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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TUTORING
WHO CAN TUTOR? If you are over 18 and can read and speak English, you can tutor after completing either our Basic Reading or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Tutor Training Workshop. No prior teaching or tutoring experience is necessary. The only degree you need is a degree of caring.
HOW AM I ASSIGNED A STUDENT? We match you with a student based on available meeting times, locations, and mutual interest, not on a first-come first-serve basis. VCLC is concerned with creating good learning partners. You should receive your first student assignment soon after completing your training workshop.
WHERE WILL I BE TUTORING? We require you and your student work in a public building, such as the public libraries in Belen, Los Lunas, Bosque Farms or UNM-Valencia Campus. Other possibilities are recreation centers, community and senior citizen centers, and churches.
WHAT WILL I KNOW ABOUT MY STUDENT? In addition to name and contact phone number, we will tell you about your student’s interests, goals, and skill level, when possible. We leave it up to you to contact your student.
DO I HAVE TO SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE TO BE AN ESL TUTOR? No! In fact, most of our tutors do not speak the language of their student. However, an experience you may have had in learning another language will be helpful in understanding your student’s perspective. If you have a beginning ESL student, we will either help you set up the first meeting with your student or give you the number of bilingual contact for your student.
WHERE DO I GET MY TUTORING MATERIALS? VCLC has a library full of tutoring resources that you may borrow. We also have interactive materials such as games, flash cards, checkbook exercises, etc. Our tutor workshops are designed to teach you to work with your student’s own goals, and you will be a nationally certified tutor.
WHAT SUPPORT DO I GET AFTER THE WORKSHOP? Our staff will be happy to answer questions and address concerns. In addition, VCLC offers tutor support meetings as well as in-service workshops on tutoring techniques.
WHAT DOES VCLC EXPECT FROM ME AS A TUTOR? We ask that you commit to working with your student for a minimum of 1 hour per week for 6 months. We also ask that you commit to being a supportive tutor who prepares for lessons, meets regularly, lets the student know if a class must be canceled and returns records of tutoring sessions for our office files and periodic statewide and national reports.
WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN I HELP? Volunteers help with fundraising, recruit new tutors and learners, mentor new tutors and help with clerical work. Without volunteers, we would not be able to offer our services to anyone. If you have a few hours and a skill you would like to volunteer, we need you. Your time and skills will make a difference.
WHAT DO I DO NEXT? Call VCLC at (505) 925-8935 and sign up for the next tutor-training workshop or to volunteer your time! Please call us if you would like a representative of VCLC to speak to your congregation, community group, club, school or office.
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