Become a Master tutor

The Kalamazoo Literacy Council (KLC) is looking for experienced tutors to join the Adult Tutoring Program Team as Assessors, Friendly Connectors, and Tutor Trainers. The ATP Team is the volunteer leadership of the KLC. Without “Master Tutors,” the KLC would not be able to train volunteer tutors, provide assessments for new students, or effectively match tutors with students.

Friendly connector

Role: To oversee activities associated with making and maintaining appropriate and productive tutor/student matches. These include maintaining contact with tutors quarterly to assess if the matches are progressing well and meeting monthly with the Program Staff to coordinate Tutor/Student activities for the Adult Tutoring Program.

Qualifications:

  • Good computer and communication skills
  • Has served as a Tutor
  • Time available to manage tutor/student correspondence.

Required Training: Trainees meet with the Tutor/Student Coordinator and other Friendly Connectors to become familiar with the match process before being given a caseload of tutors and students.

Commitment: 5-8 hours per week

Assessor

Role: To assess incoming adult students to determine their reading and writing level, analyze their reading needs, and provide guidance for the tutor matched with the student.

Qualifications:

  • Trained in Laubach and Challenger
  • At least 100 hours of tutoring experience (experience with multiple students is beneficial )
  • Excellent communication skills

Required Training: Prospective Assessors are provided with Laubach, Diagnostic Inventory Teacher’s Manual and the Challenger Placement Tool. There is a “shadowing” period in which the Trainee observes the process on three occasions. Trainees will learn how to complete written reports of assessments.

Commitment: 5-8 hours per week

Tutor trainer

Role: To teach prospective volunteer tutors the Laubach, Challenger, and how to work with an adult student who has been assessed for services by the KLC.

Qualifications:

  • Experience with teaching the Laubach and Challenger
  • Familiarity with the four levels of Laubach
  • Ability to speak clearly
  • Enthusiasm for teaching

Required Training: Each prospective trainer will be provided with teaching materials. You will receive a schedule of what is taught in a particular time frame during each session. Each prospective trainer should attend the planning session for the tutor training workshops. Prospective trainers will be worked into teaching very gradually. Initially, the new trainer will be given some of the easier assignments before teaching more intensive assignments.

Commitment: 5-8 hours per week (when preparing for quarterly training workshops)