Lizzo and Andragogy

Lizzo and Malcolm Knowles will forever be linked in my mind for no other reason than, until last Monday, I didn’t know either of them existed. But now, they’re all I can think about. Knowles is the father of andragogy (the teaching of adults) and his tenets have both echoed what I already knew as a learner and transformed how I’m conceptualizing my efforts to ignite and inspire teachers. Lizzo (badass and diva) is the woman who gets me up in the morning to start the ignition and who sustains the inspiration when my chutzpah starts to flag.

Just for fun, here are Knowles’ “six assumptions” to motivate adult learners coupled with some of Lizzo’s song lyrics. I know that it's hard but you have to try. If you need advice, let me simplify.

Knowles: Adults need to know the reason for learning something.

Lizzo: Why men great till they gotta be great?

Knowles: Experience and mistakes provide the basis for learning.

Lizzo: So I figured out I gotta be my own type.

Knowles: Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.

Lizzo: Boss up and change your life. You can have it all, no sacrifice.

Knowles: Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life.

Lizzo: Woke up feelin' like I just might run for President. Even if there ain't no precedent, switchin' up the messaging.

Knowles: Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.

Lizzo: Yeah, I got boy problems, that's the human in me. Bling bling, then I solve 'em, that's the goddess in me.

Knowles: Adults respond better to internal versus external motivators.

Lizzo: If I'm shinin', everybody gonna shine.