At Classical Charter Schools, we take pride in the outstanding state test results we achieve year after year and in the joy that scholars feel in their own achievement that make us a top NYC Charter School. Specifically, during the 2024-2025 school year, 96% of our scholars passed the New York State ELA exam, and 98% passed the New York State Math exam. The journey to these results was intentional and, as you can imagine, involved many academic milestones for our scholars. Even before our teachers begin this preparation for our scholars, they undergo extensive professional development at each of their school sites and as a network at our professional development meetings. We firmly believe in the standards of the Every Student Succeeds Act, and take pride in our professional development being “intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data driven, and classroom-focused. And there are many important reasons why. For us, it has everything to do with the experience our scholars have in our classrooms that make us one of the best NYC Charter Schools.
Close your eyes and think back to your favorite class as a child in school. Now think about your favorite learning experience as an adult. How are those experiences similar, and how are they different? This might help you to explore the concept of how children and adults learn, and process new information, differently.
Excellent school leaders know the value of investing in adult professional development and the critical role it plays in adequately training staff and improving outcomes. School leaders must recognize that adults and children learn differently. Therefore, teaching approaches should differ for each group. Pedagogy is the method and practice of teaching children. Andragogy, on the other hand, is defined as the facilitation of learning for adults, who are self-directed learners and therefore require a different approach. Let’s explore key adult learning principles, based on Malcolm Knowles and other theorists. We will also share some insights into how these principles may look in application for those leading, managing, and coaching adults.
I. Self Concept:
As adults mature, they become more self-directed learners. They want independence and ownership over their learning goals. As such, they desire more independence and ownership over what they are learning and the goals they set for themselves. Just as we do with children, it is important to get to know adult learners. However, instead of asking about their favorite color, we would dig into questions like, “What are you most passionate about?” or “What areas of your practice are you most hoping to improve this year and why?”
II. Learner Experience:
Children are more likely to enter your classroom as blank slates; most of the content and skills you are teaching are new to them. Adults bring their own “learner experience” to the table. We must consider prior knowledge and past experiences when working with them and ensure there is sufficient space for them to share what they know or can apply to new contexts. If you are working with an individual for the first time, it would help to explore their background, asking: “Tell me about your past experience(s).” “What are your current strengths and areas for growth?” “How do you best receive feedback and learn?”
III. Readiness to Learn:
It is often said that children’s minds are like ‘sponges’ that absorb everything. Adults, on the other hand, act as strainers, being selective with their learning and will instinctively focus on the information that appears most relevant to a task. With both children and adults, it is important to communicate the purpose for the learning and how it applies to the actual work they will be doing. Adults especially do not want to waste time if the topic does not seem valuable or applicable. As facilitators of adult learning, we should ask ourselves, “What is the main intention of this session/conversation?” “Does this align with the intentions set by the participant(s)?” “What is the outcome we are hoping to achieve?” and communicate that openly.
IV. Orientation to Learning:
Adults seek information to help them more efficiently solve problems, whereas children focus mostly on subject- or concept-based learning. There is more appeal to practical learning that can be applied readily to the workday. In professional development and coaching sessions, facilitators can elicit feedback at the launch by asking participants, “What specific problems or initiatives are you hoping to solve or roll out?” With this, facilitators can make their sessions more targeted toward participant need.
V. Motivation to Learn:
Children are naturally curious and often engaged because they are learning new things for the first time. They are often motivated by external factors, including their families, teachers, and peers. Adults are assumed to be motivated more so by internal factors, like learning new skills, improving outcomes in their work, or earning a promotion. We should be asking the adults we work with, “What motivates you?” “What are you driving towards?” to get a better sense for their “why” and for our approach in managing, coaching, and developing them.
As you may be developing adult learning programs or sharpening your skillset to manage or coach adults, keep these four considerations in mind:
(1) Reflect on your mindset. There will be adjustments in the ways in which you approach and frame conversations and how you follow through on goals set.
(2) Think about how you can engage participants with relevant, thought-provoking pre-work to help them take ownership over their learning and pave their own pathway.
(3) Consider how to adapt facilitation to your participants, factoring in prior knowledge and past biases.
(4) Remind yourself why motivation matters and seek out the things that make your people ‘tick’ and grow in their investment.
Recognizing the learning needs of your adult learners will go a long way in your work in adult training and development. If you are interested in joining this committed team, please apply here. If you want your scholars to work with well trained and committed adults, please apply here.