CHAMBERSBURG- The LIU12 Franklin County Literacy County is a non-profit organization that provides free adult education for community members. Their services include teaching basic math, reading, and English language skills. Among the LIU staff are volunteer tutors, who help to teach English as a second language.
As tutors, these volunteers help students learn basic English that allow them to navigate daily life. By attending classes, students learn to better communicate with their work colleagues, medical professionals, and the school system. It is a tutor’s duty to ensure that a student meets their learning goals.
When asked about his responsibilities, tutor Robert Connors stated, “I always emphasize the need to my students to read, write, listen, and speak English in order to learn English. All four components are necessary, and I incorporate them into each lesson. As a tutor, I also try to get to know my students and understand the day-to-day problems or opportunities that they are encountering in their daily lives and at their workplaces, without being too intrusive.” He continued, “I then can try to help them learn the appropriate English to resolve some of these issues, however, I don’t act as a guidance counselor where professional services are required. I refer those cases to higher authority within FCLC so that the appropriate professional resources can be brought to bear.”
Additional responsibilities include accounting for each student’s individual skill level and learning needs. Tutors must also find engaging and creative ways to present learning material. They do all this and more because they cherish their students.
One tutor, Michael Donkin, said that the most rewarding part of teaching was seeing the look on his students’ faces when they understood new material. For Sue, another tutor at the
FCLC, it was watching her students’ progress. According to Connors, it was providing the skills needed to make a positive difference in students’ lives.
Finally, the tutors were asked what advice they would give to future tutors. Connors pointed out that teaching English to non-English speaking students is challenging, since it is one of the most difficult languages to learn. When teaching, he recommends aiming for small accomplishments. For example, he has introduced phonetics into his lessons so that his students can improve their pronunciation of English words and sentences.
His statement shows that it is important to remember that teaching is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. So long as the students can make a little bit of progress each day, they will eventually be able to achieve their goals. As Donkin says, “Be patient. Be creative. Be positive. Have fun.”
Thanks to their efforts, the LIU12 FCLC can serve students in need. However, there is still room for growth. As of now, the FCLC has over twenty potential students waiting for the council to have the space to serve them. Gaining more tutors is the key to expanding their services. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, go to https://www.applitrack.com/lincoln12/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Volunteers to apply or call 504-4459 Ext. 3504 for more information
