I have not updated for a while, because I just started a job teaching GED courses to adults. It is quite different from teaching in a traditional high school, but there are also many similarities. For one thing, there are many barriers that hinder these students' progress. Many of them have not been in school for a very long time, and they all feel that the traditional school system let them down. Is that because they felt they weren't learning anything relevant? Maybe. This article does an excellent job of explaining the learning process, and what can make it so elusive.
The adult students are also susceptible to lots and lots of testing. Because the GED costs money to take, our job is to make sure the students can pass the GED before they sign up to take it so we don't waste their money or the city's. Due to this, there are many pre- and post-tests which the students are subjected to. The center has a low retention rate, which is primarily due to the fact that the courses are more difficult than students were anticipating, and thus they quit. However, I believe that the barrage of tests they take is also a deterrent to many students.
I have only been here for a week, so we'll see what happens. I am eager, though, to work with adult students who, because of a poor public schooling system, fell through the cracks, yet still wish to succeed.
