Creating Learning Partners: A facilitator’s guide for training effective adult literacy tutors

Activity A

Welcome

Use any icebreaker you have on hand to help put people at ease. You may have already asked why they want to tutor, but if you have a group, they might want to discuss why they are volunteering and share some of their background experiences.

Icebreaker, reflection, discussion
Materials and equipment An icebreaker of your choice Coloured paper, coloured markers Preparation Make copies of the icebreaker as needed. Cut 8½" x 11" sheets of coloured paper into thirds. STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS Welcome tutors. Use an icebreaker of your choice. To engage the attention of tutors, you could ask them to let you know what curiosities and questions they bring to this workshop. If you have more than one person, you could ask them to first speak in pairs so that you model the value of mutual connections. You could give tutors slips of coloured paper (8½" x 11" sheets cut into thirds) and ask them to record key words from their conversations using coloured markers. Ask them to record just one idea per sheet and to make sure others can read them easily. When you come back together, you can collect one sheet from each pair and then continue rounds until you have added all the ideas. Place the sheets in a space everyone can see (on a table, on the floor if you are standing in a circle, or on a wall). You can ask the group to cluster the sheets into categories, creating one header card to identify the common thread in each cluster. You can then link the rest of the presentation back to their interests. If you are comfortable being flexible, you could use the categories they named to present your information, adding any items they did not identify. This activity adds time to the orientation but it grounds your presentation and makes it more interactive, increasing the likelihood of people absorbing what you have to share. It also models the value of first asking people about their interests in any learning situation.

Icebreaker, reflection, discussion

Materials and equipment

An icebreaker of your choice
Coloured paper, coloured markers

Preparation

Make copies of the icebreaker as needed.
Cut 8½" x 11" sheets of coloured paper into thirds.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Welcome tutors.
Use an icebreaker of your choice.
To engage the attention of tutors, you could ask them to let you know what curiosities and questions they bring to this workshop. If you have more than one person, you could ask them to first speak in pairs so that you model the value of mutual connections.
You could give tutors slips of coloured paper (8½" x 11" sheets cut into thirds) and ask them to record key words from their conversations using coloured markers. Ask them to record just one idea per sheet and to make sure others can read them easily. When you come back together, you can collect one sheet from each pair and then continue rounds until you have added all the ideas.
Place the sheets in a space everyone can see (on a table, on the floor if you are standing in a circle, or on a wall). You can ask the group to cluster the sheets into categories, creating one header card to identify the common thread in each cluster. You can then link the rest of the presentation back to their interests.
If you are comfortable being flexible, you could use the categories they named to present your information, adding any items they did not identify. This activity adds time to the orientation but it grounds your presentation and makes it more interactive, increasing the likelihood of people absorbing what you have to share. It also models the value of first asking people about their interests in any learning situation.