As a teacher that started teaching middle school students, it was quite a transition to the adult learner classroom. I have learned to embrace their previous experiences and work them into discussions as much as possible.

Now that I have a clear understanding of the concerns that adult learners may have as they enter into college, I can server as a better facilitator and help them meet their needs.

even when the hiway seem like it will never end, it does... just stay focus. the pot of gold is at the end.

If we stay focus long enough, the learning will come.

I don't understand how wanting to get a good job is listed just as extrinsic, yes there is a paycheck involved, however, most people work for reasons other than just receiving a paycheck e.g. helping others, feeling productive, keeping busy etc.

I teach psychology and implement motivational interviewing which is a counseling technique with my students. I have them set a goal for themselves at the beginning of class as to the grade they want to receive and have them brainstorm ideas on how they can receive that grade. They also rate their level of motivation and come up with a plan on how to increase that motivation. Mid-term grade time is a good time for them to re-access their motivation as well as whether they are on target to achieve that goal. They also do a change plan around mid-semester which can be a personal goai, but will often have to do with their study strategies in either my class or another. Here is a website on MI if anyone want to check it out http://www.motivationalinterview.org/

I completely agree to this idea that i just learned that giving overview about the class that we are teaching, providing a good and brief outline and a good summary of the lesson, choosing "pair think share" giving more secure sensation to the students

Adult learners will work well independently with minimal instruction, often are seen as class leaders, they responsibly attend class on a regular and consitant basis, and their security in the classroom is evident.

It is hard sometimes to motivate your students depending on your subject area. For instance, I teach a document processing class and it's hard to keep my students motivated because it's basically a typing class with little instruction. These types of classes are hard to motivate. Any ideas would be appreciated!!!

I have a wide variety of students ranging from 18 to 65 as I'm sure many instructors do too. My goal is to make all of my students feel comfortable in my class and make sure they know they can ask questions and participate without worrying about other students and what they are going to say. I do this by getting to know my students and letting them getting to know me. I try to be empathetic and understanding about their situations and help them in any way I can.

I have found that if I change my class up a bit, the students find it more exciting. I also try to include them in all of the time instead of them just listening to me.

I thought this part was very interesting. Sometimes it can get discouraging when you think that the students are getting disinterested. You need to step back and put yourself in their shoes. Imagine listening to someone lecturing everyday. That would get boring. You have to be creative and innovative in order to have your students interested in what they are learning.

What I have learend in this unit has solidified what I have witnessed in the classroom. I have seen the apprehension adult learners have especially with courses that involve the use of a computer. Conversely,the younger student population tends to be overly confident with courses that involve the use of computers and then they tend to make too many mistakes.

I think how t vary your lessons for the type of student you have in the class would be a good topic.

How can you tell when a student is self motivated? Some students do well, but I doubt their level of motivation.

Very valuable lesson learned on giving quizzes frequently and at the beginning of class.

Students are motivasted by our excitement about the learning process.

It is important to empower students to take an active role in their learning experiences.

I have a problem, since our students are adults, I have encounter that certain motivators that might be intresting and fun to some students to others they feel like a waste of their money or time! how can I fix this?

I hear this a lot from my students. I find it very important to know the answer beyond yes. What I mean is an instructor who can say, "Yes you do have to BECAUSE...you will get _____ out of it and that will be helpful in the future when you ____." Make sure students know the value of the lesson and how it relates to their goals.