“What one wants to learn, what is offered and the ways in which one learns are determined to a large extent by the nature of the society at any particular time” (Merriam, 2007, p. 5). I believe that one of the most important aspects of teaching and learning is establishing the proper educational environment. My approach to teaching involves creating a safe, quality learning atmosphere while establishing strong connections with students. I treat all learners with the same respect as a colleague, with the understanding that we are all students and we are all teachers. A balance of having fun while learning with the expectation of rigor is a balance that most learners can appreciate.
Anyone can learn anything if he or she is motivated to do so; true motivation and determination is the key for a positive, sustained learning experience. If a student is in the right mental space, learning can come very easily. If not, and if learning is forced, it has the potential for creating an unfavorable experience. The teacher’s role in adult education is usually most successfully executed as a guide, facilitator, motivator, or coach rather than a traditional paternalistic dispenser of information; the role needs to be malleable depending on what the learning situation requires. Sometimes, the teacher is also a student and is humbly in the trenches together with the learners; in the best scenarios, all can benefit and learn different things from the diversity each other. Teachers also have to be motivated to inspire learners with the material at hand—if they are not invested in the subject matter, the learning environment is adversely affected.
Sources of educational theory that have are in line with my teaching philosophy, which is still being actively influenced in my relatively young career, includes experiential learning and constructivism. Kolb’s statement of “Learning is a continuous process grounded in experience. Knowledge is continuously derived and tested out in the experiences of the learner”(p. 27) gives nod to each learner possessing a diverse backdrop of experiences by which new information is projected and processed. Constructivism views that imply a learner brings his or her past experiences to every educational opportunity and uses these to build on and frame what is learned to make sense of things in a personal context also make a lot of sense when I consider how students learn to become physicians. Gergen’s statement of “one learns through engaging, incorporating, and critically exploring the views of others, and new possibilities of interpretations are opened through the interaction” (p. 34) accurately illustrates the act of learning about patients and growth of one’s medical acumen on the wards through team discussion on rounds each day.
Some people are able to easily achieve certain kinds of learning; practicing multiplication in one’s head or understanding a foreign language can be a daunting task to some and come naturally to others. I do believe in preferred learning styles, and think that students should be able to look within and identify these qualities in themselves, although one size doesn’t fit all in every situation. Adult students have a responsibility towards self-direction and to recognize how they learn best and what they need from an instructor, asking for whatever is not being provided if a barrier to their learning exists.
The way that material is presented or experienced can be wonderful and stimulating and fun. When I am in the teacher role, I try to think of innovative ways to engage and inspire my learners—using analogies, hands on activities, visual aids—I take this very seriously and think often about style and delivery as much as the content of what I am teaching. Many of my favorite, longstanding learning experiences have been kinesthetic; I think regardless of learning style, students benefit from experiences that involve as many senses as possible.
Key Themes:
- Students and teachers must both be motivated
- Individuals may learn best in different ways, which they should introspectively discover
- Innovative, fun interactions are a key factor in creating a successful learning environment
References:
Gergen, KJ (1995). Social construction and the educational process. In LP Steffe& J Gale (Eds.), Constructivism in education (pp.17-39). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kolb, DA (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Merriam, SR, Caffarella, RS, Baumgartner, L (2007). Learning in adulthood: a comprehensive guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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