Tutor Training

Adult Learning Principles Andragogy is the art of using specific educational methods for adults. Malcolm Knowles is an educator who brought great understanding to this area. Knowles championed the importance of a learner-centred approach that recognizes key points about adult learners. In addition to the five adult learning principles, a learner-centred approach to adult literacy and foundational learning is one that recognizes these key points about adult learners: Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction. Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for the learning activities. Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal life. Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented. (The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species, copyright 1970 by Malcolm S. Knowles) To read more, visit the Adult Learning Principles blog post.

In contrast to volunteer orientation, volunteer training is specific to the role of volunteer tutor. There are many exceptional resources geared towards preparing volunteer tutors to support adult foundational learners one on one or in small groups. All interactions with prospective volunteers should provide coaching and modeling of the Adult Learning Principles.

Adults need learning that:

• Is self directed
• Builds on their rich store of past experience and knowledge
• Helps them meet their own goals
• Is relevant
• Is practical
• Provides respect

Consider which components of your tutor training and program orientation are mandatory. A volunteer tutor must attend required training before they can expect to be matched with a learner. Examples of required training topics: adult learning principles, adult learners, learning styles, CALP Policy Manual, the Required Programming areas of literacy and foundational learning, and Outcomes-based Measurement and Evaluation.

Ideally, a volunteer training will also include a guest speaker. Invite an experienced volunteer and/or current learner to volunteer training. Ask them to speak about their experience with the program and allow time for questions and answers. The opportunity to hear from a match first-hand about their successes and challenges is often the most reassuring part of the volunteer training. You can help your guest speaker(s) prepare by providing them with the Questions Tutors Commonly Ask handout from Creating Learning Partners.

It is highly recommended that required volunteer trainings stress your CALP policies around:

• Confidentiality/Privacy
• Liability/Insurance
• Budget
• Safety
• Space
• Problem Situations
• Grounds for dismissal
• Importance of establishing boundaries

For example, while you do not need to review your entire CALP budget with volunteer tutors it is important for them to understand what kinds of expenses are eligible within the CALP grant, versus ineligible expenses. Volunteer tutors will appreciate understanding how the CALP grant can be used to alleviate some barriers to learning. 

Preparing to Train Volunteer Tutors

There are a number of great training opportunities and available to you to help you feel confident in training volunteer tutors to support adult foundational learners one on one or in small groups.

Introduction to Adult Foundational Learning

This 13 hour training aligns with the Government of Alberta Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) Policy Manual and is intended to give CALP staff some of the practical tools, skills and resources that will further their success in their roles. Introduction to Adult Foundational Learning takes a hands-on approach to exploring how we can better support adult learners in our communities.

Check for dates and register on the CALP Portal.

Volunteer Tutor Masterclass

This Masterclass will explore the value of volunteers, recruiting, engaging, and retaining them, innovative practices, possibility thinking and so much more. Together, we will leverage our experience and knowledge, explore current trends, share successes and challenges, and acknowledge and celebrate the work that you do. 

For more information, contact your Regional Support Staff or Professional Development Specialist.

Creating Learning Partners Training 

This training offers CALP staff the understanding, tools and resources they need to begin training contracted instructors, facilitators and volunteers to work with adult literacy learners and support foundational learning in their community. This session will focus on Creating Learning Partners (CLP), which is a comprehensive training manual developed by literacy practitioners for Alberta's literacy and learning programs.

For more information, contact your Regional Support Staff or Professional Development Specialist.

Creating Learning Partners Course Pack

This manual contains a series of lessons to train adult literacy tutors. It focuses on one-to-one tutoring, but many activities are adaptable to small group learning. It follows the participatory approach to learning where tutors and learners together design the learning path. Each chapter contains a complete tutor training lesson plan, including handouts, PowerPoint slide content, and facilitation tips.

Download the full manual and supplementary materials from the CALP Portal Resources.

Training for Tutors

Additional training can supplement the volunteer opportunity, but one or more of the following training options should be a requirement of the volunteer tutor program.

Tutor Training

Following the Creating Learning Partners workshop, CALP staff will be able to plan an introductory Tutor Training workshop. While each Tutor Training is customized to reflect the individual CALP, the training will contain content from the following units in the Creating Learning Partners resource. Each unit will help tutors understand:

• Adults as Learners: characteristics of adult learners, strategies to help learning happen and ways to coach learners to become active learners.
  
  
• Learning Styles: incorporating a variety of learning styles, particularly those preferred by the learner, leads to more effective learning.
  
  
• Planning for Learning: preparing for the first meeting with a learner, developing learning plans with learners, creating lesson plans to follow the direction of the learning plan and using learner portfolios to track progress.
  
  
• About Literacy: the importance of literacy in daily life and exploring tutor beliefs about literacy.

ESL Tutor Training

This workshop delivered by Alberta Routes is for participants who are new to the role of Volunteer ESL Tutor. It will orient participants to their role, to the needs of their adult ESL learners, and to relevant materials available online. Participants will learn to design thematic or task based lessons that address learner interests and needs while providing language input, opportunities to practice language skills, and feedback.

For more information, contact your Alberta Routes Advisor.

Tutor Tools

While not intended to function as a tutor training manual, the Tutor Tools booklet is a welcome collection of tips, strategies, tools, tactics, ideas and guidelines that will help tutors approach the teaching with creativity and confidence. Developed specifically for volunteer tutors in Alberta, many adult literacy practitioners and tutors have contributed their own favourites to this resource.

Download this booklet from the CALP Portal Resources.

• Orientation and training can be adapted to train an individual volunteer or small group. This provides a perfect opportunity to model best practices for the volunteers’ own work within the program.
  
  
• Coordinating tutor training with neighboring CALP staff allows coordinators to share the responsibility of training their volunteer tutors. This can be an effective way to build a cohort in regions with small numbers of volunteers while also exposing prospective tutors to the knowledge and experience of multiple coordinators.
  
  
• Your tutors should expect to work with learners on the components of planning for learning: lesson planning and goal setting. Your training should include samples and templates to assist tutors as they embark on these tasks with their learners. Check out the Foundational Learning Lesson Plan handout. 
  
    Sample Learning Plan for Tutors
  
  
• Volunteers will need to establish boundaries within their role as volunteer tutor. It is important to share your organizational philosophy around boundaries at volunteer training. A Volunteer Tutor Agreement can be helpful in establishing boundaries while also protecting a learner’s privacy and confidentiality. Dr. Allan Quigley offers a sample Learning Contract "to encourage the learner to take increasing ownership for their learning".
  
    Volunteer Tutor Agreement Template