Communication is key to basically all relationships that you’re going to have in your life. Whether you’re communicating with a teacher, your family, or even with an interior designer working on your home, a failure of communication could result in all kinds of drama and traumas. But regardless of where your communication skills may presently be at, there are things that you can do to improve upon them.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips to help you learn how to be a better communicator. 

Communicate With A Purpose

In order to make sure that all of your communication, especially your more professional communications, end the way that you want them to, you’ll need to make sure that you know your purpose and intentions for your communication.

If you’re not sure what you’re trying to say or are trying to hide what you really need to be saying, it’s going to be much harder for your communication to be clear. But if you know the purpose of what you’re speaking about and what you need the other person to hear and understand based on what you’re saying, it will be much easier for you to speak with purpose and get your point across. 

Always Practice Active Listening 

Along with being able to share your own piece well, part of being a good communicator is being able to listen to others as well. 

To help you improve upon this skill, you should seek to practice active listening whenever you’re having a conversation with someone. To use this skill, you’ll need to focus all of your attention on actually listening when the other person is talking rather than trying to come up with your own responses while the other person is talking. If you’re not used to doing this type of active listening, it can be hard to get a handle on. But once you learn how to turn your ears on better, you’ll become a much better communicator. 

Let There Be Silence

Even if your brain seems to be running at a high pace when you’re speaking with someone or having a conversation, other people might not be operating at this rate. And, for many people, taking time to think about what others have said and how they want to respond is part of their communication style. But with styles like this, silence will often happen.

If you find that you’re uncomfortable with the idea of silence in a conversation, try to learn how beneficial not saying anything can be at times. By keeping silent when you don’t need to be talking, you can help others take their fair share of the conversation and both learn to only say things you really mean. 

If you’re wanting to learn how to be a better communicator, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you see how this can be done. 

Generally, one of the most fulfilling career paths is teaching. It’s a stable job that comes with a sense of satisfaction from positively impacting the lives of others. And, those who choose to work in the field of adult education may find an extra level of fulfillment in their career. Teaching adults presents unique challenges and opportunities that other teachers may not experience. 

Here are some tips for a successful career in adult education.

Know Your Audience

Before you can even begin to think about designing lessons and teaching adults, you need to first understand who your students are. Understanding your audience is critical to engage them in learning. 

Say you’ve been employed by an assisted living facility to teach a computer class to residents. You would need to know:

• The level of their computer skills. Do they know how to turn a computer on? Do they know how to use basic Microsoft Office programs?

• What kinds of things they want to be able to do with a computer. Do they want to be able to stay in touch with family members? Do they want to do their own shopping online?

• How much time they are willing or able to dedicate to learning. Are you looking at a short, six-week class? Or, is this something that will be ongoing for a year or more?

Make It Relevant

Once you know your audience, it’s important to make sure that the material you’re teaching is relevant to them. In other words, it should be something that they need or want to learn. 

This can be a challenge, especially if you’re teaching a required course that not all of your students are interested in. In this case, it’s important to try to find ways to make the material relevant to their lives. 

For example, let’s say you’re teaching a financial literacy class to high school students. You could make the material relevant to their lives by discussing things like how to manage a limited budget, how to save for a car or college, and how to invest money.

Keep It Interesting

Just because the material is relevant doesn’t mean it will be interesting to your students. To keep them engaged, you need to find ways to make the material interesting. 

There are a few different ways you can do this:

• Use real-life examples. Discuss case studies or current events that relate to the material you’re teaching.

• Make it interactive. Use group activities, simulations, and other hands-on learning experiences.

• Relate it to popular culture. If you can find a way to tie the material to popular culture references your students understand, they’ll be more likely to pay attention.

Be Patient

Adults learn differently than children. They often have less time to spare and may need more frequent breaks. They may also need more one-on-one time with the instructor. 

It’s important to be patient with your students and to be willing to adjust your teaching methods as needed. Don’t be afraid to slow down the pace of your lessons or to provide extra help outside of class.

Teaching adults can be a rewarding experience. By keeping your audience in mind, making the material relevant, and being patient, you can engage them in learning and help them to achieve their goals.

If you have a teen who’s already in college or is thinking about getting started with college soon, they might be stressed about choosing what to study to help them start off their career. As a young person, making this type of huge decision can be hard. But luckily, with your experience, you can help your teen be directed down the right path for themselves.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to help your teen decide what to study in college. 

Help Them See What They Are Naturally Good At

The best type of career is one that’s going to marry what someone is good at with where their passion lies. However, many teens, and just people in general, can’t see what they are good at. This is where your help can come in.

If your teen doesn’t know where their natural talents are, you can help them uncover this by asking questions and guiding them as they think back on things that they have done or accomplished in the past. By knowing what your child is good at, you can help them find a college major or a career path that will incorporate those skills and eventually lead them to a job that they love and will find success with. 

Start Broadly And Then Get More Granular

There are so many different areas of study at the university level. So many more than your teen might even realize. Because of this, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact area of study that your teen might want to pursue at this moment. So rather than trying to plan everything out right now, encourage them to think about things more broadly at this point. 

Thinking about areas of study or future careers in general terms can help your teen get themselves on the right track for their education. Then, when they are in the ballpark of what they like or want to be doing, they can start going deeper into finding the exact job or major that will accomplish this. 

Encourage Them To Apply For Internships

For many fields, the things that you study in class are going to be much different than what it would be like actually working in that type of career. For example, learning about the elderly is much different than actually working in an assisted living facility. So to help ensure that your teen is choosing a career that they will actually enjoy in real life, you should try to get them to participate in as many internships as possible.

With an internship, your teen will get real experience in the field they’re considering, which can help them to know if this would be the right fit for them before they pursue an entire degree in this area of study. 

If you’re wanting to lend a hand to your teen as they try to choose the right career path for their future, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this. 

Friday, May 28, 2022, 8:29 AM

Philanthropist Daniel Pugel recently discussed the importance of the Lower Columbia College Scholarship Fund.

NORMANDY PARK, WA / MAY 28, 2022 / Daniel Pugel believes in the importance of giving back to his local community and other communities in which he has lived, worked, or benefited. He currently supports several scholarship funds, including the Lower Columbia College Scholarship Fund. 

The Lower Columbia College Scholarship Fund awards generous scholarships to students through the support of donors like Pugel. He recently discussed the importance of this organization and the scholarships it provides.

Daniel Pugel and the Importance of Education

Pugel is a former law enforcement teacher and trainer. He strongly believes education is the key to achieving dreams and that a well-rounded education should be accessible to everyone regardless of their family income. His vision led him to support several scholarship funds, including the Lower Columbia College Scholarship Fund, which gives more than $250,000 in scholarships to students every year. 

Pugel believes in this scholarship program because it also supports projects on campus that meet student needs not covered by state funding or student fees. These may be health programs, special needs programs, or other services. 

About the Lower Columbia College Foundation

The Lower Columbia College Foundation has nearly doubled its scholarship fund in recent years. In 2019, the foundation awarded roughly $450,000 in scholarships. This was all due to the generous support of donors like Daniel Pugel.

Scholarships donated through this foundation can be in honor of a family member or individual. They may also be given in the name of an organization or business to foster community support. 

About Lower Columbia College Scholarships

Daniel Pugel believes this foundation is essential because of the numerous types of scholarships it provides. It doesn’t just support students based on academics; it supports a variety of services, organizations, and of course, student education.

Scholarships are provided based on the student’s program of study, merit (GPA), financial need, community service, and enrollment status (part or full-time). 

The foundation honors scholarship recipients for their accomplishments every year at the Annual Scholarship Social. Here, students receive recognition for their hard work and have a chance to meet and thank the donors who made these scholarships happen. 

Give the Gift of Education

Daniel Pugel doesn’t just support the Lower Columbia College Scholarship Fund. He also supports the Seattle Prep Scholarship Fund, scholarships for Kennedy Catholic High School, and the California State University Long Beach Alumni Support Fund. He believes that giving the gift of education transforms individual lives and entire communities.

Individuals, families, or organizations can donate to the Lower Columbia College Scholarship Fund through the LowerColumbia.edu website. Donors can make a one-time contribution or set up recurring annual contributions. Pugel emphasized that these scholarships do not just better the life of one individual — they better the well-being of everyone surrounding them.

With open lines of communication, teachers can share their appreciation for students’ accomplishments, let them know that their effort has been appreciated – and encourage them to keep trying in the future. Student/teacher communication is an important part of maintaining student grades and improving the overall success rate of students – not only direct communication from teacher to student but also communication between the two parties.  Students should be able to send messages to their teachers and ideally receive timely feedback from their teachers.  Smooth student/teacher communication can give your students a great chance of success. You can find more details on Jonathan Ullmer’s blog!

A strong student/teacher relationship is a strong indicator of student success.

As the saying goes, students do not care about what their teachers know unless they know that their teachers care.  In elementary, middle and high school classes, strengthening student/teacher relationships can help increase student engagement and improve their overall performance in the classroom. Students who have strong relationships with their teachers may approach them with questions and are more likely to engage deeply with the material, which may increase overall understanding.

Students need to know what to do when they need answers.

 Whether in a physical classroom or in a virtual environment, students have a lot of questions – and they are not always the questions you can expect.  Sometimes, students may struggle with the technology they are using to complete a task or turn it into an assignment. Other times, students may have trouble with a particular aspect of the assignment.

Open lines of communication can reduce student embarrassment.

Often, students are embarrassed to ask questions in front of others, especially if they have missed something in class (a challenge that can be even more difficult to handle through virtual instruction) or lack a basic concept.  Are done. Now they have to go back and review.

Easy communication can effectively increase student engagement.

 Often, students only engage with a class when they are actually in it, whether participating online or in person. Outside of the classroom, it almost seems as if the classroom does not exist because the students focus on other activities. Even when they do their homework, they are less engaged with the material than in the classroom.

CONCLUSION

Students often work hard to attend classes and take care of essential activities.  Unfortunately, they can often feel that their efforts have not been noticed or appreciated, especially if their overall score is not high or their content does not have a high level of excellence.