Practitioner and Peer Empowerment

Barbara, who has been attending Basic Literacy classes for seven years, has picked up on the initial and perhaps the most important message tutors and teachers offer entering adult students: “I believe in you. I believe you can do this.” Having been both a GED student and a GED teacher, Sophia understands that adults need support as much as they need instruction. She says: “My heart goes out to adults who decide they want to come back to school. You have to give them incentive. You tell them: ‘You can do it.’”

This is a message that can be caught as well as taught for “I can” is activated by “You can!” At the beginning of adult literacy involvement, students know this instinctively; at completion, they realize it consciously. Marcia expresses it extremely well:

We need to have someone that is caring and understands and listens to us because for the first time in our lives, we are admitting to another person, we don’t read. We need to know that that in the beginning of our tutoring, we are actually touching base with the tutor of trust. We need to know that if we can trust that person, we can learn from that person. If we cannot trust that person, we’re not going to learn anything.

Benny provides us with the following example of how an adult education teacher can empower an ESL learner.

When I came into this country, I could speak no English. I only spoke Spanish. I was given the opportunity to go to the schools which was a big deal in my life because they are very interested to help me to learn English, especially with Bonnie… She talked to me. I explained to her what was going on according to what has happened to me. She told me ‘Don’t worry Benny. English is not an easy language to learn.’ If you want it, you can do it. Keep going!

In eight years, Anna went from being a GED student to being an adult education staff member. She describes this process of affirmation from the point of view of student and counselor.

What I think I like mostly about the community learning center is you sit down and you see students come in and they are like, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do this,’ very much like myself when I came in to get a GED. Joan (her teacher) had her foot literally up my butt, saying, ‘yes, you can do this.’ Now I would like to, in turn, turn students’ lives around in helping them pursue their goals. I see them say: ‘I can’t do this, Anna.’ I’m saying, ‘Yes you can, yes you can. You can do anything you set your mind to.’ Just empowering them.

Adult Theory in Practice

This tradition of encouraging and empowering adult learners carries over to the classroom or tutoring situation. Basic literacy students and other learners in need of acceptance and support were most likely to speak specifically and in detail about their tutors and teachers. Oliver, who began tutoring after a head injury later in life, said: “I had to relearn everything; reading, writing, math, handwriting. With Sheila. She’s a good teacher… People have to understand each person they teach.”

Dennis, a basic literacy student who lacked support from his family, appreciated the personal attention of his tutor: “I’ll talk with my tutor, before or after class. We’re real comfortable with each other, and we can talk about anything.” Conrad, who had real doubts about his ability to learn to read, indicated an obligation to succeed in order to repay a volunteer tutor’s investment in him: “This is a lady who is giving up her time. She’s not getting paid for it. She’s giving up her evenings to teach me how to read. I felt I had the responsibility at least to go to class.” Henry, who fled an abusive home for a life on the streets, believes his whole life was changed by his ABE experience. He regards his teacher as a friend and a mentor: