Starting out, I did not give much thought to the ways in which adult learning and student learning are different. That is not to say that I did not recognize the differences, just that they were not something I really thought to think about. Throughout this course, we have been confronted by differences in the way adults learn and the way that learning activities should be structured in order to get the greatest effect. From the beginning of the course we looked at the modes through which teachers will gain the most understanding and be able to successfully transfer their learning to their practice. We learned that adults tend to learn best in situations where information is transferred through or within work experience (I imagine this is especially true for teachers). Because teaching is a profession where we learn so much as we do it, learning on the job is one of the ways that is highly successful in developing teachers and their skills.
As we have seen time and again during this Teacher Leadership program, reflection is one of the most important abilities that we can develop. Experiential learning is one of the modes for learning that requires reflection and response to that reflection. The process of experiential learning, as given by Hansman (2001, p. 47), consist of "modeling, approximating, fading, self-directed learning, and generalizing". This process consists of reflection on practice at nearly every step along the way and is tied closely to the the practice of job-embedded development, which happens to be my personal choice for learning or professional development. Zepeda (2013) reports that when taking part in job-embedded learning, teachers experience an increased ability to reflect on their practice, work with their peers with more ease, helps reduce isolation, makes learning relevant, helps in the transfer of new skills, supports continued development, and helps create a common language that all teachers and administrators utilize (p. 127-8). Through the development of these skills, teachers become more willing and able to work together and help create the school environment they desire.
One of the goals as a leader is to aid in creating an environment where learning is looked at as a lifetime continuum, rather than a moment in a persons life when they attended a school. This belief, along with the belief that all students are capable of reaching for and meeting high standards, is the crux of the perspective presented by Angelle, who states that, "Teachers who work in a culture of high expectations and continuous learning find that their leadership skills are actively called upon to contribute to the improvement of their school" (2011, p. 233). The overall effect of this type of atmosphere is that all teachers, leaders or not, feel lifted up and more confident in their abilities and the abilities of their students. This can lead to a massive shift in a school environment. I have been a part of a situation where leadership was not honored in any way and the school became stagnant and, frankly, a horrible place to work.
The culmination of our learning about the modes and methods for adult learning is our final product, a plan of action for an area of need in our school. Through the development of this action plan, we looked at demographics and some detailed information about our school. We then had to find an issue within our school that upon which we could have an effect. I chose to look at academic language development because there is a large population of ELL students and our students' ability to utilize academic language is going to enhance their ability to perform in all content areas. The plan is highly dependent upon site-based, job-embedded learning. This particular area of adult learning is something I have had the good fortune of experiencing with math instructional coaches. It has enhanced by ability as a math teacher tremendously and I know it can do the same for others. While the plan is not something that I am able to implement, there are some elements being utilized by our school over the course of this school year.
In looking through this quarter, I have learned a great deal about what will work well and not so well when dealing with adult learners. There are many different theories or approaches, but the mode I have found myself drawn to is job-embedded learning. This approach makes the learning something happening in the moment and applicable, rather than something theoretical happening in a conference. The plan developed, while not perfect, I believe would be useful in aiding students and their ability to utilize academic language proficiently. Overall, this class has provided me with a great deal of information as I work to become a teacher leader in my school.
Angelle, P.S., (2011). Teachers as leaders:Collaborative leadership for learning communities. In E.B. Hilty (Ed.). Teacher leadership: The “new” foundations of teacher education (pp.229-238). New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.
Hansman, C.A., (2001). Context-based adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 43-51.
Zepeda, S.J. (2013). Professional development: What works. New York, NY: Routledge.
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