Classroom Challenges with specific reference to Adult Learners

Teaching Challenges

Namrata Giri- XUPH1411Rahul Pratyush Mohanty-XUPH14Sumitra Balakrishnan- XUPH1418

Overview

• Adult Learners• Adult Teaching Principles• Disruptive Behaviour• Controlling and Addressing Disruptive Behaviour

• Structuring the Physical Environment

Adult Learners

Ecology – What are the characteristics of an adult classroom? Advantages - How and why can adult learners be a delight? Challenges – Why is teaching adult learners challenging?

Ecology of Adult Learners• Multidimensional: Adults come with more

relevant experience and information. • Egoistic: Adults have a need to be involved in

the decisions about their own learning.• Simultaneous: Adults have many simultaneous

engagements and struggle with balancing each.• Immediate: Adults learn best when they see a

direct and immediate relevance of the learning.• Unpredictable: Adult learners are

unpredicatble.• Histories: Adult learners have a past that

drives their present and future endeavors

Advantages Of Teaching Adults• Autonomous learners• Motivated individuals• Wealth of prior knowledge • Clarity on direction and purpose

Challenges Of Teaching Adults• Earlier experience leading to rigidity• Time-pressure• Motivational issues• Technological issues• Back to studies-mindset?• Difficulty in accepting external authority

• Defensive and argumentative• Must be told “Why”

Adult Teaching Principles

When do adults best learn? Are there any underlying principles of teaching adults? What are the dimensions of adult teaching?

Adults learn best when…• They understand ’why’ something is important to know or do….The WHY?

• They see the direct usage of their learning on immediate environment ….The WHY?

• They are more involved in the decisions about their own learning….The HOW?

• Learning is experiential….The WHAT?• They learn by choice not by force….The WHEN?

• The environment is positive and encouraging...The WHERE?

Principles of Adult Teaching (1/2) Make sure they understand “Why”

– Adults have a “need to know”…and must have a rationale for why they need to learn a body of content.

Respect different learning styles– Visual: Rely on pictures, graphs, diagrams, and illustrationso Give handouts, show diagrams and charts etc

– Auditory: Learn best through “hearing”o Give short examples, ask questions, short descriptions etc

– Kinesthetic: Learn through active experimentation and experienceo Role play, solving case studies, Simulation etc

Conducting a short learning style assessment at the beginning of a class will help the teacher know the primary learning styles of the class.

“It is the teacher’s responsibility to value each and every one of the students in their class, so that each student feels special and important.”

(Groundwater-Smith et al, 1998, p. 95)

Principles of Adult Teaching (2/2) Encourage them to experience and experiment

– Adult learners get easily bored as monotony sets in.– They are not accommodative for the needs of fellow learners.

– Include individual/group activity, small group discussions, experiments, role playing etc.

“When the student is ready, the teacher appears” – Buddhist proverb– Look carefully for teaching moments and take advantage of them.

– When a student says or does something that triggers a topic on your agenda, be flexible and teach/talk about it right then. – If that would disturb your schedule, then teach a bit about it rather

than saying it bluntly that they’ll have to wait until later in the program. By then, you may have lost their interest.

Dimensions of Adult Teaching

Disruptive behaviourIdentifying

What are the common disruptive behaviours faced by teachers?

Acknowledging What are the functions/drivers of disruptive

behaviour? Functional categorization of disruptive

behaviour

Let’s see Video 1 and Video 2

Common disruptive behavioursBehavioural and Attitudinal Motivational

• Late comers • The low-profiler (who is non-participative observer)

• Disengagement

• Rule breakers • The attention seekers • Poor attendance• Question banks • Aggressive/Defensive (who

get aggressive when their points are challenged/not accepted)

• Increased dependency

• The know-all’s (who frequently cut in between when the teacher is talking)

• Dependent learners (who wants help all the time)

• Unpreparedness

• Disengaged learners (not same as inattentive)

• Distractible learners (who can’t concentrate)

• Etc…

• Hostile learners (who oppose everything that the teacher says)

• Resistant learners (who just refuse to work)

Functions of disruptive behaviour• Every behavior has a function, viz

– Power– Revenge– Attention– Engagement– Learning

• Understanding the function of a behavior will help in knowing how to deal with that behavior.

• Understanding why a person exhibits a behavior is no reason to tolerate it

Functional categories of disruptive behaviourFunctional category

Symptom Possible handling techniques

•Attention seeking behaviours

•Attention-seeking students prefer being praised, punished, admonished, or criticized to being ignored•E.g: Questioning, Interrupting, Late coming etc

Give attention to this student ONLY when he or she is on-task and cooperating•“Catch them being good!” – and appreciate them for it

•Power seeking behaviours

•Power-seeking students attempt to provoke teachers into a battle of words.•E.g: Argumentative, Defensive etc

•In most cases, the teacher should direct attention to other members of the class

•Engagement related behaviours

•They are not engaged at all with the teacher•E.g: Using the mobile phone, playing paper games, Yawning etc

•Reminder of rules set earlier ( like no use of mobiles in class)•Task-related punishment (implement)•Resume class only when the disruptive behaviour is controlled

•Learning related

•Learners have difficulty in understanding the topic and hence stop making an effort•E.g: Blank look, non-participation, incomplete assignments etc

•Ask learners to summarize•Assure them that you are always ready to help, provided they ask for it.•Encourage participation

Dealing with off-task behaviours

Do… Don’t… Remain focused and calm; organize thoughts Either respond decisively or ignore it all together

Distinguish between off-task behaviour and off-task behaviour patterns

Control the time and place for dealing with off-task behavior

Provide students with dignified ways to terminate off-task behaviors

Utilize alternative lesson plans Utilize the help of colleagues Set clear rules and reiterate them Explain why and how the behavior impacts the class schedule

Use negative reinforcement Stern reprimand (collective)

Play detective Use punishment Negative remarks/comments

Use exclusion Use discriminative behaviour

Suggestive remarks/comments

Criticism and aggression

Controlling and Addressing Disrupting Behaviour

AddressingModifying disruptive behaviourAppropriate teaching techniquesBasic rules to minimize disruptive behaviour

Modifying disruptive behaviour pattern•Principle of “Fading”

• Gradual elimination of cues, triggers, prompts and reminders• If the cues are removed too quickly, the student’s response will deteriorate.

•Principle of “Extinction” • Identify positive reinforcers for the behavior• Gradually remove the positive reinforcers till the behavior is modified

• Establish a realistic time schedule • Evaluate the effectiveness by observing behavior

•Principle of “Shaping” • Reinforce behaviors that are similar to the behavior to be learned• Subsequent actions that are more like the behavior to be learned than previous actions are reinforced

• Subsequent actions that are less like the behavior to be learned than previous actions are not positively reinforced

Appropriate teaching techniques (1/3)Challenging behaviour

Possible reason

Possible teaching technique

•Unpreparedness

•Time-pressed•Low interest topic•Low priority topic

•Empathize but set expectations (I understand that…..however……)•Ask someone who is prepared to debrief•Allow 10-15 minutes for preparation•Periodic quizzes•Ask student to assist in teaching a select section

•Inattentive •Small group/individual activities•Ask the inattentive student to clear another students doubt.•Move closer to the student•Re-arrange students sitting •Have a private discussion to understand the problem.

•Reluctant to participate

•Low confidence•Unprepared•Observer

•Role play•Small group activities•Ask for personal opinion•Encourage questioning (insist on questions)

•Hostile •Over-confidence•Nature•Need to be accepted as the expert•Underlying fear

•Acknowledge comments with empathy. Listen patiently.•Discuss privately•Allow opinion and inputs on assignments.

Appropriate teaching techniques (2/3)Challengin

g behaviour

Possible reason

Possible teaching technique

•Argumentative/Question banks

•Use constructive controversy/Structured debate•Initiate discussion though others’ views•Use board to list points for and against the topic of argument•Use rotating chair technique (ask learner to summarize previous comments•Use circular discussion technique (every learner has to give his comment)

•Dependent learners (who wants help all the time)

•Slow learners•Learned helplessness

•Easy case studies•Pre-solved cases•Guided approach •Experiment based learning

•Distractible learners (who can’t concentrate)

•Short attention span•Familiarity with the topic•Completely new topic

•Short discussions and lectures•Multiple activities•Energizers•Opportunity to lead/moderate an activity

•Resistant learners (who just refuse to work)

•Familiarity with the topic•Completely new topic

•Ask learner to share his point of view•Ask learner to summarize•Periodic checks on assignments•Counseling and empathy

Appropriate teaching techniques (3/3)Challenging behaviour

Possible reason

Possible teaching technique

•Non-participation

•Shyness•Low confidence•Unpreparedness

•Change teaching strategies from group discussion to individual written exercises or a videotape •Give strong positive reinforcement for any contribution. •Involve by directly asking him/her a question. •Make eye contact. •Appoint to be small group leader

•Talkativeness – (Know all’s/Al-T, Question banks, Long necks, chronic whining etc)

•Constant need for attention•Over-confidence

•Acknowledge comments made. •Give limited time to express viewpoint or feelings, and then move on. •Make eye contact with another participant and move toward that person. •Give the person individual attention during breaks. •Say: "That's an interesting point. Now let's see what other other people think."

•Sharpshooting

•Over-confidence•Need for power

•Admit that you do not know the answer and redirect the question the group or the individual who asked it. •Acknowledge that this is a joint learning experience. •Ignore the behavior.

•Grandstanding

•Say: "You are entitled to your opinion, belief or feelings, but now it's time we moved on to the next subject," or •"Can you restate that as a question?" or •"We'd like to hear more about that if there is time after the presentation."

Basic rules to minimize disruptive behaviour• Focus on the whole class• Set simple rules and get the consensus of students (e.g. no cell phones, no late coming etc). Remind them when rules are broken.

• Be clear on what you will do/will not do for them.• Keep lectures short.• Use appropriate activities and props.• Stop and ask for questions. If no/few questions come then hint at possible questions.

• Ask students to summarize.• Provide supporting documents/reading material.• Give students non-verbal cues

Let’s see Video 3 and Video 4

Behavioral Interventions

• Corrective feedback/Positive reinforcement• Differential reinforcement- reinforcement of the

behaviour that was correct and preferred in that situation

• Environmental Engineering- arranging the physical environment of the class to have involvement and give attention to all students and to enhance student learning and behaviour

• Gestural prompting- prompting to aid a desired behaviour or learning outcome with body language

• Modelling• Peer involvement and influence- the use of same age

and/or cross-age peers for structural social engagements• Effective use of transition time

Disruptive behaviour:Structuring the Physical Environment

Structuring the Physical Environment

Student placement and classroom decor

Planning spaces for learning

Structuring the Physical Environment

•Desk arrangements•Student placement•Work areas•Classroom decoration

Desk Arrangement

Desks in workstations for students who have developed self management skills

Desk arrangement in u-shapes

Desks in single or double rows are good for demonstrations and independent work

Desks in groups, with students facing each other, can help stimulate small group discussion

Student placement and classroom decor•All seating arrangements should accommodate an inclusive learning environment

•An inclusive classroom should place students in areas of the class best suited to their specific needs

•Students like to see their own work displayed

•Class-made posters help students develop a sense of belonging to the classroom

•Educational interventions and reinforcements aid learning

Planning spaces for learning

•Interest areas•Personal territories

•Action zone•Seating arrangements

Copyright 2001 by Allyn and Bacon