Have you ever volunteered as a literacy tutor?

Question

This is something I've been interested in, but I haven't had the time. Has anyone had experiences? What was it like, how did you become a tutor, etc? (Adults or children, it doesn't matter.) I understand Boston has a waiting list of people waiting to be paired with tutors, but I was wondering about other cities/areas and their needs.

Answer 1

I did, years ago, in Nashville. I signed up with a local adult literacy tutoring organization. I trained and then worked with one person from a Third World country, who was learning English, but it also seemed she had never learned to read and write very well in her native language. We probably met for a year, altogether, before I moved to Taiwan, and began teaching English there.

Child care was an issue for her, and her husband was often too busy to watch the child, so that she could meet with me. What had him so busy? He was earning a doctorate in education!

It's a big problem, all over the country, but some areas are definitely worse than others.

Answer 2

ESL=English as Second Language. I came to America in 1988; didn't know English at all. Day time I worked in a factory; at night, a tutor came MWF at 6p-8pm and taught me English. For this, I sincerely thank you. I often refer her (tutor) as my guardian Angel who came and lifted me up by teaching me English and "put up" with me (a person from different culture, ethnic background). It was not her obligation and duty, but she showed me her care, gentle, and kindness. As a result I am now today. I am truly humble because of her. Having learned from this, I start to understand the meaning of love and respect indidvidual regardless of their backgrounds. Everyday, I try to reach out and help people and in hope that they would show the same love and respect for others.

Through out those years, my english has been improving, but not perfect and through communication, I have had opportunities to do what I love such as volunteer work in the hospital, sandbags against raging waters, shovel snow for elderly neighbors, voluntee work in soup kitchen for the homeless, voluntee work at Salvation Army, Voluntee work and work with new arrival of Naturalization Residents by taking them around for groceries, apply for ss#, welfare, foodstamps, doctor checkup (translation), help them find jobs etc... I try to show them the rope as much as I could.

Uprooted a tree; replanted it in a different location; Oftentimes, tree would not survive due to stress and different type of soil and environment. All we need is to give a little care by giving fertilizer, shade and water. Tree will grow and blossom.

"Give them a fish, they eat for a day; Teach them how to fish, they fish for their life time" I believe it.

Many are now so sucessful. As for me, I am never once jealous over of what they have, but content with and endless happy life.

With love and warmest regards,

W.