Working a full-time job (sometimes two), raising a family, being involved with community and school activities, plus all of the responsibilities of running a home are what is typically heard from adults trying to juggle their professional and personal lives with the requirements of furthering their education. As adults, many of us have learned to manage multiple priorities in our busy lives.

Having to fit one more thing into an already busy life is common for most of us. However, for the adult learner it can present tremendous stress that he/she may not be able to handle effectively. It is important for you, as an educator, to assist your students in determining what kinds of changes they will need to make in their busy lives to accommodate their return to school.

Most adult learners juggle multiple responsibilities and have faced significant challenges: single parenthood, career changing, domestic violence, addictions, the death of a partner, and more. What can YOU learn from their stories?

Hopefully that time is too precious to spend on meaningless tasks or in an environment that is not conducive to the learner's individual needs and style of learning. The best source of knowledge when dealing with the adult learner is the adult learner.