Finding a new way to help adult learners

Ryan Miller

Reading/Writing/Literacy Ed.D., 2016

Before Penn GSE: Teacher and program manager in an adult literacy program

After Penn GSE: Director of Learning Resources, Weingarten Learning Resource Center, University of Pennsylvania

"I reached a point where I wanted to understand the research and theory around adult literacy and learning. And to do the type of work I wanted to do, I knew I would need a more advanced degree. Penn GSE checked both boxes and opened doors I didn’t know existed."

Before I came to Penn GSE, I taught in a variety of settings. I was a traditional classroom teacher. I taught English in Russia. I worked on the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy. I led professional development for volunteers who wanted to work with adult learners.

I discovered I had a passion for working with adult learners. They were purpose driven and could articulate what learning styles worked well for them, and what was causing them to struggle. These adult learners were peers, and I learned from each of them while they developed skills and knowledge.

But I reached a point where I wanted to better understand the research and theory around adult literacy and learning. And to do the type of work I wanted to do, I knew I would need a more advanced degree. Penn GSE checked both boxes and opened doors for my career I didn’t know existed.

It was exciting to be a student again, and to think deeply about issues and ideas and practices I thought were important for teaching.

Professor Gerald Campano pushed me to think more critically about who my students were, and why I was asking the questions I was asking. Professor Vivian Gadsden’s multicultural literacies courses really made me reflect on my experiences working in diverse spaces. Professor Amy Stornaiuolo was incredibly hands-on, starting a writing group for her students. She gave me invaluable academic and professional advice.

I didn’t just learn in a classroom. For my graduate fellowship, I taught at Penn’s Weingarten Learning Resource Center. By my fourth year in the program, my work there led to my current full-time position.

My Ed.D. program was the perfect preparation for the Weingarten Center, where in a given day, I might meet with a college freshman, an MBA student, and someone from the dental school. Many of the RWL courses are taught through inquiry, allowing students to find our way to our scholarship through our own inquiry process. The pedagogy of my job requires that type of inquiry, because we have to ask students about how they learn and how they approach a particular assignment or exam. We get to go through a co-inquiry process with them to determine what might be beneficial and what skills they need to develop.

Because of my Penn GSE experience, I feel confident I’m helping these students find the skills they need to succeed.