Adult and continuing education teaching programs prepare people to teach adults who want to develop or upgrade their skills and education. Students learn to teach in classrooms, on computers, and in other industry settings. They also learn to plan lessons and work experiences to assist adult learners.

You've probably heard the saying "Education is a lifelong process." These days, many people are taking this to heart. In fact, according to the Digest of Education Statistics, nearly half of adults participate in some type of adult education program. That number is only expected to grow.

After getting degrees from high school, college, and even graduate school, some of these people continue their educations by taking courses and completing additional training. Other people return to school to get the high school diplomas or college degrees they couldn't earn earlier. For some of these people, adult and continuing education can be a struggle to complete. Obstacles that some students face when returning to school or attending for the first time in their lives include shame and frustration, and language barriers for people who can't speak or understand English.

Adult and continuing education teachers don't just teach courses. They also help guide their students through life decisions, job problems, and other struggles they may face as an adult student. If you love teaching, believe that lifelong education is a necessity, and work well with many different kinds of people, this rewarding program of study may be the one for you.

As a student of this program, you learn about theories and concepts related to adult learners. You study methods for teaching adult basic education and preparing adults to take the GED. You might also take courses in vocational training to help students learn job skills such as fixing a car or designing a web page.

If you want to teach a specific subject such as accounting, you usually need to complete separate training in that field before starting this program. An adult and continuing education teaching program then prepares you to teach that subject to adult students. You learn to design a curriculum and outline the budget for teaching a course.

About 80 schools in the U.S. offer programs in adult and continuing education teaching, where you can earn a bachelor's, a master's, or a doctoral degree. In general, a bachelor's degree takes about four years of full-time study after high school. A master's degree usually takes five to six years, and a doctoral degree typically nine to ten.

You can also earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in this program, which typically takes one to two years of full-time study after getting your bachelor's degree.