FAQs

Frequently Asked Tutoring Questions

What is Fond du Lac Literacy Services (FLS)?
It is an independent nonprofit organization, an accredited affiliate of ProLiteracy America and Wisconsin Literacy, governed by a volunteer board of directors. The mission is to affect community-wide change by improving individual literacy skills and increasing literacy awareness in Fond du Lac County.

What programs are offered by FLS?
FLS offers basic literacy instruction to native English speakers and to those for whom English is not a first language. Instruction is provided by trained volunteers in primarily one-on-one settings, although small group settings also are used.

What is required to be a tutor?
Tutors must be at least 18 years of age and possess the ability to read and speak English fluently. Tutor training is provided; three hours of basic training is required before being assigned to a student.  Initial  tutor training is done online, additionaly we offer small group training on a quarterly basis.

Do I need previous teaching experience?
No. FLS will provide you with training and support.

Should a tutor know a language other than English?
No. Knowledge of a language other than English is not necessary.

How are tutoring assignments made?
The literacy coordinator matches the tutor with a student or a small group of students, taking into account the needs, skills, goals, availability and residency of the student(s) and tutor.

Where does tutoring take place?
The majority of the tutoring is conducted at the Fond du Lac Public Library.  Tutors and students also meet at libraries in rural communities in Fdl County. Additional tutoring sites may be incorporated to accommodate students.

How often do tutors meet with their students?
Tutors and students are asked to meet once a week for 1 to 2 hours, minimum. A student and tutor are welcome to meet more often if they are able.

Is a tutor expected to teach for a certain length of time?
Tutors and students are asked to make a one-year commitment.

Is there a cost?
Students and tutors are not charged for training or tutoring sessions. Students receive  a workbook and tutors receive a teacher’s manual. Students are charged a $15 yearly workbook fee to help cover some of the costs of student workbooks.

How do I track my student’s progress?
Tutors are asked to send in reports monthly. Questions about the rate of a student’s progress can be answered by the literacy coordinator.

What resources are available to assist tutors?
Juana Montes-Hernandez, FLS Literacy Coordinator, is available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from

10 am – 3:30 pm. She is available by phone at

(920) 322-3932 or email, literacy@fdlpl.org. 

FLS Administrative Assistant is available 10 hours per week with varied hours or by email.

Tutors are welcome to attend additional in-service continuing education opportunities.

FLS has a specialized lending library on the second floor of the FDL Library, and the resources of the entire Fond du Lac Public Library are available for checkout using your FDLPL card.

 

 

Tutor Job Description

Job Description: Volunteer Tutor

Type of Work

Volunteer Tutor

Purpose

To help an adult eighteen years of age or older:

  • To improve his/her literacy skills
  • Learn the English language
  • Use newly learned skills to meet self-identified goals.

Qualifications

  • Be at least 18 years of age.
  • Be able to speak and understand English well enough to communicate clearly.
  • Read at a 12th grade level or above.
  • Have no record of conviction for any crime of violence.
  • Be dependable, prompt, interested in helping others, sensitive to different backgrounds and cultures, respective of confidentiality, patient and optimistic.

Place of Work

  • Tutoring takes place at the Fond du Lac Public Library or at an approved site in the community. We do not recommend tutoring at private residences’.

Training

  • Complete online training and attend training sessions

Time Commitment

  • Volunteering to tutor for a minimum of one year is recommended. This allows tutor-student teams to build a trusting relationship and to see progress.
  • Tutors and students work together once a week for 1 to 2 hours minimum.  A student and tutor are welcome to meet twice a week if they are able.

Fringe Benefits

  • Altered perception of the world
  • Increased understanding and appreciation of different values, cultures, and lifestyles.
  • Increased skill in creative problem solving.

Tutor Responsibilities

Provide encouragement and support by:

  • Helping the student develop confidence and a positive attitude toward learning by affirming his/her thinking and progress in each lesson.
  • Helping the student become an independent learner.
  • Showing respect for the student by listening to what he/she has to say and by actively involving him/her in decisions about the learning process.
  • Modeling appropriate cultural behavior.
  • Giving immediate and appropriate feedback throughout each tutoring session.
  • Seeking to understand the psychological, emotional, physical, and/or cultural conditions that may cause a student to have difficulty learning to read and/or speak.
  • Following the PEP (personal education plan) developed for the student(s) and planning lessons designed to help the student meet these goals.
  • Participation in at least one in-service training session each year or meeting with the literacy coordinator for an individual training session.
  • Reporting tutoring and preparation hours, progress reports, achievements and any schedule changes to the coordinator in a timely fashion. These matters must be documented in order to continue to receive funding for our organization.
  • Agreeing to meet at the Fond du Lac Public Library or an authorized tutoring site. Other authorized sites are libraries of rural communities in Fond du Lac County.Additional public sites maybe an option to accommodate the student and tutor. Tutoring at individual homes is discouraged.
  • Attending scheduled sessions regularly, arriving at sessions on time, and notifying the student or the Literacy Office in advance of extended absence or delay.
  • Agreeing to purchase or to return borrowed materials in a timely manner.
  • Notifying the Literacy Office of changes in your or your student’s phone number, address, email, student’s involvement in the program.
  • Notifying the Literacy Office of changes in attendance, suspensions of class of more than one month must be reported to the Literacy Office.

Agree to the following:

  • To submit two references
  • To a background check
  • To authorize Fond du Lac Literacy Services to take my photograph and to use it, and/or its likeness, in marketing, publicity, and informational materials.I understand that my name may be used to identify my photograph/likeness.
  • To keep confidential the name and progress of the student
  • Not to transport the student unless special permission is granted

Volunteer Application Click here