APP 2_ Journal Entry 2

Interview #1 With a Professional Adult Educator Theme: Planning for Diversity Among Adult Learners

Use the guidelines and questions that follow as you conduct your first of three interviews with a professional adult educator. Although the focus of this interview is working effectively with a group of adult learners who are diverse in their backgrounds and abilities, use the interview to learn as much as possible about the educator’s sector or setting. This interview informs your Application Assignment for Week 2 and Part 1 of the Course Project in Week 7.

Adult Educator’s Name: ________________________________________________________

Setting or Settings in Which the Adult Educator Is Currently Working With Adult Learners: ________________________________________________________

Adult Educator’s Role: ___________________________________________________________

Conducting Your Interview

· Take notes on this sheet and/or additional pages and/or record the interview with the adult educator’s permission

· Use these questions as a guide

Interview Questions

· Please tell me about your professional background and how long you have been working with adult learners.

· Tell me about the professional life of an adult educator in the setting or settings in which you work with adult learners.

· From your experience, what are advantages of working in this setting?

· Disadvantages?

· How has your work changed during the time in which you have been involved? How do you see the field of working with adults in the early childhood field changing in the future—such as trends that may impact it?

· Tell me about the adult learners with whom you work. What kinds of diversity do you find among the adult learners with whom you work? (As needed, provide examples from the course resources.) What kinds of strengths do you find among your adult learners? What kinds of challenges?

· From your experience, what are the keys to working effectively with a group of adult learners who are diverse in their backgrounds and abilities? What specific practices or strategies would you recommend?

· From your experience, what are the greatest challenges and the greatest advantages to working with a group of learners who are diverse?

· How have your experiences working with adult learners helped you grow both personally and professionally in your understanding of and respect for diversity?

· Based on your experience working with adult learners, have any personal and/or professional assumptions with regard to diversity been dispelled? If so, which ones?

· From your experience, how can I best prepare to work effectively with adult learners?

Additional Questions:

NOTE: Do not submit this interview sheet with your completed assignment. Save your interview notes and/or recording. You will need them as reference for completing the Course Project.