The article Adult Education for Social Change (HelpMe.com, 2012) discusses a type of education called "popular education", which is defined as: "a form of adult education that encourages learners to examine their lives critically and take action to change social conditions." It is "popular" in the sense of being "of the people."
This style appeals to me in that teaching and learning are shared experiences. Although I believe that the knowledge and years of experience I bring to the classroom are important, I think that working through problems and encouraging the students to think and develop problem-solving skills will give them tools that go far beyond memorizing information. With that in mind, and following this philosophy, I would put myself more in the role of a facilitator than the role of an instructor.
Although it would be difficult to completely embrace this style of teaching, there are many aspects of it that would be useful in improving the experiences of my students in the classroom.
Through looking at the article Adult learning in civil society - exploring roles for adult educators? (Johnston, 1998) they discuss the different roles that educators play: network agent, resources agent, educational guide and a teacher. I can see how all of these roles could apply to me, helping my students network into the job market, helping them find resources and guiding them in applying their skills in real world situations. I feel the best strategy for me is try to balance the roles instead of being too focused on just standing in the front of the room giving a lecture.
Adult Education for Social Change. 123HelpMe.com. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=35798>.
Johnston, Rennie. Adult Learning in Civil Society - Exploring Roles for Adult Educators? University of Leeds, 3 July 1998. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
<http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/000000728.htm>.
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