"You got snowed in Thompkins Landing? Well, welcome to the North!" JOANNE SNYDER said over the telephone brightly. "I'll be over to the motel in a minute. I've got a couple of interviews lined up for you at the Basic Education Centre."
I had worked with Joanne on a number of projects in the past and had come to appreciate her insights and marvellous laugh. I thought it would seem odd to visit Joanne in High Level after our meetings together always having been in Calgary or Edmonton but it wasn't odd at all. When Joanne came to pick me up she looked wonderful; life in the North obviously suited her.
Joanne has been involved in literacy for 9 years, longer than most. She started out as a tutor and program coordinator in Red Deer then worked as the coordinator of literacy programs for offenders and ex-offenders with the John Howard Society in Calgary. Three months ago she accepted a position as the Literacy Program Supervisor for Fairview College Northern Region. Joanne works out of the Adult Basic Education Centre, a trailer which houses the tutoring program, upgrading and ESL classes. She also supervises four paid tutors.
The first person Joanne introduced me to was RITA CAVANAUGH. Originally from Ontario Rita has spent many years in the North, first in the Northwest Territories then in High Level. When I asked Rita how long she has been in High Level she thought for a minute then answered, "This is my 7th winter".
A strong and independent woman, Rita was one of the first tutors hired when the classroom program was established in 1986. "The first year the program was held in a school. The second year we were upstairs in the Legion. The third year we were in this building in classroom 4, last year in classroom I, and this year we're in the same place. This is the first year we didn't have to pack up and move."
"It's the age old story of literacy; we have to 'go to the back of the bus' to make room for other programs. Last year I had this room with four students and now there are two tutors and eight students using this space. But we're managing. There aren't many people in literacy who carry their hang-ups around with them so we all get along well."
I enjoyed Rica's memories of starting out. She had been out of the workforce for 13 years when she applied for the tutor position and although she had extensive experience as a volunteer she had never had formal training as a teacher. She and another paid tutor went through a week of orientation together before meeting their students for the first time.
"On the Monday morning the class began we were really walking a tight rope; we were pretty nervous. On Friday we had a movie and popcorn with the students and when we cooked the popcorn, it flew all over the room. The students all starred to laugh and then we starred to laugh and I said, 'Well, we're learning too'. From then on we were able to build something together."
With her volunteer experience and leadership training through her church, Rita feels she has learned to "bring out the best in each person". Carrying that through to her tutoring role, Rica said, "I'm not as concerned about the academics as much as I am that the students learn to become more independent. I really enjoy basic students. I love to see them be able to read and be able to write but even more, I love when they get to a point where they are able to say 'I don't want to do this, I want to do something else'."