It's hard to know which is more intimidating: a roomful of wiggling pre-schoolers or know-all adults.
"Adult students come with their own agendas and will connect learning to what's going on in their lives," writes Bruce. "They learn what they want to learn." Both facts present challenge and great opportunity to teachers, according to Bruce. "Adults are eager to learn and are searching for meaning, but we must break through their initial reluctance to encourage them to think, question, and make connections."
Based on some of the latest theories about faith development and learning, Start Here offers practical, down-to-earth strategies designed for teaching adults. Whether you're a Sunday school teacher, a Bible study teacher or a teacher in another setting, you'll find instruction in creating environments where adults grow in faith through your guidance.
Topics in Start Here include:
- planning a lesson
- dealing with disagreement in class
- information about adult faith development
- creating an environment that galvanizes faith formation and faith sharing
- methods to engage a variety of learning styles
- the latest data in how adults learn
- using learning hooks to increase participation
Discussion questions at the end of each chapter are included.
Teach Adults Leader's Guide is also available.
An educator, writer and national speaker, Barbara Bruce serves on the Older Adult Ministry Team for the Western New York Conference of The United Methodist Church and is a freelance curriculum writer. Barbara is the author of numerous books and articles about faith formation with children, youth, and adults, including 7 Ways of Teaching the Bible to Children, 7 Ways of Teaching the Bible to Adults, Get Acquainted with Jesus, Teaching Children Bible Basics, A Faithful Future and Our Spiritual Brain. She has also written a new book for Abingdon Press, Mental Aerobics: 75 Ways to Keep Your Brain Fit.