Literacy Links

Getting Started: (Advice for New Adult and Family Literacy Programs)

The Stories We Tell - Motivations of an Adult Educator

by Melanie A. Mayeaux

I began exploring the question of "why we do it" by looking at my own experiences as an adult educator. I have chosen this as my life's work for many reasons. Adult education is fun, it gives me the opportunity to work with dedicated and talented colleagues, and it gives me an outlet for my creative energies. It has also given me the opportunity to form connections rarely associated with professional endeavors. I have witnessed several births, I have attended ceremonies traditionally held for family members only, I have been to countless baby showers and birthday parties, and I have shared many tears of sorrow and loss.

Realizing, however, that the question is "why do we do it", not "why do I do it", I discussed motivations with a number of my colleagues. Most had had experiences similar to mine and all acknowledged the influence they have on their decision to remain in adult education. But we all agreed that none of these is the primary reason for doing what we do. For that, we have to look to the stories we all have to tell - stories of lives transformed in an adult education classroom. Stories like that of Maria, a single mother of three with a long history of abusive relationships, who is now two years into her college degree; of Anna, who studied 5 - 6 hours per day so she could speak English to her children's teachers; and of Willie, an angry, hardened street kid who now teaches computer skills at an adult education center.

If you are an adult educator, you undoubtedly have stories of your own. And if asked "why do you do it," you would probably place the opportunity to help others change their lives at the very core of your professional motivation. Although I believe this to be true, somehow this explanation just seems too simple. What we do and why we do it is bigger and deeper than merely "helping others." But what is exactly it?

An answer to this came in a keynote speech given at a conference I attended several weeks ago. During the speech, Dr. Juliet Garcia, President of UT at Brownsville, described a meeting she had with a community college president in Miami. At the time of the meeting, she was a new college president and wanted to ask a seasoned administrator about the nature and scope of her new position. The answer she got was completely unexpected. The experienced president told her that the greatest responsibility of their jobs is to preserve this nation's democracy. Sensing her confusion, he explained that community colleges provide every person in their districts the opportunity to engage in the learning activities necessary for them to reach their potential as individuals and as members of the community at large. By doing so, the colleges insure that the democratic promises of life, liberty, and happiness are promises made to all.

Dr. Garcia went on to tell stories very similar to those shared by and with my colleagues. As I listened, I realized that we, as adult educators, are also engaged in the preservation of these American ideals. The majority of the students who enter our classrooms are operating at a very small percentage of their potential. Many are on public assistance and many more are working in dead-end, minimum wage jobs. They have been stifled by circumstance and by stereotypes, and most accept their position on the fringe of society's "mainstream."

But we do not. We welcome them into our classrooms and we engage them in a learning process that can help them cultivate and release the untapped talents and energies that lie deep within them. When we do our jobs well, we give our students the tools and the confidence they need to realize their dreams and to make a better life for themselves and for their families.

These transformations become the stories we cherish, the stories we share. Although they reflect the opportunity this profession gives us to help others, we know that the stories are really about something much larger. When we help a student realize his/her potential, we know that we have facilitated a change that positively affects our lives, the lives of our students, and the lives of new generations. We also know that we have served the larger community by giving it the talents and energies of one who had been left behind. Our efforts have changed the world in some small, yet perceptible way. This, I believe, is why we do it.

About the Author

Melanie Mayeaux is the Adult Literacy Coordinator at San Jacinto Community College South. Prior to assuming this position in August, she was a TANF ABE/GED instructor for Houston Community College for three years. Melanie is a Project IDEA Master Teacher and awards a mini-teacher action research grant to research teaching strategies for low functioning TANF students. She was a member of the original state GED 2002 training team. Melanie has a BA in History and a Masters in Education from the University of Houston.