Stacey Harker
Royal Roads University
EDLM 540
Lisa Read
December 2, 2012
Less Is Enough: Community Building in Adult Education
In the community of my teaching peers at my school, I am perceived as a diligent and curious professional who asks questions in order to listen to answers. They see me as a leader who is not afraid to voice her opinion. They seek my advice because I have a long and varied experience in Adult Education (AE) and because my frank and open thinking means I do not demand they agree with me. I know this because I asked. From my perspective, I am able to express my ideas energetically not only because it is my natural compunction, but also because I work in a union environment that protects my ability to voice my thoughts in my professional community.
There is little direct expectation placed on adult educators to build community partnerships with outside organizations. For the most part, teachers support and grow the community of their classrooms. When a need arises that reaches beyond the capabilities of classroom relationships, the student is referred to the Principal, the Outreach Worker and/or the Academic Advisor who then connect students with community services, develop education plans, or just lend a listening ear. This system promotes professional discourse between teachers, support staff, and administration thereby building a stronger, more tailored response to specific student needs. Most importantly, this system protects the dignity of students in need by providing them with a neutral advocate who has connections with outside organizations.
Although our principal enjoys thoughtful and informed discourse about teaching and leading, this is not the same for many of the teachers who tend to discuss more practical matters related to their specific practice. I see this lack of emphasis on professional expertise as a direct result of the state of the professional development community in AE. At this time, the district offers two professional development days every school year. One of these days is specific to the school and the other is district wide. This limits the possibility of the teaching community to create comprehensive improvement initiatives. Further compounding this issue is the lack of alignment of teachers’ schedules. Long operating hours and six day weeks mean that teachers rarely see some of their colleagues. This schedule discourages not only professional discourse, but also school/community-building events that would potentially influence the professional foci of the teachers. On the bright side, our students’ learning is not regularly interrupted by professional days, and our extended schedule means that students have more opportunities to fit learning into their busy adult lives.
AE’s commitment to inclusivity means that community events have never been a major part of the AE community. Many students are in the process of overcoming difficult life experiences. Students with low self-esteem or otherwise limited resources may easily be overwhelmed by even a perceived expectation that they give of their time, money, and/or expertise. In addition, limited facilities and lack of funding make it difficult for the school to bring all students together for a common purpose. In response to these challenges, the school holds an annual student appreciation event where we cram all interested participants and lots of cake and coffee into our largest classroom and give out awards acknowledging students for much more than academic achievement. This inclusive event combines community building with esteem building.
There are many barriers to creating community in AE. From an outside perspective it may seem that not enough is being done; however, when the issue is addressed with the student perspective and the fiscal realities in mind, the insular community of AE exhibits success in addressing the real needs of its students.