During that discussion I would ask them to tell me details about what they gained from that lesson. Since there was no good opinion of the training, memory of the knowledge would have been nominal at best. I would then ask them to recall a time when they attended a relevant professional development session. I would then describe to them how andragogy focuses on the relevance and immediate impact that learning must have for an adult learner to retain knowledge long-term. After doing so, I would ask them for details they remember about that day. This way I would be able to show how they were able to tap into the reservoir of knowledge gained that day. Once you show them how good experience leads to greater knowledge gained, it would be easy for them to understand andragogy. From personal experiences in informal and formal learning, I know that to get the most out of my teachers I must “practice what I preach.” The easiest way for me to demonstrate authentic andragogy is to attend relevant trainings and conferences on issues that impact our school. Another way to ensure teacher compliance is to bring one of my lead teachers with me so they can draw on the topics firsthand.
tags