Learning about learners is something that is emphasized in our work as teachers or educators in theory, but it is something that we may not have as priority due to the tremendous amount of work that we face. However, it is important to note that getting to know our learners would not only increase the their engagement in the content or class and lessons become more readily applicable. By knowing our learners, we can tailor instructions and prepare materials that address their needs and concerns. By doing so, educators can efficiently teach a topic or material and effectively address language issues existing in each class. Needs assessments can also bring insight to the barriers that learners face, and it prepares educators to handle these issues. Educators can prepare resources or compile a set of resources, and give the appropriate structure or materials that can assist learners that do deal with a wide range of barriers.
For example, I have dealt with participants who have challenges with childcare. I have often provided them with a list of places that they can go to for help, and included information about childcare subsidies. Another example would be those with transportation issues. I often suggested carpooling and accessing some transportation supports from different non-profit programs.
What I would like to do moving forward is performing a needs assessment before the start of classes -- since my classes are about 2 weeks long. By doing so, I can get a chance to get to know the learners before they step into the classroom, and then prepare or alter parts of the materials with the expressed needs of the learners. Of course, the classes are still focused on employment, so I would have to balance their interest with that project deliverables (what we promised to funding organizations or government departments).
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