Become an Adult Education Teacher

Keep your edge, teaching adults in the growing field of adult education

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With health care contributing to lengthened life expectancies and new technologies requiring older practitioners to seek continuing education, adults now have an abundance of opportunities to keep learning. Various adult education institutions offer personal enrichment, recreational, academic and vocational courses in areas as diverse as cooking, art, music, technology, math, language and health and wellness today.

Adults Teaching Adults

If you are a current or retired teacher, or are looking for extra work, becoming an adult education teacher may be the perfect fit for you. Most adult education instructors teach adults part time and have a passion for their subjects and their students. Many teach on weekends or at night. From week-long self-enrichment workshops to year-long certification courses, adult education teachers offer a variety of class types and schedules. Many professionals who are currently teaching adults come from a specific career background and have valuable expertise to offer students. For instance, a computer consultant might teach a once-a-month computer workshop for adults who want to improve their computer skills. Here are some planning specifics to keep in mind as you consider the career:

• Determine the specifics of the classes you want to teach.
• Find a university, community college or other venue or program that will include you in their curriculum.
• Plan your course and gather or create materials for your class.
• Depending on the venue, you may need to promote, advertise and market your own classes.

The Work Environment for Adult Education Courses

Once you start looking, you will find that opportunities to teach adult education courses are nearly everywhere. Universities and community colleges have full quarterly schedules of self-enrichment and continuing education classes. Public schools often have dance or music classes for adults at night or on the weekends. Local grocery and specialty stores offer cooking classes, and technology companies offer computer classes at night. Hospitals offer workshops on health and wellness, parenting, grieving and nutrition; and health clubs offer exercise and yoga classes. Senior and community centers are often excellent places to teach specialty courses for patrons of all ages, including various art and performing skills, outdoor recreation and academic endeavors.

Is There Money in it?

Income potential depends on what classes you teach and where. While some adult teachers routinely offer classes free of charge to promote a beloved skill, gain potential customers, or simply because they enjoy social learning situations, some rake in high hourly rates for relatively little work.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for part-time self-enrichment teachers was just over $16 per hour in 2006. But, the larger group of full-time adult education teachers can expect upwards of $56,000 per year, according to Salary.com. When added as a supplemental income, monetary benefit and clientele opportunities make teaching adult classes a lucrative hobby.

Education and Training for Adult Education Teachers

Education and training requirements for adult education teachers vary as much as the industry's scope. If you are a cook, specific culinary school training qualifies you to teach cooking at community colleges; however, if you are a house builder with just a high school education or vocational training, you are still qualified to teach a class on house framing at your local home improvement store or community center.

Since there is no accrediting or certifying body for most adult education options, your knowledge of your subject matter and the way you present yourself to the adult education institution will determine your qualifications. Potential employers will often want to see proof of formal training in your area when such training exists, work portfolios and recommendations. See our article, "How to Become a Teacher," to learn more about requirements for certified teachers.

Is Certification Needed to Teach Adults?

Many adult education courses require no particular certification beyond a knowledge and experience in your subject matter. However, credentials are often a plus when applying for adult education teaching positions.

For example, if you are teaching adults in a professional editing course at an experimental college at a state university, you will probably be a professional editor yourself, which requires a degree in writing or English, with several years of experience in editing. If you teach adult classes on wine tasting, you will most likely need a certificate from a certifying body in the wine field, such as the six-month course given by the International Sommelier Guild.

Self-enrichment courses for adults add a great deal to people's quality of life, and are very popular. If you have marketable skills in a particular area, you may find it satisfying—personally and monetarily—to teach adults in these varied education scenarios.