Nancy Reid

Creating Opportunities for Reflection and Support
What are the common threads that surface from these experiences? How do I make this exercise more than a cleansing process, something that can be used to increase our understanding of adult education and ultimately to improve our practice?

My suggestions for addressing the deficiencies in adult education focus on the intersecting spheres of the workplace, the community, and the academy, I present them with the intention that some tangible changes, however small or seemingly insignificant, can be made to recognize the work of adult educators and to respond more effectively to the need for emotional and spiritual support.

The Workplace

1. Education is only a part of the solution for addressing the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. For educators and administrators of educational programs, it is critical that a more realistic picture be presented of both the possibilities as well as the limitations associated with education as a tool for social change. There should be diversity in the educational options, some of which would be more suited to high risk work environments (such as the trades or male-dominated workplaces or where there has been a history of complaints) and others to low risk environments. As well, educational initiatives should be tailored towards specific segments of the organization. For example, education directed at management or supervisory personnel should not only focus on general awareness and prevention but on the specific responsibilities of senior personnel to demonstrate commitment, handle complaints, and act pro-actively against sexual harassment.
   
   
2. It is critical that educators be provided opportunities within the workplace for physical, psychological, and spiritual rejuvenation. The majority of adult educators with whom I have contact are creative in how they nurture themselves. But this takes place outside of the workplace, which negates the problem as a workplace issue. When working in an area particularly susceptible to backlash, conscious efforts must be made to systematically provide support for educators within the workplace, and also to celebrate our accomplishments.
   
   
3. Educators should be included in other initiatives related to the issue they are addressing. Adult educators are most effective when education is integrated into a comprehensive strategy and information is provided which allows them to be knowledgeable about all aspects of the issue. For example, educators could be more closely involved in deciding whether training should be mandatory or optional, developing effective educational programs to meet the needs of supervisor / managers or high-risk work environments, and incorporating the unique needs and perspectives of victims into the development of educational programs.