This course led me to the understanding that student have different expectations, which are indicative of their reasons for pursuing their individual educational goals. Adult learners in the technical-vocation programs have expectations which differ than adult learners in strictly academic programs. The reasons for learning then are drivers behind the characteristics, expectations and attitudes of learners. Understanding what motivates and drives a learner is an important step towards determining the most appropriate teaching styles and techniques to apply in the learning envirnment. Would anyone agree that student characteristics are also worth considering when developing realationships with the students? Clifton

I find that the more excited I am about a topic the better my students retain it

I ask my students to write down one thing they learned new out of the class that day and it is their ticket out the door

Some students are more participative than others. I look to these students as class leaders. Other students misread this as favortism.

I often times struggle with how to motivate an adult learner who chose my program but doesn't really seem interested.

Intrinsic: Im really glad I took this course because I knew nothing about either of these.I never thought about a student wanted to just complete a goal on there own I feel I should may be back off a little and not having it be about my feelings. Extrinsic: The reward system weather it be grades,rewards It really comes down to knowing you student and what they need ! What a great course

Students must also understand the rewards of doing the work on and independent bases as adult learners

I taught high school for 6 years. I definitely experienced a learning curve teaching my first term with older adult learners. Their experiences are definitely an asset to the class in my experience. However both older adult learners and students fresh out of high school have made me realize how important my own experiences are in the classroom. It emphasizes the instructor's role as an authority figure.

What is the most effective way to provide personal attention to students in a lab class where some students need more attention than the others. How do you ensure that the other students are not disgruntled?

I teach in a school where each student gets a laptop.The internet is an integral part of how classes are taught. Often I find that some students would surf to non related websites during my instruction. I take this as a sign that either they are bored or disinterested or; they are not being challenged enough. I'm looking for opinions on how to interpret their actions and meet their needs.

I find that I have all different ages of students. Some are right out of high school and some middle age. I find that on certain subjects, it works well putting them together so they can compliment each other.

I'm not sure if I'm becoming cynical, but the cliché: "the more things change, the more they stay the same" is not ringing true with our school. Our campus has been changing and it is in the wrong direction. I have seen ABC 20/20 pieces and other journalistic approaches to career colleges and they never seem to be in the best light. The CE that I worked on (ED209-Students as Customers) shed a light on this subject of “admissions AND retention.” I have a few friends that work at other schools as well, and the new term: “Pell and a pulse” seems to be the resounding battle cry for admissions. “Get their butts in chairs” gives the impression career colleges are just institutions of profit. Yes a profit can be made, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of someone getting ‘some’ education versus high-quality direction. While I don’t want to paint with such a broad stroke, but more directors and managers (not just instructors/teachers) need to take this module/CE. “In fact, the majority of technology students believe that the students-as-customers approach should not be used because: • This approach affects instructor performance. • The goal of the institution may change from providing education to making a profit. • This approach affected relationships between instructor and student (Watjatrakul, 2009).” I can honestly say I have seen this approach weaken our ability in bringing the best information or discussions to our class rooms. Vice Presidents, directors and other management have focused on the ‘front end’ and less on the middle (education) or back end (certification/graduation/placement). Since certification has no bearing on our school ranking or our Federal Government standings, the focal point has been the exact opposite of this module: students are customers we need in our buildings. “Will educators try to avoid critical feedback when using the students-as-customers approach?” (Bharadway, 1993 and Johnson, 2003 cited in Watjatrakul, 2009) Unfortunately this has been a resounding “yes” at our campus. I believe our campus and our field have the opportunity to be great again: but reeducation for our management is sorely needed.

More often than not, I find that I am faced with a classroom of learners that range from seventeen and eighteen up to fifty. I struggle with creating common ground in a classroom like this. Does anyone have reccomendations about how to relate?

When teaching, I think it is important to imbue a sense of almost obsession with the topic as an instructor. I teach literature and love books to death, but a criminal justice student might not think the same way. If I can get that student to understand in a small sense how I feel, we start to meet at a crossroads. This is how I get students motivated. They see my motivation to learn more and they follow.

Often I will have students leave the classroom with an assignment for the next class that includes a discussion topic. This allows them to return and engage other students in what they are interested in. At times, I will have them pick news topics that interest them and lead a discussion for fifteen minutes in the classroom. This allows them to have control as well as become familiar with a topic they pick.

I enjoy seeing students return with response papers after a lengthy assignment and really give feedback to what they have learned and what it means to them personally. There are many methods to allow students to share personal reactions without opening any wounds or calling them out when they are not ready to share personal information. I think response papers are key to this. They are forced to respond personally, but can discuss a sliver of their opinion without judgement.

When my classes first begin I make certain not to call out my adult students, but rather allow themselves to discuss their age and why they returned to school. I find that adult learners are often open if THEY are allowed to discuss their return to academia and will talk to everyone in class about this if the instructor simply allows them to do it in their terms.

Enthusiasm is the learning environment is key to successful teaching. Passing through to the students your excitement for the content and subject matter draws students in and keeps them attentive on learning and achieving.

As a 20 yr sports coach I've never had any issues energizing a team, but students can present a different challenge when trying to keep the curriculum fresh and exciting for students. Some ways I use on the court/field that help are connecting with personal interests and motivations which supports a renewed sense of interest in students.

Student retention is a different concern for the more passive student learners vs active adult learners. We as teachers need to engage with adult learners on both peer and respect levels for successful retention. This can be done through personal connections and clear, fair policies.