I teach part-time at one of the universities here on adult learning and career-switchers. It’s amazing that no matter how much of a subject expert I am, I’m always learning new things even as I’m teaching. Here are 6 key things I’ve learnt.
- Not all adult students want to learn. Some are there because they don’t know what to do because of circumstances. What they will do after the course, depends on how much they are inspired by the lessons
- Some students come with vast experience; they don’t know how to translate that into skills
- Some are keen but slow. Lack of knowledge does not mean a lack of passion. What I’ve seen, slow burners gain speed and momentum once they grasp the concept fully
- Learning is two ways. The more the subject matter expert teaches, the more they learn new things. So, teach. Even if it’s not in an official capacity, like mentoring someone at work for example
- Patience is a virtue. Nowhere else is this more required than when teaching or mentoring adult learners who oftentimes, will need to unlearn old methods and learn new ones
- Everyone has something to teach and learn from. Our capability to do both is immense. It’s how much we want to listen, as much as we want to impart
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