways to get shy violets to participate, and look at an effective conflict management technique.

Week 3

Wednesday - Lesson 05

Remember the old days, when teachers lectured for hours while students took notes or dozed? Those days are gone—and good riddance! Today, we’ll talk about a host of innovative techniques, from window paning and role-playing to mnemonics and visualization, that work like magic in a student-centered classroom. But we’ll also take a peek at lectures and other classic teaching techniques, and see what part they can play in a modern-day learning environment.

Friday - Lesson 06

"Proper prior planning" may be a cliché, but it’s also an excellent idea. In this lesson, we’ll look at the up-front work that can set you up for success in the classroom. First, you’ll discover the 12 steps for creating a dynamite course outline. After that, we’ll delve into lesson planning—and finally, we’ll talk about laying the groundwork for a welcoming orientation.

Week 4

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Just as an interior decorator accents a room with bright colors and great fabrics, you can accent your classroom presentations with the right audiovisual aids. Today, we’ll look at high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech educational aids and technology you can use to capture and keep your students’ attention. In addition, we’ll talk about setting up your classroom so that everyone can benefit from videos and other on-screen material.

Friday - Lesson 08

What motivates your students to learn? Today, we’ll look at the 10 needs and desires that bring learners to your classroom—and you’ll discover how to tap into those motivators during your presentations. We’ll also look at how to create powerful presentation openings, content, and closings. Then we’ll explore the art of questioning and talk about the best way to ask and answer questions in your classroom.

Week 5

Wednesday - Lesson 09

In this lesson, we’ll discuss the A-B-C’s of grading and talk about ways to write top-notch test questions. In addition, you’ll discover great tools for assessing any type of skill, from cake-baking to hairdressing. You’ll also find out how to avoid the most common mistakes teachers make when they assess students, so you can achieve the Goldilocks standard of grading: not too harsh, not too easy, but just right.

Friday - Lesson 10

You want every student to feel welcome in your classroom—so today we’ll look at making your class accessible and enjoyable for students with disabilities. First, we’ll look at the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and you’ll learn how to comply with this law. Next, we’ll talk about learning disabilities—in particular, dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). And finally, we’ll explore ways to show courtesy and respect to students with any type of disability.

Week 6

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Even if you create great lessons, your students will succeed only if they’re good studiers and efficient test-takers. In this lesson, we’ll explore ways to beef up your students’ study skills and look at strategies for test-taking. In addition, we’ll discuss test anxiety and talk about tailoring your tips on studying to each learner’s strengths.

Friday - Lesson 12

Enough about your students—today's lesson is all about you! Whether you're a brand-new teacher or an experienced educator looking for new classroom opportunities, you'll find tips here on how to power up your job search. We'll start by talking about two keys to a successful job hunt: a great résumé and a winning portfolio. After that, we'll discuss how you can target the right schools and wow them with your letter-writing and interview skills.

Requirements

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).