Make time at the beginning or end of each session for your learner to discuss any challenges or concerns he might be experiencing. Allowing time at the beginning of your session for your learner to talk about his concerns will help clear his mind for learning. Always take time to be an empathetic listener.
Your role as a tutor is not to be a social worker, but to help your learner develop problemsolving skills. If you share some of your own concerns, you will show yourself as a regular human being who has challenges like everyone else. You might want to share how you resolved a concern or challenge as a model for your learner.
You can link your learner’s concerns or challenges to literacy activities. For instance, you might help him find out about a particular issue by researching it using the computer, library, newspapers and other resources. Depending on the concern, you may want to help him draft letters or decide what to say in either face-to-face meetings or telephone conversations. You may want to role-play the conversations. You can help him determine which agencies or other organizations could offer help. Then you could work with your learner to find the contact information for those agencies. Where possible, you and your learner could research together how he could find others dealing with similar challenges.
For example, you could help your learner link up with people dealing with addictions, family violence, parenting issues and/or depression. This can give your learner a sense of being connected and could help him gain some power and hope.
Remember that the learner needs to “own” his challenges and concerns as well as any changes he wants to make. You cannot be the one to solve your learner’s concerns.
You could use some form of art or journal writing in your sessions. This may provide a way for your learner to express some of the issues that are bothering him.
If you are concerned about the information your learner shares with you about a particular problem or concern, talk to your coordinator.
Handout 4.3