• Home
  • Login
  • Registration
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
ESLarticle.com
Tweet
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Blog
  • Members
  • Add Article

Top Categories

Teaching 509
Other 210
Classroom Management 138
Career Development 135
Learning Methodology 121
Study Skills 90
E-Learning/CALL 87
English Language Learning (ELL) 78
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) 77
Teaching Methodology 76
English Language Teaching (ELT) 73
English as a Second Language (ESL) 64
Teach in Shanghai
Home / Articles / Teaching / Adults / View Article

Publishing

  • Articles
  • Add Article
  • Articles Archive
  • Latest Articles
  • Popular Articles

Latest Articles

Jan 5, 2019

Metacognition in Reading Competency

As related to the reading process, metacognition can be defined as contemplation concerning one's own thinking processes or knowledge of one's own...

Jan 5, 2019

Mass Media Literacy Reflections for Language Instructions

"You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself." Galileo Galilei Mass media forms thrive today. As development...

Nov 30, 2018

Ideas for the First Class with New Learners

~~The first class with new learners can be an anxious one for all concerned – teacher as well as learners. Below are some tips to make that first...

Nov 19, 2018

10 Amazing Hacks for English Learners

10 Amazing Hacks for English Learners It is estimated that there are over a billion English speakers in the world, including native speakers,...

Nov 15, 2018

Building Reading and Writing Knowledge with Very Young Children at Hom

Education Today, December 2013 Building Reading and Writing Knowledge with Very Young Children at Home  Timothy G. Weih University of Northern...

Popular Articles

1143032 Views

5 Creative Ways to Decorate Your Classroom Bulletin Board This Winter

Back to school, fall leaves, Thanksgiving and Christmas all easily lend themselves to great decorating themes, but what to do when those are over...

381770 Views

Three Unique Ideas To Make Your Bulletin Board More Useful

Bulletin boards have long been existent in campuses. They have proven to be such versatile and useful aids in both the learning and teaching...

140671 Views

History of the Chalkboard

Walk into just about any classroom and you will find one: A dark green board on the wall, lined with pieces of chalk and felt erasers. Chalkboards,...

65168 Views

Report Card Comments

For a small minority, writing report cards isn't a big deal. But most teachers generally dread report card writing time. Completing the comment...

49173 Views

Second Language Acquisition: Swain's Output Vs Krashen's Input

1. Introduction: Input versus Output. A general overview In order to assess how compatible Krashen's and Swain's views are, it is essential to...


How to Teach Critical Thinking to Faculty Who Teach Adult Learners

by Dr Cheryl Lentz

Sep 21, 2015 Adults 4391 Views

_notregistered/cc01d02557.jpg

Good morning colleagues!

The goal of this article is to teach you the top 5 steps in how to teach critical and refractive thinking to adult learners at the college or university level.

1. CREDIBILITY: To teach adult learners, you have to have credibility. Adult learners are often skeptical. You must establish first and foremost, how you have earned the right to teach them. I typically post my introductory video that offers my credentials (undergrad, master's, and Doctoral degrees). I then ensure I highlight my writing awards, my international best seller, my academic conference awards---external validation that I have earned the right to teach them.

2. TRUST: Before adult learners will follow you and be willing to learn from you, they need to trust you. How does one establish trust? Very carefully I'm afraid. When you move through the following steps, understand that you must always do what you said you will do; you must always be fair and consistent. You must treat everyone equally, to ensure equity, and to ensure that few if any exceptions to policy are made to avoid 'some are more equal than others'. Follow up and Follow through.

3. RELEVANCY & CURRENCY: Adult learners, according to Knowles (1954), need to what's in it for them. Why do they need what you are offering them? How is the topic relevant to their professional development and their promotional track in their career? One cannot offer old or outdated information. Students want to apply what you are teaching them immediately to their jobs, professional worlds, or perhaps volunteer and community worlds.

4. INNOVATION: Teach with emerging technologies. The 2014 student will not settle for old technology. No overhead projectors, no chalkboards, no outdated technology. Instead, students are expecting to be taught using emerging technologies. Do you use videos? Blogs? Vlogs? Animation? Social Media? Twitter? Facebook? Linked IN? In other words, are you using what's new, what's hot, what's happening in the world of technology?

5. FUN: Adult learners are often fearful. They have been around the block a time or two. They have been embarrassed and humiliated publicly by bosses, supervisors, executives, trainers, teachers, mentors, and many have shut down. They may follow, but they may not lead. They will not risk failing in front of their peers or in front of you as they remember what they felt like. They want you to tell them what to do, and they will follow. Instead, we have to teach them self-confidence, belief in themselves, we must teach to bring back curiosity. The path to this goal is through fun. I start many of my classes with brain teasers, funny games, and auditory stories to solve. My goals are three fold. (1) I first get their attention of how much they lack in problem and critical thinking skills; (2) I help them connect with their inner child as they giggle and play through the problems, and (3) I show them how having fun can lessen their fear, release their aversion to risk, and learn to take chances to be curious about finding the right answer.

Using this five tips will change the relationship with your students toward more productive and effective learning results. Much continued success to you and your students!

Article source: http://eslarticle.com/pub/teaching/adults/115514-How-to-Teach-Critical-Thinking-to-Faculty-Who-Teach-Adult-Learners.html

  • General Information
Author Info

Author Name: Dr Cheryl Lentz

About Author:

How can you take your teaching skills to the highest level of success? Dr. Cheryl Lentz, an expert on teaching critical and refractive thinking skills, gives you the top 5 secrets to effectively connecting with your adult learners. http://www.ThinkingBeyondLimits.com

Most Recent Articles

  • Nov 2, 2014 Critical Elements in Adult Learning: What Will Ensure Adult Learning? by Dr Cheryl Lentz
  • Jul 13, 2014 How to Teach Critical Thinking to Faculty Who Teach Adult Learners by Dr Cheryl Lentz
  • Jun 21, 2013 Understanding How Adult Students Learn by Dr Cheryl Lentz
  • Mar 29, 2013 How Do You Inspire Adult English Language Learners? by Dr Cheryl Lentz
  • Jul 3, 2012 Instructional Design Training: What Helps Adults Learn Effectively? by Dr Cheryl Lentz

Actions

  • Print Page

Articles Archive

  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021

Random Articles

Study Skills

Top 10 Tips for Revision

As soon as Christmas is over learners start to feel the pressure of impending exams, helping them to create an effective revision plan will ensure...

Other

The Truth About The Real Education System Problem

I'm convinced that they either don't get it and never will or they get it but refuse to acknowledge it. The fact of the matter is we've been...

Career Development

Cover Letter Writing Tips That Get Results

Cover letter writing tips that get results will help you to get positive results and enable you to get your dream job.

Study Skills

How to Optimize Performance in an Exam - 15 Rules for Success in Acade

How to Optimize Performance in an Exam - 15 Rules for Success in Academic Examinations

English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

Top Reasons To Look For Teaching English Abroad Programs

If you're interested in an amazing experience by living in another country, you've probably thought about looking into how to teach English...

About ESL Article

ESL Article is a private ESL/TEFL site designed and maintained by educators and educational administrators. It was launched in August 2008 with the aim of bringing ESL/TEFL students, parents, teachers and schools information and articles about the teaching profession and learning community.

Icon Group Member

ESL Article is a member of Icon Group Thailand (IGT), a group of ESL TEFL TESOL websites providing educational resources and information to teachers, schools and students around the world. The group was founded in 2003 and now includes 15+ websites covering educational information services, teaching resources and e-learning.

What is ESL?

English as a second language (ESL) is the use or study of English by speakers of different native languages. It is also known as English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), English as an additional language (EAL), and English as a foreign language (EFL).

  • Home
  • Registration
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Help
  • Partner
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
​

© 2022 ESLarticle.com.
Member of Icon Group Thailand - Educating the Future:
TESall All TESOL  Total ESL  ESL Job Feed
TEFL World  TEFL Jobs Overseas  Teach Overseas
Asia TEFL  ESL Powerpoint  Teacher Training