Posted on No Comments on Building Community in the Adult Learner Classroom

Building Community in the Adult Learner Classroom

Dr. Paul Criss
Dean of Faculty – Memphis/DeSoto

Ages ago, the Christian college I attended had a chapel service five days a week with a missionary fellowship on Fridays and the expectation that students attend a local church at least three times per week. To some attending a congregational meeting nine times a week may seem excessive, however, the one of the achieved purposes was to help build community within the college and help students make connections outside of the college. Unfortunately, the adult studies schedule does not allow for a regular chapel service, but an excellent opportunity exists in every class to build community among the student body and faculty. What can we do in the first fifteen minutes of each class we teach to build community?

Building community is important. Scripture states: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25 New International Version). Adult learners need the support and prayers of their fellow students and their faculty. We all need encouragement and God has designed this to happen organically in Christian community. This is our distinctive and strength; we need not be ashamed of it in Christian higher education.

We all normally take attendance in the first few minutes of class. I would suggest that we add a few more intentional actions to the first fifteen preliminary minutes of our time together creating a miniature chapel experience. Initially, on the first night take a few minutes to allow each student to introduce themselves. This is a purposeful way to allow time to learn something about each student. I sometimes write a few questions on the board to have each student answer, but feel free to mix-it-up a little. Here are some examples of what student could share:

  • Name
  • Major
  • What you do everyday (Vocation)
  • Something about your family. (kids, family memory, last vacation, etc.)
  • Something no one in the room knows about you. At least not yet!
  • Hobby or Pastime.
  • Favorite movie, television show, or novel.

You get the idea. The point is to help students learn about each other and perhaps find points of connection and familiarity. Introductions usually happen only in the first class, but what follows could happen in every subsequent class.

Sharing how God is working in a student’s life is an important part of building community. Sometimes we skip this essential step. The Apostle Paul tells us, “When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight (1 Corinthians 14:26 The Message), the same might be said for the Adult Studies classroom. We want students to come prepared with some insight from the material to be covered that night, but perhaps they could also come to class prepared to encourage one another by sharing how God is working in their life. I often open with simple questions asking each student to briefly share something, such as:

  • How has God ministered to you or through you this past week?
  • Tell us something good that happened to you today?
  • This past week, when did you feel closest to God? When did you feel furthest from God? (We know that God is always with us, but we are not always in right relationship with Him. This question helps students begin to pinpoint things that affect their spiritual health.)

The point of this is not to be too heavy, but to allow the class to share with and encourage each other, at the same time practicing overcoming the world “by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11 New International Version).

The next action to build community is to share prayer requests and to pray. Prayer requests allow students to engage in each other’s lives. It is valuable not only to pray but to revisit the prayer requests in subsequent classes to receive updates or additions.  It is also important that our students know that we are praying for them and that we lead the other students in class in prayer for their personal needs. When I first started in ministry, I was hesitant to call out specific names or situations in prayer partly because I did not want to offend anyone by leaving them out of the prayer. One day an Elder told me how important it was that members of the congregation hear others calling out to God on their behalf. And this is a fulfillment of our calling to walk in Christ’s steps as Prophet, Priest, and King. We shadow Christ’s ministry by speaking the truth in love (prophet), leading others as servant-leaders (king), and interceding for others in prayer (priest). I believe the same thing is true for adult learners as well. Assist students in thinking outside of their own lives and into the lives of their community by praying for community, county, state, national, and international leaders and communities, community events and concerns (I always ask what is happening in local, national, and international news that we need to life up), and for the university and its faculty, staff, and administration.

The instructor could round out this miniature chapel time in their class with a short devotional, if time permits. Each class has three to five scriptures that undergird the topics of the evening and breathe God’s revelation into what the textbook will have stated. Perhaps you could use one of these scriptures to base a devotional thought or reflection. It is important here to ask “What is God saying” before we ask “What is God saying to us (or me).” This will help us to do exegesis (what the text is actually saying) rather than isogesis (reading what we want to into the text). At the end of class, try asking students how the required scripture reading spoke to the topics of the night – this is a great way to triangulate the material while simultaneously allowing students the opportunity to think critically from a Christian perspective.  Keep in mind, however, that this introduction/chapel/devotional time should not exceed 15-20 minutes AT THE MOST, before turning to the subject content for that class session.

One final component of community building is to connect your class with the community in which they live. As a faculty member, you can engage students in community events and community concerns, and connect them with members of the community. Invite community leaders and business professionals into your classroom as guest speakers for a short presentation in the discipline or on the topic for the evening, for example our Instructor of Business has developed relationships with speakers from Fed Ex, UPS, and Nike to share with business classes on our campus.

Invite students to join you in community service. If you are involved in a community service organization, such as Lion’s Club, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, or even a Chamber of Commerce, then look for ways to involve your students. We recently partnered with a local Rotary club to initiate the first adult student Rotaract Club. The University’s mission “not to be served, but to serve” fits quite well with “service above self.”  Consider connecting with recent alumni for possible internships for your students. One alumnus of our campus contacted us regarding interns needed in the Americorp Vista program offered through our local county school board’s community and family engagement office. This has turned out to be a very nice internship and a valuable experience for our students.

In all of the above, remember that your Dean of Faculty would be happy to assist you in both community development and community engagement. All of these opportunities are valuable enhancements to the adult learner’s educational experience. Do not let the ideas end here. Share your ideas with your Dean and with other faculty on your campus through the campus Canvas page and at your next faculty development workshop. Remember, when it comes to community development and engagement, your input and participation is essential. Together, the sky truly is the limit!

Posted on 1 Comment on EQ in the Adult Learner Classroom

EQ in the Adult Learner Classroom

Dr. Paul Criss
Dean of Faculty – Memphis and DeSoto

We have all been there. We have had experiences where we felt that someone truly understood where we were coming from and we have also experienced the opposite. The ability to gauge our own and others’ emotional state is called Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and what we do with that understanding can invigorate the adult learner classroom. Most of what follows is a synopsis and application of Goleman, Boyatis, and McKee’s Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business Review, 2013) to adult higher education and was presented at the 2015 Christian Adult Higher Education Association Conference with co-presenter Don Jones, Ed.S.

Instructors have the ability to set the emotional thermostat in their classrooms. Faculty with empathy can allow for supportive emotional connections to emerge within their classes. In Primal Leadership, the authors state: “When leaders drive emotions positively…they bring about everyone’s best.” They call this resonance. When negative emotions are driven, they create dissonance. Negative emotions and moods within a classroom can disrupt work and distract from the task of learning. God designed our brains in such a way to support the “flight or fight” tendency and this may affect classroom performance. Everything our body experiences goes through the first part of the brain at the top of the stem called the amygdala, and you guessed it, the amygdala controls our emotional fight or flight response. If this is triggered, faculty and students alike may have their emotions hijacked. It is likely that we have all experienced a time when we were criticized by an adult learner for upholding a policy or demonstrating a particular instructional style and we had to say a quick prayer for God to give us patience or guard our tongue in how respond to such criticism. We were, with God’s help, resisting this emotional hijacking.

So, how do we adjust the emotional climate of our classroom? Interestingly, emotions, both healthy and unhealthy, are contagious. For example, we have all heard the customer service adage of “service with a smile,” but actually a smile can begin to change the climate. Laughter is addictive and good for everyone – “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22 New Living Translation).

It is a very small leap from what the authors of Primal Leadership discovered about business to what can be applied in the adult learner classroom. For example, for every one percent we increase our service to our students, we could see a two percent increase in their performance (p. 15). This could be evidenced in how we share our expectations of students at the beginning of a course, explaining how we will grade, and how quickly we respond with feedback to our students. Students could respond by exceeding our expectations, targeting specific competencies, and adjusting their performance by our guidance. I know that these kinds of responses would be well received by all of us. The climate – how students feel about studying at a university – may account for twenty to thirty percent of their academic performance (p. 17) and fifty to seventy percent of how students may perceive the university’s climate can be traced to the actions of one person: their instructor (p. 18).

Our daughter, two-year-old Sophia, likes to go into large rooms, project a tone, and see if it echoes. Each room has a certain tone that echoes more than others – the resonating tone; each class has its own resonating tone, as well. In teaching vocal lessons, I learned early on the importance of resonance in amplifying both sweet and sour tones. Sound Engineers use sound equalization, ironically “EQ,” to produce the most amplification while at the same time diminishing feedback. What tones are we projecting that are being amplified to our students? How can we adjust our own and our classroom’s emotional frequency to create the best learning environment for adults?

First we need to understand how not to do it. We must avoid becoming dissonant instructors or dementors.  In the Harry Potter novels, J.K. Rowling describes dementors as those who “drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them.” Now, I realize that no instructor would describe themselves in this way, but perhaps a student has perceived us this way. The authors of Primal Leadership describe dissonant leadership as those who “don’t hold true to professed values; lack empathy; this insincerity leads to cynicism and distrust” (p. 23). The best cure for this atmosphere is not only personal, but also corporate, repentance, confession, and forgiveness.

Sometimes this dissonance happens accidentally. For the trekkies out there, have you ever wondered why Kirk is the captain? Kirk brings emotional intelligence to bear on the highly logical Spock and the highly emotional McCoy, creating a balance that is needed. In academia there is a tendency to value IQ over EQ, therefore, emotional intelligence is stifled creating the disparity (“too many spocks and not enough kirkians”). We need to begin to model emotional intelligence ourselves and compel it from our students. Our primary focus, after all, is to be holistic in our educational endeavors – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 11:42 New International Version.) Albert Einstein said, “We should take care not to make the intellect our god. It has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality. It cannot lead, it can only serve.”

In Primal Leadership the authors suggest there are various styles of leadership that employ emotional intelligence (p. 55). Two are considered dissonant styles because they are often perceived negatively due to poor execution or overuse. The commanding style may sooth students’ fears in an emergency by providing clear direction and may be used sparingly in a crisis or to deal with problem students. The pacesetting style assists in meeting challenging goals, for example in capstone courses, and may be used judiciously to get high results from competent students.

The authors present four resonant styles that consistently produce positive feedback and are particular productive with the adult learner. The first, the visionary style, moves students toward the shared objectives of the course. This style conveys the importance of the course’s objectives and how achieving these competencies can make a difference in their professional life. The second, the coaching style, connects goals of the particular student with the objectives of the course. This style helps students improve performance and competency by building their personal capabilities. The third, the affiliative style, connects students to other students through community. This style can help heal rifts within a team and motivate students during stressful times within the course. Creating community within the classroom will be discussed in more detail in a future article. The final resonant style, the democratic style, value’s student input and fosters commitment through participation. This style is often utilized during roundtable discussions on topics within the course and not only builds consensus, but allows the expertise of each adult learner to come to the fore and produces exponential learning within the learning environment. As we understand and practice these various styles, we begin to understand the value of emotional intelligence to the adult learner classroom.

Authors Bradbury and Greaves, in Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (TalentSmart, 2009), recommend a matrix to increase personal emotional intelligence. It begins with self- awareness: how aware of our own emotions are we? Emotional self-awareness helps provide accurate self-management and authentic self-confidence. Second, self-management is how one manages his or her own emotions. It determines our transparency, adaptability, and levels of optimism. Third, social awareness is how well we interpret the emotions of others, in this case our students. It determines our organizational awareness, commitment to service, and levels of empathy. Finally, relational management is how well we handle interactions with our class. It assists in creating inspirational instruction, influence, development of our students, managing conflict, and fostering teamwork and collaboration. These authors also recommend the following for developing emotional intelligence within the parameters of this matrix:

Self Awareness

  • Focus on you – the only person you can change.
  • Get to know yourself under stress.
  • Know who and what pushes your buttons.
  • Stop and ask yourself why you do the things you do.

Self Management

  • Count to Ten.
  • Pray for patience or ask the Holy Spirit to guard your reactions.
  • Learn a valuable lesson from everyone you encounter.
  • Smile and laugh more.

Social Awareness

  • Practice the art of listening and observing.
  • Step into your students’ shoes.
  • Catch the mood of the classroom.
  • Greet students by name.

Relationship Management

  • Little things mean a lot; when you care show it.
  • Explain your decisions, don’t just make them.
  • Make your feedback direct and constructive.
  • Be accessible; have an open door policy to build trust.

Jesus was an emotionally intelligent leader. This is indicated several times as He gauged others’ emotional state – “Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people” (John 2:24 New International Version) and He declared himself to be the one “who searches hearts and minds” (Revelation 2:23). Christ acknowledges the worst in humanity, but, in spite of this, He brings out the best by giving of Himself. If we simply observe the team He inspired, we can see how they changed the world. As instructors of adult learners, we are called to do the same.

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Dean’s Panel Discussion on Faculty

Last week the distance campus Dean’s met for their annual Summit.  This is an important meeting which allows for sharing of information and formulation of strategy for the coming year.  One of the highlights of the Summit this year was the inclusion of a live webinar broadcast from the Summit in which the Deans all participated in a discussion focused around their role in working with faculty.  The questions asked included:

  1. What would you describe as the central characteristics of the Ideal Instructor?
  2. What are the top challenges you face in working with or scheduling faculty?
  3. When you visit a classroom for a faculty observation what are some of the best and worst things you have seen? (no names, please)
  4. With our emphasis on holding students the full scheduled class period, what are some specific activities faculty can use other than lecturing or group discussion during that final hour?
  5. What are some ways that you could recommend to generate student engagement both within the classroom and outside of it?

There were some other questions asked, as well as some audience participation.   The bottom line: Our faculty are AMAZING!!!   Great things are happening in the classroom and in the lives of our students because of your service and dedication.  We can’t thank you enough for all you do.

Overall it was a great discussion and I hope you will take the time to view it at this LINK.

Blessings,