TLC Monthly Webinar for Tutor Coordinators

1. TLC Monthly Webinar for Tutor Coordinators April 15, 2014 10:00am – 11:00am Basic Tutor Training

2. Agenda • Brief review of use of webinar platform • Updates • Basic Tutor Training • Sharing • Next webinar • May 20, 2014, 10:00 – 11:00 am • Tutor Management

3. Navigation of GoToMeeting

4. Updates for Tutor Coordinators

5. Updates • Tutor conference, March 16, 2014 • 57 attended • Tutor Conference pictures • For new program year • Tutor Coordinator online training

6. Basic Tutor Training Presented by: Kim Rossman Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth kim@tlcliteracy.org 814.867.0203

7. TLC’s Online Resourceshttp://tlcliteracy.org/ Dropboxlink https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sai679svxdexkwz/HrtG33Z5g5

8. Basic Tutor Training - Agenda • Introductions and Overview • Your Questions and Concerns • How Adults Learn • Successful Tutoring • Goal Setting • Learning Styles • Strong Instructional Strategies • First Meeting • Pulling it All Together • Lesson Plans • Reflection and Evaluations Handout 1

9. What are YOUR Questions and Concerns? While you are thinking about this I am going to read you an excerpt written by an adult learner.

10. Advice to Tutors from LearnersClarke, Mallory, 1991. Goodwill Literacy Tutor Handbook • patient • committed • Lee White • patient • victories Carl Furioso • go back over • review • Tim Hicks According to learners, these are some things that work for them. • patience • learning games • student suggests ideas • JoeAnn Knowlton • kindness • questions Robert Easterling • very sincere Berwick Jones Handout 2

11. Ground Rules Handout 3 Tutor/Learner Contract

12. _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

13. Handout 4 (but don’t peak) Characteristics and Needs of Adult Learners How Adults Learn Adult Learning Principles

14. Adults learn best when…(Complete the first two columns of your chart.) K W L • K - What do you know about tutoring adult learners and how adults learn? • W - What do you want to know about tutoring adult learners and how adults learn? • L - At the end of the session: What did you learn about tutoring adult learners and how adults learn? Handout 5 Please plan to turn this page in at the end of the day.

15. Characteristics and Needs of Adult Learners Handout 4 As you think about these characteristics, think of how they could impact your instruction. Adult learners: • Want to be treated as adults even (especially) if they are learning basic skills. • Are often self-directed and used to making decisions for themselves. • Have specific and immediate learning needs and goals.

16. Characteristics and Needs of Adult Learners Adult learners: • are generally very busy. • have limited time to participate or do homework. • may have many barriers to regular attendance. • have a wealth of experiences.

17. Characteristics and Needs of Adult Learners Adult learners: • May feel insecure about • their literacy skills • learning new things • coming to a program. • What implications could this have for instruction? • Have values and beliefs based on their cultural and ethnic backgrounds that may be very different from your beliefs.

18. Characteristics and Needs of Adult Learners Adult learners: • Learn best when learning relates to their day to day lives. • Are not a captive audience; they can vote with their feet. • Are usually experiencing some sort of life change.

19. Adults Learn Best When… • They have input into the selection of the content and even development of the learning experiences. • The learning is connected to the vast background of knowledge and experience that the adult brings to the table. • The learning is both received and processed in more than one way. • The learning is collegial and directed at solving specific job-related problems. • They have ample opportunity to reflect on the implementation of new competencies.

20. Your Role as a Tutor Teaching requires as much learning on the instructor’s part as on the learner’s part. If the teacher isn’t learning while teaching s/he probably isn’t teaching at all. Instead, s/he’s telling. from Another Door to Learning

21. Your Role as a Tutor Handouts 8 - 11 • Identify the needs of the learner • Formally • Informally • Determine the best way to address those needs • Incorporate strategies into your instruction • Determine effectiveness of the strategies • Share the techniques with others • Document the process

22. Your Role as a Tutor "As a volunteer instructor, I will continually strive to identify and meet the needs of the learner(s) I tutor by learning about and applying new techniques during my instruction. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the tutoring sessions, I will document the instructional strategies I apply and how the learner is affected. Whenever possible, I will share my tutoring experiences with my peers so we can all learn and grow together."

23. Your Role as a Tutor • How does this look? • Monthly report example • Journal • Peer tutor meetings • Articles for newsletter • Observe another tutor • Co-tutor • Sample of online form

24. Handout 13 & 14 View form online.

25. Your Role as a Tutor Your role is to: • Work as a partner with your learner to define and plan the work you do together; when necessary offer your student choices instead of making decisions yourself. • Meet regularly with your learner, be prepared for lessons, and employ a consistent but flexible instructional format. Handout11

26. Your Role as a Tutor Your role is to: • Teach by example; explain and model what skilled readers and writers do. • Acknowledge your learner is smart and capable of learning; have high expectations for success. • Intentions • Expectations • Support

27. Your Role as a Tutor Your role is to: • Teach your learner what s/he can do (and how to do it) outside of the tutoring session in order to build skill(s), especially by practicing reading. • Transference • Time management • Organization • Problem solving

28. Your Role as a Tutor Your role is to: • Build instruction based on your learner’s strengths, experiences, needs, and interests; use real life situations and examples. • Encourage your learner to bring materials and topics of interest to him/her to the sessions. • Treat your learner as an adultand as an equal.

29. Your Role as a Tutor Your role is to: Be an agent of change Help ≠ Doing Help = Empowering Help = Providing Tools & Support

30. Handouts 15 - 20 Goalsetting “Why did you come to the program?” “Why do you want to get your GED?” Asking “Why” at least three times will get to the true answer to the question. • What 3 things would you like to be able to read? • Why?... Why?... Why?  • What 3 things would you like to be able to write? • Why? … Why? … Why? • What 3 problems would you like to be able to solve? • Why? … Why? … Why?  • What 3 things would you like to be able to do? • Why? … Why? … Why?

31. Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely Goals Example: I would like to complete my homework for the next 5 out of 6 tutoring sessions with 80% accuracy.

32. Tips from Tutors for Tutors “Talk with students about their learning process. Ask them what does and does not work for them. Then listen and believe.” an Adult Educator

33. Tips from Tutors for Tutors Handout 21 • Don’t be discouraged by slow progress; it takes time to get to know your learner and establish a good learning routine - learning takes time. • Your learner is likely to be more nervous than you are. • Relax, have fun, be creative. • Don’t take poor attendance personally; do ensure that you are meeting your learner’s needs.

34. Tips from Tutors for Tutors • Meet your student where s/he is; not where you think s/he should be. NO ASSUMPTIONS • Find out what your learner wants to learn and teach him/her that. • Adult learners are different from children; make adult learning different from school.

35. Learning Styles Handout 23 - 27

36. Learning Styles • Visual • Auditory • Tactile/Kinesthetic

37. Characteristics ofLearning Styles Learns by listening and discussing Learns by doing and being physically involved in a task Learns by visualizing and by looking at text, charts, pictures, etc.

38. Strong Instruction: Effective Teaching Strategies

39. Teaching Strategies Handout 28 - 31 While these strategies have been identified as successful strategies for learners with learning differences; the majority of adult learners will benefit from the use of these techniques.

40. Teaching Strategies • Orient the student to what he/she will be doing (and why). • Reduce orientation and directions to what is essential. • Be specific about what you are asking the learner to do. • Present information in small, logical steps. • Build on what is already known.

41. Teaching Strategies • Relate new material to student’s everyday lives. • Make connections to previous lessons. • Be concrete; give examples. • Ask “What questions do you have?” instead of “Do you have any questions?” • Instead of asking “Do you understand?”, ask students to demonstrate understanding.

42. Teaching Strategies • Use organizational aids such as 3 ring binders, calendars, folders, etc. • Use a variety of aids to help learner retain information including • flash cards, • word and number games • crossword puzzles • maps • color-coding, etc.

43. Teaching Strategies • S L O W D O W N. • Reduce stress by setting a slower pace. • Avoid distractions; meet in a quiet place. • Provide frequent and focused feedback. • DON’T ASSUME

44. First Meeting Handout 37 - 42

45. Group Activity ~ Role PlayFirst Meeting Scenario

46. What to do at the First Meeting • Get to know each other. Discuss hobbies and interests, family, jobs, daily life. • Establish a meeting place, day, and time, and discuss expectations regarding scheduling and cancellation. Exchange and confirm contact information. • Start to discuss ground rules.

47. What to do at the First Meeting • Discuss current reading and writing practices, goals and challenges. (Example: “What kinds of things do you read/write during a normal day at home, at work, and when you’re out?”, “What are some things that are challenging for you about reading/writing?”) • Provide an overview of a typical session.

48. What to do at the First Meeting • If possible (not a priority) - implement one or two activities related to your student’s needs and interests (based on information obtained from your coordinator).

49. What to do at the First Meeting • Take turns expressing how the session went. (Example: “What did you learn today?”, “Is there anything that needs to be clarified?”, “Is there anything that we should do differently next time?”). • Begin process of documentation so it becomes routine. • Discuss plans for your second meeting; confirm meeting time and place and assignments to be completed.

50. Review – What do you remember best about each of these topics? • How adults learn • Successful tutoring • What do learners want from a tutor? • As a tutor, what do you want to keep in mind? • Learning styles/differences • First meeting