Career profile for Adult Education Instructor

What does an Adult Education Instructor do?

Adult Education Instructors teach or instruct out-of-school youths and adults in basic education, literacy, or English as a Second Language classes, or in classes for earning a high school equivalency credential.

What kind of tasks does an Adult Education Instructor perform regularly?

Adult Education Instructors are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement.
Observe students to determine qualifications, limitations, abilities, interests, and other individual characteristics.
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate these objectives to students.
Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs, abilities, and interests.
Prepare students for further education by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
Assign and grade class work and homework.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by administrative policy.
Conduct classes, workshops, and demonstrations to teach principles, techniques, or methods in subjects, such as basic English language skills, life skills, and workforce entry skills.
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
Prepare and administer written, oral, and performance tests, and issue grades in accordance with performance.
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
Review instructional content, methods, and student evaluations to assess strengths and weaknesses, and to develop recommendations for course revision, development, or elimination.
Register, orient, and assess new students according to standards and procedures.
Collaborate with other teachers and professionals in the development of instructional programs.
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.
Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems, or special academic interests.
Select, order, and issue books, materials, and supplies for courses or projects.
Attend professional meetings, conferences, and workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.
Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons that promote learning, following approved curricula.
Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, contests, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.

The above responsibilities are specific to Adult Education Instructors. More generally, Adult Education Instructors are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Thinking Creatively		Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others		Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Training and Teaching Others		Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Coaching and Developing Others		Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Thinking Creatively

Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others

Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Training and Teaching Others

Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Coaching and Developing Others

Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

What is an Adult Education Instructor salary?

The median salary for an Adult Education Instructor is $55,350, and the average salary is $59,810. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Adult Education Instructor salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Adult Education Instructors earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Adult Education Instructors earn less than $32,120 per year, 25% earn less than $42,500, 75% earn less than $72,000, and 90% earn less than $95,630.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Adult Education Instructors is expected to change by -5.0%, and there should be roughly 5,100 open positions for Adult Education Instructors every year.

Median annual salary: $55,350
Typical salary range: $32,120 - $95,630
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): -5.0%

What personality traits are common among Adult Education Instructors?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Adult Education Instructor are usually higher in their Social, Artistic, and Enterprising interests.

Adult Education Instructors typically have very strong Social interests. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Also, Adult Education Instructors typically have moderate Artistic interests. Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Lastly, Adult Education Instructors typically have moderate Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as an Adult Education Instructor tend to value Relationships, Achievement, and Independence.

Most importantly, Adult Education Instructors very strongly value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Adult Education Instructors strongly value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Lastly, Adult Education Instructors strongly value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Adult Education Instructors must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, integrity, and self-control.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Adult Education Instructors, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility		Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others		Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Adaptability/Flexibility

Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Concern for Others

Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

What education and training do Adult Education Instructors need?

Many Adult Education Instructors will have a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Adult Education Instructors usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Educational degrees among Adult Education Instructors

2.0% did not complete high school or secondary school
10.9% completed high school or secondary school
17.7% completed some college coursework
8.6% earned a Associate's degree
36.0% earned a Bachelor's degree
20.2% earned a Master's degree
4.6% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Adult Education Instructors

Adult Education Instructors may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as education and training, customer and personal service, or administrative knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Adult Education Instructors might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative		Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Administrative

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Important Abilities needed by Adult Education Instructors

Adult Education Instructors must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Adult Education Instructors need abilities such as oral expression, written comprehension, and written expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Adult Education Instructors, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Clarity		The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Critical Skills needed by Adult Education Instructors

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Adult Education Instructors frequently use skills like instructing, reading comprehension, and active listening to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Adult Education Instructors, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Instructing		Teaching others how to do something.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Learning Strategies		Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Instructing

Teaching others how to do something.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Learning Strategies

Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Adult Education Instructor

Adult Education Instructor

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