Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Los Angeles Public Library - Tutor Stories 2011

Tutor Stories
LAPL Newsletter: Summer 2011
Zachary Walter

I recently completed my service with the U.S. Marine Corps and have been preparing for graduate school. During this transition period, I wanted to serve the local community. I love any kind of instruction, whether it is teaching or coaching, so I was excited when I discovered the Adult Literacy Services.

Working with Manoon brings me joy and fulfillment, and I look forward to our meetings every week. He approaches his learning with eagerness, diligence, and humility, and has progressed very well.

Our sessions go beyond me teaching him, and are an exchange of lessons. I admire his devotion to his family and the sacrifice he makes to ensure the success of his children. His values are clear because he lives them. I feel blessed to work with such a humble, genuine, and caring person. He has taught me as much as I have taught him, and I am grateful to have touched Manoon’s life, even if just a little.

John Goldfarb
After retiring last year from my job with the Department of Corrections, I was looking for something fulfilling to do with part of my week when I discovered a link to the Adult Literacy web site.

This soon led me to Coordinator Kathy Hall, then a day of training, and finally to my learner, Maria. Since our first meeting last January, Maria has provided me with a consistent example of cheerful industry in her approach to learning and living. Over the years that she has lived in this country, she has periodically sought out opportunities to improve her English, most recently through Adult Literacy Services.

She spends a significant amount of time preparing for each of our meetings and accepts my feedback on her homework graciously. In working with her, I get the chance to explore fundamental aspects of English that I might have forgotten or taken for granted, and am constantly reminded of the beautiful complexity of the language.

When Maria tells me that her co-workers have commented lately on the greater fluency of her speech, I feel gratified to be a participant in her learning process and a tutor on Kathy Hall’s team. READ MORE !

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