Teaching Adults A Practical Guide for New Teachers

Regardless of the context, teaching is a tall task—and for those teaching adults, unique challenges await. Teaching Adults: A Practical Guide for New Teachers is chock-full of ideas that can be read quickly and implemented immediately in formal and informal settings, in classrooms and workplaces; in short, wherever adults are learning.

Written with straightforward language that eschews jargon, yet grounded in theory, research, and practice in adult education, the book will benefit readers who have not previously been exposed to these ideas as well as more experienced teachers who seek new ways to reach adult learners. The book will serve as a resource to revisit from time to time as readers face new challenges and questions in teaching adults.

Readers will delve into to a variety of topics, including:

• A general teaching framework, including the author's four keys to effective teaching
• An in-depth exploration of the primary components of effective teaching
• An examination of the unique challenges involved with teaching adults, including how to best create a positive learning environment, overcoming resistance to learning, motivation techniques, and dealing with difficult or disruptive learners

The book elucidates the techniques required to connect with adult learners and provide instruction that is specifically tailored to the unique learning needs of these students.

RALPH G. BROCKETT is professor and interim head in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is the author of numerous books on adult education, including The Profession and Practice of Adult Education with Sharan B. Merriam, which won the Houle Award for Outstanding Literature in Adult Education. He has served as editor-in-chief of New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, coeditor of Adult Learning, and on the editorial boards of Adult Education Quarterly and the International Journal of Self-Directed Learning. He is a member of the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame.

Preface vii

About the Author xi

Part One: Getting Started 1

1. So, You’re Teaching Adults? 3

2. What is Effective Teaching? 9

Part Two: Four Keys to Effective Teaching 21

3. So, What are You Teaching About? 23

4. A Dozen Things You Need to Know About Adult Learners 31

5. Building Blocks of Adult Learning 43

6. Planning Instruction 59

7. Teaching Techniques 69

8. Knowing Yourself: Understanding the Teacher Within 85

Part Three: Unlocking Doors to Effective Teaching 97

9. Creating a Positive Learning Environment 99

10. Overcoming Resistance to Learning 113

11. Motivation 121

12. Dealing with Dilemmas and Challenges 133

Epilogue: So, Now You’re Ready: Go and Teach Adults 145

References 149

Index 153

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