A Second First Impression

Guest Blogger: Kelly O'Dell

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher. I had a beautiful picture in my head—me surrounded by smiling kindergarteners. There would be show and tell. There would be duck-duck-goose. There would be story time.

It looked a lot like the “Do-Re-Me” montage from The Sound of Music.

I was enthralled with my little-red-schoolhouse of a dream. I was enthralled, that is, until I headed to college. Why did they require me to take that dreadful early education math class? Where were the picture books, the pipe cleaners, and the nap mats? When was I gonna get to the good stuff?

It took two semesters for me to figure out that teaching was not going to be my happily ever after.

Maybe that’s why I felt so out of place at my first tutor training session. I am not a teacher, and I will never be a teacher. Thankfully, my second tutor training session taught me that I don’t have to be a teacher to do my part.

Though one-on-one tutoring is probably not in my future, I can be of use in a classroom. CLC classes are taught by real teachers—men and women who most certainly attended their math classes. They know what they’re doing, and they won’t expect me to bite off more than I can chew. In most cases, the teacher will tell me exactly what I need to do to help.

In a classroom, I’ll get to be the crew; I won’t have to be the captain.

That doesn’t mean the information given at these initial training sessions wasn't important. I’ll need to be at least a little familiar with the materials and strategies I could encounter in a CLC classroom (word families, decoding, and homemade flashcards). And I certainly wouldn’t want to jump into an adult learning environment without knowing what adult learners expect from a tutor (respect, patience, and unyielding positivity).

So, I’m gonna give it a try. I’ll be assigned a location and a schedule; I’ll observe a class or two; and I’ll use what I’ve learned to add my own little ripple to the sea of educators, volunteers, and students who are determined to diminish adult illiteracy.

I can’t wait to get started.

A World of Words

Guest Blogger: Kelly O'Dell

I don’t remember learning to read. I only know that books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. And, when I imagine illiteracy, I imagine a life without those books. No Jane Eyre. No Pride and Prejudice. No Lord of the Rings.

Tonight, at my very first tutor training session, I learned that novels are only the tip of a colossal iceberg.

Our world is a maze of forms, signs, and computer screens—a maze that’s nearly impossible to navigate without reading skills. Job applications, recipes, even self-service gas pumps are obstacles for a non-reader. And they’re not obstacles to classic literature. They’re obstacles to everyday life.

That’s why places like CLC are so important. That’s why I’m more compelled than ever to help.

Even so, I’m intimidated by the stacks of instructional materials that were presented in tonight’s session. I’m intimidated by the teacher types who showed up to sharpen their tutoring skills. I’m intimidated by phonics, word families, and something called “decoding.”

It’s a wonder I ever learned to read in the first place.

But, I’m going back. As difficult as it will be for me to learn to teach, I know that it must be doubly difficult for an adult to ask to be taught. And I intend to keep my end of the bargain.