ProLiteracy recommends that programs provide at least 12 hours of training for new volunteers who want to tutor in adult basic education, ESOL, and GED programs. This can seem daunting for churches and small non-profits only offering classes a couple days per week. Thankfully, Thinkfinity Literacy Network offers free, self paced online courses created by ProLiteracy and other affiliates that are the same high quality you would get from an in-person training. Farrell Ink recommends the following process for supporting online tutor training:
- Class observation: 2 hours for prospective tutor to observe student/tutor interaction
- Intake: Sit down with prospective volunteer for an interview and application
- Online Training: Provide computer, internet, & printing capabilities for volunteer to complete online training at your program if they cannot at home (6 hours total)
- Orientation: Provide at least two hours of training about your specific program, forms, and materials
- Mentoring: Match the new volunteer with an experience volunteer for at least two more hours of observation before placing new tutor with a student
I’m about to give away one of my biggest secrets. Most of the following trainings are directly from ProLiteracy’s Training by Design, previously available only to nationally certified adult literacy trainers. Now they are available–for free!–to YOU and are the basis of the modules I use for my popular day-long Saturday new tutor trainings. To sign up, go to Thinkfinity Literacy Networks online courses. Follow the enrollment instructions (you will need an email address). The courses are listed in alphabetical order. I use the modules in this order:
- Succeeding as an Online Learner
- Orientation to Volunteering in Literacy
- Principles of Adult Learning
- Making Math Manageable
- Before, During & After–A Reading Comprehension Technique
- Unleashing Potential Through Multi-Intelligent Literacy Instruction
- Working With Adult Literacy Learners
Don’t forget the rules of online safety! #1: Never share personal identifying information. #2: Always log out. #3: Ask: Who is paying for this? In this case, the content was developed by ProLiteracy and the platform (website) is paid for by the Verizon Foundation. Thinkfinity.org is the cornerstone of Verizon Foundation’s literacy, education and technology initiatives. Their goal is to improve student achievement in traditional classroom settings and beyond by providing high-quality content and extensive professional development training. This free, comprehensive digital learning platform is built upon the merger of two acclaimed programs: Verizon MarcoPolo and the Thinkfinity Literacy Network.
So here comes the next question from those who know I am an educational consultant: why am I sharing this information? Aren’t you putting yourself out of business? No. As a ProLiteracy Certified Adult Literacy Trainer, new tutor training is in highest demand from my clients. It’s cost effective for them: for a few hundred dollars in training, they get volunteer tutoring worth $35-50 per hour. On average, a tutor will help a two hour class for 40 weeks over the course of a year. Most volunteers serve for 3-5 years!
Let’s do the math: $35/hr x 2 hr/class x 40 wks/yr x 3 yrs = $8400 per volunteer tutor!
That’s a great deal for programs and a huge benefit to the community. I’ll repeat that: this is a great benefit to the community. The reason I’m sharing this “secret” is the same reason I started as a volunteer tutor myself five years ago: I fell in love with non-traditional adult education. I have a passion for empowering adults with the lowest skill levels so that they can be included into our society and economy. Tutor training is only one of a thousand ways we can work together to help those who are down and out around us. That leaves 999 other ways I hope to be useful as an educational consultant!
