Literacy Impacts Everyone!

50 Things My Washtenaw Literacy Learners Have Taught Me

AS: “You have to roll with the punches and never let them knock you down.”

ZH: The Power of Prayer. She will become frustrated, announce that it's time to pray, come back three minutes later and own the material.

JM: The difficulty and burden of obtaining a State I.D.

RK: Critical thinking skills need to be taught at every level.

BV: How much damage even the most well-intentioned parents can cause.

CV: Use Anchor Texts to teach more skills.

BS: All the pop culture I need to watch Jeopardy.

KS: Patience.

KS: If you lose your patience, your learner will remember it.

SN: Make sure your learners gain something tangible during every session, because you never know if it's the last time you'll see them.

KS: But they usually come back eventually.

MG: The systemic racism of the educational system.

CV: How to make fondant flowers.

RW: Tiny youth transgressions can derail a life.

LM: Learners can escape even the most awful circumstances with the right combination of drive, luck, and relationships.

LM: The pure joy of learning.

AC: Persistence can get you far, but everyone needs a little help.

RW: If a learner really wants to read something, levels don't matter.

LC: The importance of saying a person's name when giving praise.

LT: You might be the only person in their life who truly cares about learning.

EJ: Sometimes what they really need is a hug.

FH: The terror of the immigration system.

CV: Use background knowledge for everything.

RW: Everyone needs to be treated with respect.

RW: The most important part of a tutoring session is maintaining a learner's dignity.

JM: You can never practice a skill too many times.

JS: No matter how strong a support system is, sometimes it takes an outsider to help make dreams come true.

KS: Poverty is incredibly expensive.

BB: We're all one closed-head injury away from being a learner.

DT: You can always make a lesson smaller in order for a learner to succeed.

CV: Teach a variety of strategies and let the learner choose.

RK: The injustice of the judicial system.

YJ: Don't blow off lesson planning—learners notice if you're not prepared. They'll forgive you, but don't make a habit of it.

IB: Don't assume anything about a learner's prior knowledge.

KS: Observe everything a learner does to see what might help or hinder their progress.

DP: Take advantage of every opportunity for learners to teach during lessons.

SP: BL learners need speaking and listening skills; ESL learners need reading and writing—teach the skill, not the label.

CV: If your learner wants to read it, it's the right material. Make it work.

JM: Seemingly sensible restrictions and requirements for social services can be overwhelmingly demanding for those that need them most.

KS: Any practice can be turned into a game.

AC: Explicit Instruction works. And sometimes it's the ONLY thing that works.

LT: If you smile and laugh and make it fun, learners won't mind practicing a skill they claim to hate.

FH: Always be prepared with tons of extra work if they ask for it.

JS: Use your learners' passions to teach basic skills; relate grammar, math—anything boring or difficult—to something they love.

MG: Break up the lesson into tiny, manageable bites; if something goes south, you'll have plenty of other options.

LB: If learners are laughing, it's easier for them to learn.

JS: Don't call it algebra. Teach it, practice it, and once it's mastered, then give it that scary label.

KS: Let your learners choose the order of activities throughout the session; they know best what they want to do and when.

All of them: Tutoring is the most fun you can have in a public-private place.

RW: Our learners are incredible role models for courage and resilience and have lived extraordinary lives.