Paul Waijman

Being engaging is key to student success. Bookending information in a unique way keeps students interested from lesson to lesson. Finally, though we want to be friendly and make our students feel welcome, it is important to model professional behaviors.

I learned to use my teacher's intuition, gained over my decades of teaching, as a tool to understand where students may be at, whether it relates to their fashion choices, the way they may be fidgeting in class, or a more tepid response to a question. 

Being passionate about the subjects we teach and doing so in a compassionate way ensures students stay engaged, feel open to exploring, and continue to feel motivated about their own passion for the subject matter, lessons, and projects. 

It is important to be mindful of what one communicates to their students, but also how they communicate it. It's also important to be organized so that lessons are digestible to the student and make sense. Most importantly, helping students understand WHY they are learning a specific skill set makes them feel more involved in the education process and reassures them of the value of the information being presented.

Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are key to adult learners' success in education. Overreliance on extrinsic motivators is not effective, so it is important to check in on students to gauge their motivations and see what you can do to help, preferably with curriculum design and communication that helps encourage intrinsic motivation.

I learned that adult learners want to feel autonomous, and allowing them choice in their learning is a great way to encourage that feeling. I was also happy to get advice on the pace of learning, especially in our accelerated environment. 

Creating a space where students feel secure leads to more motivated students. Allowing students time to respond, having them work in groups, and making sure that our responses as instructors keep in mind a student's feelings of security and safety can all help create a more welcoming environment for students to flourish. 

I have learned that adult learners expect their time to be respected while craving curriculum that directly relates to real-world and lived experiences. Ideally, the practical application of information presented should be included so that the adult learner feels like they have invested their time wisely and are getting closed to their desired goals.