Meeting with adult learners

Of course, the programme imposes a pace, concepts to be conveyed, assessments to be developed, administered and corrected. Of course there are the heavy administrative tasks - which are increasingly demanding - and relations with prescribers. Many activities are invisible and require rigour as well as creativity, reflection and flexibility.

However, the heart of the profession remains the learner. The one who comes and must learn, the one who has enrolled, voluntarily and sometimes unwillingly... The one who arrives with his/her own story, which they sometimes keep to themselves or wish to share. They are of all ages and come from different countries. They are in initial training, continuing education, unemployed, sometimes even retired. Their experiences are present, their past is present and their future is woven from their past.

The classroom door closes on a new group, on new encounters. Some learners are reluctant, others are anxious but a few are enthusiastic. The person who welcomes them will have to create an atmosphere conducive to learning, but above all, to listening.

Listen to those who question a concept, who wonder about their future. Listen to those who confide about a painful moment or anxiety. Listen to those who think they have failed. Listen, of course, to those who challenge the training, the presentation of a concept, a word. Listen to those who refuse the training. Listen to those who break down in silence.

And of course, we must return to the programme and the concepts to be taught, extract their meaning and stay on track. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to deviate from what has been prescribed, to pause in the progression, to allow time for a topic that raises questions or for an exchange that has become urgent, sometimes at the risk of displeasing those who prescribe but are not involved in the field, in the real world.

The encounter with the learner determines how the training unfolds. A subtle chemistry develops among all the participants, transforming everyone, including the trainer or teacher.

When the training ends, regardless of the outcome and of the results achieved, the richness of the encounter will remain.