From A to Z: Weekly Treasures

In my ongoing quest to know as much as I can about the world of Adult Literacy, I have uncovered more thoughtful and insightful blogs and articles on the subject. Enjoy!

A. From Suite101.com, this blog written by Jacqui Taylor, a literacy tutor in the UK, is about one of my newfound biggest pet peeves. Finding good reading material for adult literacy students.

b.

From the Richmond Confidential website out of Richmond, CA, this article describes a great new program being started by LEAP. The Literacy for Every Adult Program received a grant to start an adult computer literacy program geared to helping adults learn about all that the WWW has to offer.

C. Watch this very cool video clip from the blog of Eva Gilliam, a videojournalist in Africa. This short documentary describes how adolescents in Mozambique are helping to combat adult illiteracy.

d. From a blog spot on the ReadingHorizons at home website, find out about some great new resources for using technology in tutoring adults.

e. Amazing article about a man who learned to read and write at the age of 98. “And he got out his pen and started writing his name. He had never written his name before.” From the Ann Arbor Chronicle website.

A must read!

F. From the American Observer a piece about the state of adult illiteracy in Washington DC. The numbers are staggering, especially the contrast between white and black residents.

G. We have all heard about the tragic events that took place in Tucson, AZ, but did you know that Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) is a supporter of Adult Literacy and is actually a member of the House Adult Literacy Caucus. I learned this from the sympathy statement posted on the ProLiteracy website.

In this Associated Press photo, mourners and supporters gather near a memorial in front of the University Medical Center in Tucson.

h. We all know adult illiteracy is a very serious problem especially since funding is being cut everywhere we look. Crying won't help, so we might as well laugh. From the Canadian show This Hour Has 22 Minutes here is a funny clip to help us all keep our sense of humor.

Tutoring Is Not For The Weak at Heart

Yes I know it’s been a while since I have posted anything. Frankly I have been just too busy to do anything but the absolute necessary; sorry to say the blog was not absolutely necessary especially during the holidays.

I did get matched with a student, about a week after my last post. I was really excited when I found out, I mean I had been waiting for a while, but I was also really nervous. Let me introduce you to D: She is a young woman, 26, she was born and raised in the states and graduated high school with a special degree. So she is a basic literacy student which is what I requested after training. I really like her, she is sweet and energetic, and seems motivated.

We have met 4 times so far, first time we met in a coffee shop, I told her about my family and I asked her about her life and what her dreams in life are. She really wants to become independent and have a good job, and help to take care of her family. She signed up for an online course to become a masseuse, she has to finish by June 2011 or she will miss the deadline. Here is the reality, she can’t read the workbook. This workbook they sent is written on a college level and she is reading at a 3rd grade level. Also, the course she signed up for is to learn massage techniques, she won’t be a certified masseuse at the end of this course. I tried to explain this to her, but she is determined to finish the course and then look for a job after. I am still getting to know her so I don’t want to be too pushy. I am taking it week by week.

I decided to start simple; I pulled a book from the library called The Watson’s Go to Birmingham, by Christopher Paul Curtis. It is a bit above her level, written on a 6th grade level. But it is a good starting point because the story is interesting for her. I had her read the first few pages at our last session. She did so much better than when she was trying to read that workbook. And she laughed at the story; I was so excited when I heard her laugh. Success, I picked a book she likes. I say that because the week before I had picked a book of Haitian folk tales for her to read (her family is from Haiti) and she was NOT impressed.

I have had her working on building her sight word base. I have a strong feeling that she might be dyslexic, and the best thing for her at this point is to just learn as many sight words as possible. It may not help with her writing, but at least she will be able to read more fluently. Words like Possibly, Discuss, Distribute, Explain, Diagnose, Describe, Negative are among the flashcards I created for her. We go over them every week, and I have her practice writing them as well. I am trying to follow the tutor training as much as I can but basically I am playing it by ear. I stressed about our meetings so much in the first few weeks. I read tons of manuals and researched ideas on websites, it is so much information to decipher and I usually have very little time to go over it all. So the best thing is to try what I have learned, if it doesn't work then I will try something else.

Some lessons I have learned so far:

1. Make sure you have a well defined lesson plan, but be prepared to change it, especially in the beginning. Some things you will just not be prepared for, like a grumpy student, in which case I found it is best not to expect too much from her. Or a late student which means not enough time to get everything done.

2. You can’t feel responsible for everything involved with your student. D suffers from sickle cell and has a hard time with the cold weather. She has asked me a number of times (sometimes actually whining) if I can give her rides to and from the library for our sessions. It is totally against the rules of tutoring the trainers gave to us; basically it is an insurance liability for them. I understand this and even agree with it on a cerebral level, but on the level of feelings which is where I operate most times it feels wrong. But I am, if nothing else, a rules follower and so I stuck to my guns. Having kids definitely prepared me for saying no.

3. Your student may disappear sometimes. Last week after a two week break for the holidays my student was nowhere to be found. Her cell phone had been cut off, the person who answered at her home phone said she was not there and she was not returning any of the emails I had sent to her. Then she just didn’t show up at our regular scheduled session. I feared the worst. I didn’t want to but I started thinking maybe she was giving up on the whole thing. But I kept emailing her and finally today she emailed me back and is going to be at our session today. It’s weird but I am sure she has a reason; I am just going to keep working with her regardless. We are all human anyway right?

4. Just because I like to read does not mean my student does, or ever will for that matter. I mean she had a hard time reading all through school, she has made it this far in life with only a basic knowledge of the English language, what makes ME think I am going to turn her into some avid novel reader. Still there is a small desire in me that she will one day want to read just for pleasure. I am a dreamer.

5. Like I learned in tutor training, when you are teaching the rules of grammar and spelling and pronunciation to a student, the best thing to say about the rules is: this rule applies until it doesn’t. These lessons apply until they don’t, that is what I am repeating in my head every week. Which can be exciting, because I am learning something new all the time and that is one thing I truly LOVE?

6. I am not perfect and neither is D. So perfection is not even a word in my vocabulary right now. This sets the bar low for me, so I can set it low for D, which is where it needs to be set right now. Baby steps are okay, and they will probably be tiny steps for a long time.
I am determined to do a better job with my blogging from here on out. I owe to myself and to D and it is honestly therapeutic which is definitely something I need right now.

PLEASE feel free to leave comments, I love them!

Adult Literacy Weekly Treasures

I have become somewhat obsessed with finding out as much information as I can about adult literacy. I have started "googling" adult literacy almost everyday, and have particularly enjoyed some of the blogs I have come across. I am going to try posting my latest finds each week. Happy reading!

From Washington D.C.'s Street Sense: an excellent article about the shame some adult students feel about their illiteracy.
http://www.streetsense.org/2010/10/adult-literacy-a-silent-crisis/

From the Durham Literacy Center, Adult Literacy Community Blog: a post about a little known syndrome some adult students are facing.
http://dlcal.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/irlen-syndrome/

From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics: Some findings about the number of illiterate adults both Nationally and Worldwide.
http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?URL_ID=6401&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201

From Media Post Blogs: An article about the clever ideas used to promote literacy at Greenville Literacy Association in Greenville, South Carolina.
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136025

Last but not least, and ad from the Ad Council called Barriers-Adult Literacy.
http://scaryideas.com/content/19614/

Hope you enjoy these links as much as I did.

17%

You are standing in line at the bank, the older gentleman in front of you looks like any other citizen. Clean cut, dressed well, he even smiles at you kindly. He gets to the teller and holding his bank book and a check he tells the person, “I forgot my glasses again, could you please fill out this deposit slip for me.” The bank teller knowingly smiles and kindly agrees. What are the possibilities that this man didn’t forget his glasses, but in fact cannot read or write the English language and so has developed coping skills to get through life. The statistics show that 17%* of adult residents in NJ (out of a total population of 8,707,739) are without adequate literacy skills, so it is pretty likely. To me this is staggering.

The story changes only slightly if they are an ESOL adult. Maybe at their job and at home they can speak their native language, but out in the community the majority of the time they need help communicating their needs. These adults are not numbers; they are the people we meet every day, parents or grandparents of friends, neighbors, the young man who delivers your lunch every day, maybe even family members.

It is easy to be angry and say why? Why has no one helped them? If they are understandably too ashamed or afraid to get help, what will happen to them? When I first read the statistics I was overwhelmed and felt somewhat in despair for our state. But when I became a volunteer with LV of Union County, the numbers ceased to matter. I learned that the adults who come to these programs are looking for help and they have a name and a history, and that matters. If you are their tutor, it becomes all about them, making sure their voice is heard above all the noise fear and shame has created. Maybe the illiteracy numbers don’t go down because you helped one person learn to fill out their own bank deposit slip, but that person’s life has become easier, and maybe they have pride and determination to go further.

I finished my tutor training two weeks ago and it was one of the best trainings I have ever been to; well thought out, and full of great examples. I don’t mean to gush, but all of the trainers were so understanding and caring and honest. I learned so much, not just about how to teach an adult, but what it takes personally. I have developed a greater respect overall for tutors and trainers and anyone in this field who is trying to make adult literacy a priority.

I haven’t been matched with a student yet, but I know I will get one. With 1 in 6 adults in NJ needing help, there is bound to be someone who needs me sooner or later. Of course this brings on a whole new set of fears and questions. What will I say to them when I meet them for the first time? Will they be as scared and unsure as I will be? How can I make them feel comfortable and let them know I don’t feel sorry for them, I am proud of them already for coming forward and being a part of the solution? I am eager to find out the answers to these questions and to share them with everyone I know. Stay tuned!

*Estimates of low literacy developed by the National Center for Education Statistics for the U.S Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Their website: http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/Index.aspx

Power In Words

Last week I went to a special event hosted by LV of Union county. This is the LVNJ affiliate program whose tutor training I am going through. All of the trainees in my class were invited by our trainer who organized the event. It was a celebration for tutors and students, and a launching of the second annual student writing and art magazine called "Connections."

I had to work that day and I went right to the event from work. I was tired and a little unsure of whether I should even go. But I had said I would go and I wanted to keep my word, plus I was really curious to hear the students stories and to see the artwork done by one of their students.

When I got there I was really happy to see they were serving coffee : ). Also I saw some of my fellow tutor training classmates. I always feel more comfortable in unfamiliar places if I know at least one person. We all sat together in the audience and talked about our days and how we thought training was going, it was a good bonding experience.

Then the program started. There were the usual thanks and congratulations to the people who had made the program possible. But then the students started their readings. The first student was actually a student of our trainer S and she got up and introduced him. He was an older gentleman, a basic literacy student and he had written a short letter about what it meant to him to know how to read. He was understandably nervous, and stumbled some, but it didn't matter, the entire audience was captivated and you could almost feel the power of their support holding him up wanting him to achieve this goal. I was in awe.

Each student that came up was introduced by their tutor before they spoke. I loved this part just as much as the students' readings because you could see the pride in their faces. A few of the stories made me cry, like the woman who wrote about overcoming a fear so she could work and provide for her family. There was one story written by an older ESOL gentleman whose command of the language was very impressive. He wrote about his experience coming to America and finding the LV program to help him learn to read and write English. He ended his essay with a statement about how important it is for everyone who comes to America to learn to appreciate and understand the American culture. I was so proud to be an American at that moment and the camaraderie among the English speakers, new and experienced, was so poignant.

Public speaking is a very difficult thing for most people. I know even myself after having taken classes on how to be better at public speaking and knowing how to read and write very fluently, still get so nervous when standing before a large crowd of people whose eyes and ears are all tuned to me. For an adult, who has not fully mastered the ability to read and write English, to have the courage and determination to get up and read something they wrote, and to do so clearly and with certainty is a most commendable feat.

I was so encouraged after attending this program. When I am touched personally by something it never leaves me, and I know I will never forget this first lesson in the power of volunteer tutoring.

Fear versus Knowledge

I started tutor training two weeks ago. My boss, J, wanted me to start blogging about my experience. I started late with the blogging because I honestly did not know what to say. J said, "You could start writing the blog before the training starts, write about what your expectations are." But I really did not know what to expect. I know how I felt which was scared and excited. I am not a teacher and I never graduated from college and aside from teaching my children the basics of life I have never really taught anyone anything. Tutoring seemed so elusive to me. As with most things in my life however, I decided I was not going to let my fear keep me from trying.

So training started on a Tuesday night, and I went with my mind open to the trainers. One of the first things trainer S said has stuck with me like a permanent post it note: "If you can read, you can teach someone to read, if you can speak English, you can teach someone to speak English.” AMAZING! How simple. I like simple thoughts that make sense and this thought resonated with me instantly. Second thing I learned that first night: We don't have to be perfect, we may be the only chance these adults have to learn, we are good enough because we took the time and are willing to be there with them. Another simple but profound thought. Thank goodness for my trainers who probably could see the uncertainty in our faces, and knew just what to say to help us un-cloud our minds.

Talking with some of the other tutor trainees was really encouraging for me. No matter the reason that brought us all there, we all shared one desire: to help someone learn to read and write English. It was both humbling and empowering to be with these very smart and capable people all learning at the same time. I left feeling certain that I could handle this journey, I left unafraid and still excited!

How it All Began

I love to learn, I have my whole life. I always liked school, even when I didn't like it, you know during those evil teenage years. I also love to read, and I find joy in writing. Since I started working for LVNJ a year ago I have honestly been fascinated by the idea that adults are out there in NJ who never learned to read or write. I can't relate to that, and often times when I can't relate to something I can't understand it. I did my job for the past year like any other job, just going through the motions. Always happy to have a job that I am good at, and a boss that is really easy to get along with, but never really putting it together with the reason we were there. then J, my boss, said to me a few months ago, "I think you should do tutor training, I think you would be good at it and would like it." Huh, that never occured to me, but since I love to learn, why not.

During the time I was waiting for the training to start I was at work one day and got a call, an older woman in her 70's, she was born and raised in NJ, and never learned to read. This struck a chord in me. I love older people, I love to learn from them and hear their stories about life. I wanted to reach through the phone and give this lady a hug and then teach her to read. It all clicked with me. This is why LVNJ is here, this is why I have a job and why it is really important that I do that job so well. This is why J stresses about money. What if we run out of money, what if one day LVNJ is not here and some other adult out there who can't read or write decides one day, that's it, I am going to take steps and find a way to learn, but they have noone to call because LVNJ is gone.

But we are here, and I am becoming a tutor, and while I don't know exactly who I will tutor, it doesn't matter to me. They called and reached out to people and that is an amazing first step, and I am privileged to help take them the rest of the way, no matter how long that takes. Like a bridge makes it possible for someone to cross from one side to the other, that is what I strive to be, a bridge from illiteracy to literacy.