A brief introduction
I've worked in the field of Adult Basic Education for five years, when I started working with adult ESL and GED students in Mesa County, Colorado. Previously an anthropology major now pursuing a M.Ed. in Adult Education and Human Resources, my goal with this website is to create a space where you can find the tools and resources you need to create meaningful classroom experiences for your adult learners.
Emily McConnell
Adult Learning at Mesa County Libraries
TRAINING RESOURCES
Resources that support the professional development of adult learning volunteers and instructors.
1. Intro to Adult Learning Training Presentation
35
Time (min)
Activity
45
35
30
Handout
10
Many volunteers that teach in the Adult Learning Program have no prior experience teaching adults. Therefore, before they begin teaching, they must complete an initial three-hour workshop aimed at orienting them towards working with adult learners. This training enforces three main components: empathy, cultural sensitivity, and adult motivation. Resources are provided here to both review and reproduce the training.
This introductory training is based on the efforts of former Mesa County Libraries Head of Adult Learning, James Price, who developed the Turkish language lesson provided in the original training. The segment on cultural sensitivity was developed following similar situations being presented as "problems" to Adult Learning Staff and a need to reframe these situations based in cultural context. Finally, the segment on adult motivation has been developed in consideration of elements defined in Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn: A Comprehensive Guide For Teaching All Adults by Raymond J. Wlodkowski and Margery B. Ginsberg (2017).