 Statement 2 Tutors leave the initial training session acknowledging that literacy learners have a range of needs, skills and experiences. This recognition of range is heightened through the match, when tutors are faced with learners whose skills and needs were often not anticipated. Many tutors admitted that they didn't feel prepared for tutoring after the training, although several qualified that by stating that "each learner is different so you can't go in prepared for anyone". Training materials, while they recognize the wide variety of learner needs, insist that these can be met using the common sense and through building a trusting relationship: A paragraph in the training book used by the organization states: Since every student is unique, an individual approach is needed for each one...learning must remain in the hands and minds of the learners. They have a lifetime of thoughts that can come pouring out if trust is developed. Reading can be made more complicated than it really is. Rather than relying on methods with which students have not been successful, it is more productive for tutors to think of common sense solutions to individual difficulties (Carpenter, 1986, p.33). This reliance on individual attention to meet a variety of unique needs is transferred from the coordinators to the tutors through the training sessions. The tutors are also aware that the coordinators receive little more training than that the tutors themselves do. While this philosophy legitimizes tutors who have no experience or background in the teaching of reading, learning disabilities or education, it also creates tutors who believe that they can do it on their own. This message downplays the role of advanced training and support or supervision for literacy tutors and is reinforced when tutors are able to advance to coordinator and administrative positions without additional training. |