Fulfilling Dreams In Adult Education: Managing The Multi-Level Classroom

Abstract

Have you ever wondered how Laura Ingalls Wilder taught all of her students in the little one-room school house in The Little House on the Prairie series?  How did she teach students on so many different levels and all at the same time?  Well, that is exactly what it is like in most adult education classrooms today.  The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of adult education and how to successfully manage a multi-level classroom.  Moreover, many individuals are becoming aware of the wonderful opportunities that are available once they earn their High School Equivalency Diploma (GED). However, there is a variation in the number of hours that students spend in preparation for their GED.  Therefore, this paper will include one year of various data including statistics on attendance hours for various levels of adult education students as well as the amount of progress made depending on hours of attendance.  Some students do not require classroom time at all; however, other students require classroom study time, but at different time lengths because they enroll at different educational levels.  Numerous students study many hours in the adult education classroom in preparation for the GED test before actually taking the test.  Furthermore, having the proper classroom setting is essential in order for them to be successful.  Managing students at varying educational levels while in a single classroom can be very challenging and overwhelming, or even frightening at times.  However, teaching effectively in a multi-level classroom can be accomplished and many dreams can be fulfilled.  Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.”