6. What is adult literacy?
Before we continue, let's study a definition of adult literacy.
As you can see, the definition of adult literacy is fluid and changes over time. These days, the definition of literacy and numeracy includes the skills learned in technology-rich classroom environments.
- Literacy can mean many things to many people. A literate, well-educated person from 1946 would find it difficult to decipher some of today's contracts, medical information, or office manuals, especially those pertaining to technology.
- Attitude also plays an important role in adult literacy. An adult who manages to make a decent wage will often not view himself as illiterate until he faces a crisis, such as an impending job layoff, or has made a life-threatening error, such as giving his child an incorrect dosage of medication.
- Some individuals feel such a deep sense of shame about their inability to read or write that they go to great lengths to hide their illiteracy from friends and family. In this instance, confidentiality is extremely important.
Adult Motivation
Regardless of their level of education, adults lead busy lives. No matter how highly motivated their are to learn, adult learners will put family- or job-related obligations ahead of their tutoring sessions and reading assignments.The idea is to keep your student long enough to help them reach their literacy goals.
Adults vote with their feet and drop out if their needs are not being met. It is essential to establish a meaningful connection with your student so that he is motivated to return, even when hitting a rough patch. A tutor can accomplish this by:
Adults vote with their feet and drop out if their needs are not being met. It is essential to establish a meaningful connection with your student so that he is motivated to return, even when hitting a rough patch. A tutor can accomplish this by:
1. Creating an atmosphere of respect.
2. Making learning interesting, enjoyable, or relevant.
3. Creating challenging learning experiences.
4. Setting your student up for success through explicit instruction, clear direction, and knowing his comfort level.
A similar pattern exists for tutors, who, like their adult students, need support and encouragement from literacy program staff after training. They also need to feel a sense of accomplishment in helping students reach their literacy goals, and a sense of community, where they can learn and exchange ideas with other tutors.
Optional: Read the following article, Powerful Motivation: This long-Time Tutor Is Motivated by Helping Learners by Will Summers at: www.ncsall.net/?id=731.
What made this seasoned tutor eager to keep going? Keeping this article in mind, please complete the following assignment.
Optional: Adults in modern society are on a lifelong educational journey. This site by Raymond J. Wlodkowski offers many tips on how to motivate adults, help them develop positive attitudes, and cultivate their interest and curiosity.
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| Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation |
Optional: Watch the TED video (18 min), The Puzzle of Motivation by Dan Pink (click on link), in which he examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. He provides illuminating stories — and maybe, a way for us to motivate our adult students through autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Required Assignment
Post your observations to one of the following statements as a "comment." Then read what others have to say.
257 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 257 of 257What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring?
A lack of proper training and/or support from the literacy group I am working with would be the number one thing that might make me want to quit as a tutor. Other factors include if I feel like I am not being helpful to the learner, if I feel like the learner(s) are not willing to commit to our agreed upon meeting schedule, or if other responsibilities and obligations begin to be neglected because of my participation as a tutor.
Thinking about these things make me realize that a learner might quit for the same reasons: a lack of support or inadequate instruction, if a tutor is unwilling to commit to the agreed meetings, if a learner's other obligations and responsibilities begin to be neglected because of the time and effort they are putting into learning.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor?
We are both self motivated and have goals in mind in a way that, when tutoring a child, a child does not.
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring?
Stressors at the home or work, feeling down and like you can't win (These were some of my problems in school which made me question what I was doing.)
How would these factors compare to an adult student's reason for staying in a program or quitting it?
I think they would be pretty close, because family and work are two huge parts of everyone's life, and when something happens there, you have to focus on it. But perhaps, since adults are very driven when it comes to goals, they would overcome it.
I get great satisfaction from watching a person who has a desire to learn finally "get it". A reason why I would want to quit is if there is no desire on the part of the learner. Even if their desire is small at the beginning, I hope I could give enough encouragement to cause the learner to want to complete the course.
From a beginner's mind here, I would have to comment that several factors could help or hinder the tutoring process. More than identifying tutor-adult learner expectations going into the learning space, gaining trust through positive feedback and check-in at the beginning and end will be critical at every stage of the 1:1 collaboration. Although I am new at this, it would seem to me that literacy is a process. I am also realizing that it could be more of an emotional one for the adult learner.
Students can give up out of frustration with how difficult it can be to read or possibly due to a breakdown in the relationship with their tutors.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor?
There are occasions we need to apply a bit of will power to get out of a warm bed on a frosty morning or go to that dental appt we are dreading. If my adult learner is lethargic then it will take more out of me to inspire and motivate (which is part of my job) Of course the upside is that the learner is in attendance, despite the low enthusiasm. Conversely, if I am lethargic as a tutor then I will certainly demotivate the learner and s/he may not return. Applying will power to project positivity to the learner should not be underestimated and takes energy to sustain and be effective.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor?
The role of motivation runs parallel to the success of the student in any program. Persistence is a close second. Just as I have a keen understanding of my motivational factors, it's paramount that I gain a similar understanding of my learners motivational factors. In doing so, I can modify my instructional delivery to enable maximum achievement for my students.
Persistence and tenacity are attitudes/sentiments, not skills or knowledge. Instructing to develop these attitudes in my learners means getting to know them and in turn, they will get to know me and thus, eliminate barriers caused by anxiety or discomfort.
In addition to acquiring an important life skill, imagine if you were unable to read a loving birthday message from your favorite niece or a note of encouragement from your grandmother. The desire to become literate can often come from personal reasons and not to obtain advancement in the workplace. Discovering what motivates a particular student in a 1:1 environment would certainly contribute to his/her longevity and success in the program.
Factor for dropping out of tutoring:
No support from the program for which I am working
Illness
If the Summers link did not work - try this one - http://www.ncsall.net/index.php@id=731.html
I would drop out of tutoring if I thought that the adult learner really wasn't that serious about improving him/her self and my time was wasted and could be spend better on another person or project.
My reasons for potentially dropping out of tutoring probably closely mirror those that would cause someone to stop taking lessons. For example, work related demands, collapse in the relationship between the two of us, family demands, lack of transport etc.
I know I would be more dedicated and involved if my student has a strong desire. However, if they do not I know it is my job to not lose motivation and help them achieve their goals.
I think my desire to tutor matches my participant's desire to learn in that we both are engaging in an activity in which we want to improve some sort of skill that we deem important.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor?
I think that the more motivation the student has to learn and to excel during the sessions the more I am going to continue tutoring. This will motivate me to put more time in creating lesson plans and work harder.
If I were an adult receiving tutoring in reading/writing, I think I would give up if the results were not obvious or forthcoming. However, sometimes "results" could simply be encouragement from a tutor. As a tutor, there's often a sense of "immediate gratification" when serving students (it gives us joy to be helping others), so we tutors must remember that our students also need a timely sense of accomplishment, even if it is through praise and recognition from the tutor.
I wonder.
I think that adult students who have made the effort to be tutored have made being functionally literate a goal for various reasons. I am sure that trying to function in today's society illiterate must be overwhelmingly difficult on the practical side and very frustrating personally. I wonder if their desire to change their situation has become more of an ends to the means situation, which is almost the opposite of why I am looking forward to being a tutor.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor? Just as I have a strong desire to tutor and make a positive difference in someone's life, my student also is excited and desirous to change his/her own life. However, as I see enthusiasm and motivation in my student decline, my own motivation to press on also can tend to decrease.
I believe the biggest factor in someone dropping out would be the feeling of not being successful or progressing. If I felt like I was not improving or learning than I would not want to make the effort or try anymore. Other factors like family, job and health can always lead to someone dropping out, but I believe not feeling successful would be a major reason for leaving.
1. We both want to see them progress! We both are (hopefully) dedicated to this idea.
2. Being overwhelmed by balancing this on top of my personal life and work. If a personal crisis arises.
3. We are both adults with lives, families and friends. We both care about the student's progress, but life happens and other things can end up taking precedence over this program.
If they see that you're committed, they will more likely be committed too.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor? My desire to tutor derives from my passion for making a positive impact on my community, whether it is through mentoring, tutoring, or just volunteering in general. This motivation comes from deep down, with motive that pushes me to do what I do. My adult learner's motivation comes from wanting to learn to help themselves, their family, and possibly even their friends.
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring? Factors to take into consideration would be the level of difficulty in my classes, changes in my work schedule, and studying for finals.
How would these factors compare to an adult student's reason for staying in a program or quitting it? An adult student's reasons would be very similar to mine with work, family, and kids.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor?
We both understand the importance of literacy and how important it is for a person to be literate in today's society
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring?
Learning to read at an older age is difficult because of time, fear of failing, and embarrassment of asking for help. By admitting that they cannot read, they are often admitting to their most embarrassing secret.
How would these factors compare to an adult student's reason for staying in a program or quitting it?
As an inconvenience, that could easily motivate a student. By making sure you encourage the student, they can see it as a positive rather than be embarrassed. Keeping a student motivated through positive reinforcement, they can overcome any negative factors that may otherwise interfere with their learning.
Reasons for "dropping out" of tutoring:
1. Schedule conflict
2. More time consuming than anticipated.
3. Frustration with student's lack of progress.
4. Feels like a waste of time because the student attends erratically and/or doesn't complete assignments.
A student might drop-out of tutoring for the very similar reasons:
1. Schedule conflict due to job hours, child care demands, etc.
2. Student thought they'd accomplish their goal in a much shorter period of time.
3. Learning to read is harder than anticipated, and progress is slow.
4. Tutor frequently reschedules and doesn't seem to have a plan for the session.
Reasons for "dropping out" of tutoring:
1. Schedule conflict
2. More time consuming than anticipated.
3. Frustration with student's lack of progress.
4. Feels like a waste of time because the student attends erratically and/or doesn't complete assignments.
A student might drop-out of tutoring for the very similar reasons:
1. Schedule conflict due to job hours, child care demands, etc.
2. Student thought they'd accomplish their goal in a much shorter period of time.
3. Learning to read is harder than anticipated, and progress is slow.
4. Tutor frequently reschedules and doesn't seem to have a plan for the session.
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring? Likely the same as would cause my students to drop out! Unanticipated Health crises, unexpected family obligations. But once I make an obligation to another person, I am in it for the long haul. And I am determined to help others attain basic literacy skills. I didn't learn to read until I was in my late teens/early 20's and I know how much that held me back. I am super motivated to help others over come this obstacle in their lives, and honestly, it is hard for me to imagine what would cause me to drop out. This is work I have been doing for all of my adult life, so, after all these years, I haven't left it yet...
The learners goal is my goal. Hopefully the learner will see success and want to continue.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor?
I think we both want to learn. The adult learner may have specific skills they need, such as how to fill out a job application, driver's license, etc. or they may be working towards a high school diploma or GED. As for me, I just want to give back to my community. Reading and writing is such a huge part of my life and I want to share that love with others.
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring?
The only thing that would cause me to drop out would be if either my participant repeatedly didn't show up for his or her session or if some kind of life issue got in the way, such as a major illness or something else that interferred.
How would these factors compare to an adult student's reason for staying in a program or quitting it?
I think adult students will stay in the program if they're motivated to meet their goals and they are enjoying their tutoring sessions. If they are bored or distracted or life interferes, they might drop out.
Recently retired and starting to look for volunteer opportunities that give me a sense of accomplishment brought me to this program. I enjoyed the teaching aspect of being an Occupational Therapist and thought this would be a good fit. I would think that tutors and adult learners would quit for similar reasons such as family obligations, changes in availability due to health etc. Also if you feel both as tutor or student that you are not being successful or effective in efforts to gaining literacy. But i would hope that would motivate the tutor to seek advice and guidance from more experienced tutors to try to help both reengage in the process.
I would likely drop out of tutoring if I was trying my best but not learning, which could indicate a poor tutor. Another demotivator would be if the tutor was not patient and understanding, or came across as arrogant. Finally, I might drop out if things I considered more pressing obligations got in the way.
I would drop out if I was not being helpful.
Time is the main factor that would cause me to drop out of tutoring. Just like everyone else there is only so much time in the day. This is why staying motivated and working on time management skills is so important. As long as tutoring remains something I'm passionate about, I will make the time to do it.
To me, all three questions pivot on establishing a sense of shared mission and commitment with one's student. If these are present, then the reasons for dropping out by either person are likely to be limited to logistical problems due, for example, to health issues, loss of transportation, relocation or other major life change, or, in the case of the student, lack of time (as tutors, we will already have made the time commitment so this should not be an issue absent unexpected intervening factors).
I would drop out of tutoring if I felt that my efforts were useless. I think that most people want to feel like they are making progress toward a goal.
I think that if a student were to drop out of literacy tutoring, it could be because they are not "getting it" as quickly as they would like to, or because of reasons outside of the tutoring experience, like work obligations. A tutor may drop out because they feel like an ineffective tutor and may be ashamed of that.
I imagine both student and tutor are motivated to some extent by visible progress, and an understanding of the critical and transformative impact of achieving literacy.
I would consider dropping out of tutoring if I felt like I was not connecting with the adult learner or if the learner was not committed to the tutoring. Both parties need to buy into the work that will be involved to meet the learner's goals.
I am passionate about helping adults learn to read. The more motivated they are to learn, the more it will ignite my passion to teach them.
One reason someone might drop out is because of a learning disability.
Lack of progress can one of the main issues that causes a student to drop out
If I felt ineffective as a tutor, and rarely saw any progress from my students, I would surely become discouraged and question whether I had chosen the wrong vocation. Similarly, a student is sure to become disinterested if they feel that they are not progressing as a learner.
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring?
The students desire to attend parallels my desire to tutor in that we both seek to enrich our lives in meaningful ways.
I believe motivation affects the success of both the tutor and the student simply because both must have the same goal which is for the student to succeed therefore both must sacrifice time and effort for that to occur.
I am motivated to attend tutoring sessions because I do not have any experience working with adult learners and want to be prepared. Reading is one of my favorite things to do which is a strong motivator for helping others reach their literacy goals. The ability to read opens doors for people that they may not otherwise have access. Learning is important for not only the student but the tutor as well because we all have areas of opportunity to improve. It is important to invest time and effort into learning how to be an effective tutor to help the student reach his or her literacy goals.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor? - I want to see others succeed. I want them to be stronger, healthier, more successful versions of themselves, because I believe that service and giving back when I have been blessed in so many ways is very important. And I also believe in dedication to my word. I hope that students want those same things for themselves, and the motivation that they have to lead a better life, and succeed in whatever specifically drove them to increase their ability to read late in life, keeps them dedicated to the process.
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring? - Change in work schedule, family emergency related to children or parents, health situation, or loss of access to transportation. Many different things could push someone to stop doing something already time consuming and difficult.
How would these factors compare to an adult student's reason for staying in a program or quitting it? - That depends on their goals. If the goal is to pass a certification test at work and that job is downsized, then the motivation may go out the window. But if the challenge is transportation related and the motivation remains intact, then the student very well may continue to push against the odds to increase their learning potential.
How does your adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions parallel your desire to tutor?
An adult learner's motivation to attend tutoring sessions will depend on their commitment to the goal of literacy. I want to tutor in order to help an adult learner to read. Through this common goal their motivation parallels my desire to tutor.
I think success will be dependent on this parallel goal be recognized by both (tutor and learner) and remembered through the successes and challenges of the learning/tutoring process.
The enthusiasm and dedication of the tutor will definitely parallel the adult student’s desire to attend tutoring. When a teacher is positive and shows she loves teaching and cares about her student’s learning, it will be reflected in her student. The lack of this mindset in a tutor would be a huge reason for an adult student to drop out. Of course there are many other reasons that would make attendance difficult for them like transportation, time due to working or family, and health. Since these types of factors would be outside of a tutors control, it is extremely important a tutor focuses on what is within their control...their attitude, positivity, and dedication.
As an adult, I willing signed a contract that obligates me to tutor an adult learner that comes across my desk. It is my job to help my student. As an adult learner, they have an obligation to their-self . It is their job to make goals and find a means of meeting those goals. Together, we can discuss those goals and come up with a plan to reach those goals. It is my job to create the details of that plan and teach it; on the other hand, it is the learners job to be receptive of those plans and work to reach them. Slow progress is still progress in my mind. I want the learner to realize that just by coming to tutoring, they are putting up a fight within themselves against illiteracy.
Taking the step to reach out for tutoring lets me know the student has a desire to improve. I'll definitely match (more than likely exceed) his/her level of motivation to make sure goals are met!
1. Initially, the level of motivation of the learner can inspire, or not, the tutor's level of motivation.
2. Schedule conflicts; other obligations that may unexpectedly occur.
3. These factors could be the same for both, but there could be others, and should be respectfully accepted.
What factors do you think would cause you to drop out of tutoring?
Frustration, not feeling as if my efforts were going anywhere.
I hope that both the learner and I would be equally motivated and not drop out of the experience. However, if I could not connect with the learner or believed that I could not adequately help the learner reach his goals then I think I would have to reconsider this particular relationship as it may not be a good match. I think it is important that both parties stay focused on the goals and leaving the arrangement such only be a last resource.
Dottie Taylor
My desire to teach parallels to the adult learner's motivation to attend each session with the purpose of achieving goals in everyday living My goal is to be prepared as well as be patient and reassuring in the process of learning, and I will promote reading as well as recognize strengths and weaknesses.
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