Becoming a volunteer tutor can be a rewarding experience. This section of the orientation outlines the steps you will need to take as you start your journey to becoming a volunteer tutor as well as some points to consider along the way.

Training Requirement

• Anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer tutor are strongly encouraged (and in some cases required) to participate in a tutor-training program called Training Effective Literacy Tutors (T.E.L.T.). The training will usually last anywhere from 10 to 16 hours depending on the community. At this time, the training is being offered through your local literacy provider, contact the tutor coordinator to find out the details.
• Currently, Oregon Literacy, Inc. (OLI) and the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD) are working together to re-design this training into a modular format. This new training, called Literacy Instruction for Tutors or LIFT will be implemented fall of 2006! OLI and the CCWD also plan to make the new training available online.

Finding a Literacy Program

• There are hundreds of literacy programs located across the state of Oregon that can be found at community colleges and community based organizations.
• Community colleges have an Adult Basic Education department, which houses the volunteer tutoring program.
• Community-based organizations also offer literacy services - these may be independent or housed in a church or other social services agency.
• Click here for a list of all of Oregon Literacy, Inc.'s program affiliates throughout the state of Oregon.
• If you would like help finding a literacy program in your area please call our toll free Literacy Line (1-800-322-8715) and we will be more than happy to provide you with all of the information you need to get started working with a program!

• After participating in training, you will be ready to meet with your student for the first time. As a new volunteer tutor who has recently completed the training, you will first meet with your program's tutor coordinator.
• Many coordinators across the state are volunteers or part time staff. It is the coordinator's responsibility to match tutors with students. Tutor coordinators consider the tutor's schedule and availability, training, and instructional interest as much as they possibly can when working to create tutor/student pairs. The more flexible you are with your time and student preferences, the more quickly students are able to receive instruction.
• The tutor coordinator will match you with a student and in many cases provide some background information on the level at which the student has been assessed and can provide you with some resources with which you and your student may work. The tutor coordinator may also be able to provide you with some information about the student's goals for the tutoring sessions.
• In some cases, your program's tutor coordinator may be available to meet with you and your student for the first meeting. Regardless, the first meeting with your student is an exciting culmination of the training and other preparatory steps you have taken.

• The best tutors are committed to the students they serve and the service they provide. Part of the commitment to tutoring involves being prepared for each lesson, tracking meetings with the student and in some cases helping to assess student progress.

• Lesson Planning can be an extremely helpful tool when preparing to meet with your student. There are many formats and methods for developing a lesson plan. What is most important is to create a plan for the lesson that will work best for you and your student. The lesson plan can help inform what materials you will need to bring to the lesson, how much time should be spent on each activity and the general flow of the tutoring session. A well written lesson plan can really make the learning experience for your student an enjoyable one.

• In many programs, the tutor coordinator will do the initial assessment for your student. In some programs, the coordinator may ask for your help in tracking the on-going progress of your student. This may require you to track the hours of instruction you have provided and the student's progress toward their goals. This information is sometimes used to provide information for funding purposes. In addition to hours and progress tracking, you will want to check in often with your student and identify any of the learning goals that they may have. You will want to help your student with goal setting, and remind them often of the goals they have accomplished.

"Each person that enters the program, they know what they want, they just don't know how to get there. If it's to read to their grandchildren or fill out an application, the tutor can give them clues on how to find these goals. As you're learning, your goals change. For me, I needed to fill out a job application, but my goals kept getting higher and higher. After six months in the program I tested out at 6th grade level. I just wanted to get to high school level. And once I hit high school, then I wanted to get my GED."
   - Judy Z., ABE student

• As a tutor, you will want to develop a set of standards for working effectively with all the students whose lives you will impact. The National Tutoring Association provides a Code of Ethics. You may want to adopt these ethics, or develop your own standards for effective and equitable instruction:
1. I will keep all information about the student whom I am assigned confidential.
2. I will be on time for tutoring appointments, not only out of courtesy, but to be a good example for my student to follow.
3. I will maintain accurate records of tutoring sessions as expected and required.
4. I will give honest feedback to the student I serve and will not insult him or her with false hope or empty flattery.
5. I will show respect for my student's cultural background and personal value system.
6. I understand that my role as a tutor is to never do the student's work for him or her.
7. I recognize that I may not have all the answers to student questions. In this event, I will seek assistance in finding the correct information.
8. I will respect my student's personal dignity at all times.
9. I understand that my ultimate goal is to assist my student to become an independent learner.
10. I understand that my relationship to the student is professional and not personal.
11. I will share any concerns I have with my supervisor.


• The National Tutoring Association Tutor Code of Ethics is copyrighted by the National Tutoring Association, all rights reserved 2003. The National Tutoring Association Code of Ethics may be reprinted with acknowledgment to The National Tutoring Association who owns all rights.
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