With classes starting again, there are plenty of excited students and teachers. I came across this article and even though it is directed towards teachers, the message applies to anyone who teaches, tutors, trains or facilitates learning. I hope it inspires future and current Turning Pages tutors. Enjoy.
What Students Remember Most About Teachers by pursuitofajoyfullife
Editor’s note: Today’s post first appeared in the Lexington County Chronicle on May 30, 2013. It is posted here with permission. Lexington Publishing Co., Inc. retains all rights.
Sandra Dayse loves teaching school. She spent 17 of her happiest years in classrooms. But her life at home was something else. Sandra was the victim of an increasingly common crime.
Her husband abused her.
More than 36,000 victims annually report domestic violence to law enforcement agencies in the state, according to statistics compiled by Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office. Over the past 13 years, an average 33 women have been killed each year by their intimate partner.
Now she works in customer service for the state Department of Natural Resources and attends Life Springs Worship Center on Platt Springs Road. Based on her experience, Sandra responded to an appeal to her church for literacy tutors. Now she tutors learners such as Tammy Myers, a mother who wants to improve her limited reading skills, help her children with their home work, qualify for a General Education Diploma and get a better job to help her husband with family expenses. Sandra was born in New Jersey, taught in Nevada and North Carolina and came to South Carolina where her mother lives.
“I told God that if He would deliver me from domestic violence,” she said, “I would devote my life to serving him.”
Sandra also feels a responsibility to the community that helped her deal with her family troubles. She has taken vacation time this summer to work with Tammy and to read to children at Carolina Springs Elementary School. Sandra has found that tutoring instruction she received from Turning Pages motivating and instructive. She believes the one-to-one tutoring that Turning Pages offers is the best instruction for someone like Tammy who suffers from dyslexia, a learning disorder that makes reading and writing difficult.
“Tammy is determined,” she says of her learner. “Everyone here wants to help her. Finally she has an opportunity to move forward in reading.”
Stay tuned for Tammy’s story…
Many Turning Pages learners have their sights set on attaining their GED diplomas. Their reason: They can qualify for better jobs with higher pay and careers with a future.
The latest good news is that tutoring with us and through other Adult Education programs has raised the GED test passing rates to an all-time high of 77.6%.
According to Jay Ragley at the S.C. Education Department, enrollment in adult education programs has steadily declined the last 10 years due to several factors. The federal government has been emphasizing student performance, not program enrollment. The United States Department of Education is more interested in the students we serve making progress toward their education goals than how many students are served.
Since State Adult Education funds are based partially on student performance, not just head count, more adult education programs are concentrating on keeping students longer in their tutoring programs. Increased high school graduation rates and reduced dropout rates may have had an impact on the number of individuals enrolling in Adult Education.
Even though Adult Enrollment has declined, the number of individuals earning a GED diploma and the increased GED pass rate is an indicator that student performance has improved.
This does not mean we can sit back and relax.
The latest figures on functionally illiterate adults in Richland County is 12% of the total population and 10% in Lexington County. We are talking about more than 70,000 of our friends and neighbors who are reading at below sixth grade level.
If you would like to become a tutor or know someone who needs tutoring, please call us at 782-1210.
Editor’s note: Today’s post comes from community leader and Board member Jerry Bellune. We find Mr. Bellune’s enthusiasm to be infectious, do you?
One of my favorite books in the 6th grade was big game hunter and animal trainer Frank Buck’s biography, “Bring “Em Back Alive.” One of my teachers complimented me for reading a high school level book. Such compliments mean a lot of anyone learning to master reading skills.
Mr. Buck led a colorful life on many continents. That fired my imagination and made me think of adventurous career choices. That was relatively easy for a budding writer as storytelling was a staple in our family.
Thinking back on those early days makes me realize how fortunate many of us are to have been born into families of readers, surrounded by books and encouraged to aspire to any career our little hearts desired. Unfortunately, about one in 10 of us has no such privileges. They grow up in homes with no books, only TV sets, the electronic baby sitter.
Award-winning speaker and business philosopher Jim Rhon (pronounced Rone as in bone) observed that successful people have large libraries. Unsuccessful people have large TVs. My purpose is not to disparage TV. Sesame Street and many other educational programs for children are far better than nothing.
But we should never forget that penologists project how many prison cells will be needed within the next 8 to 10 years by the number of 4th graders who cannot read well.
Turning Pages has played an inspiring role in the lives of many of these unfortunates who some how slipped through the cracks of our great public education system. Your support as a donor or volunteer tutor is welcome. We invite you to join us.
Editor’s note: Today’s post comes from community leader and board member Jerry Bellune.
The need for Turning Pages tutoring constantly reminds me how lucky I am. I was born into a middle class family of readers and story tellers. My mother read to us at bedtime and taught me to read and write at age 4.
She wrote to my father who was away in school in Chicago several times a week. She always let me append a few words about what I was doing while he was away. That was a real thrill. I could picture my father in my mind reading what I had written. He was hundreds of miles away from us in South Carolina but with words we could talk. I have been reading and writing ever since.
My parents’ influence and my education have made major differences in my life. They led me to become a journalist, editor, teacher and business owner. Now I also write, edit and publish books.
I am far more fortunate than millions of illiterate Americans.
One survey estimates 42 million in our country can’t read above sixth grade level. That’s a shocking statistic in a country with mandatory public education. What’s even more shocking is that 1 million more join them each year.
To help raise money for literacy tutoring, we offer copies of my books for donations. If you are interested in a personally autographed copy, call us at 782-1210. For a $20 donation, I will autograph one of these inspiring books for you.
With the comedy night coming up, we’ve been tending toward the humorous over here.
But, we’ve got to keep in mind… Literacy is no laughing matter.
In South Carolina, about 25% to 30% of adults read below a sixth grade reading level. What was your favorite book in 6th grade? I checked the Barnes & Noble book suggestions for children ages 9-12. (Sixth graders are usually 11, turning 12.) Here’s what they recommended:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg. Have you read any of these?
OMG, you guys, these are a few of my FAVORITE books from childhood. When talking about Turning Pages, I have repeated that sixth-grade reading level benchmark over and over; it’s considered the defining line that denotes “functionally illiterate.” (I hate that phrase.) But this is the first time I’ve dug deeper into the real meaning of the “sixth-grade reading level.” Here’s what I’ve found…
As I reflect on these books, I’ve realized just how much each one has impacted my life, even into adulthood. I have read them over and over. I’ve wished for my own chocolate river and everlasting gobstoppers. I’ve seen the movie adaptations– after high school graduation — ie. well past sixth grade. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was pretty creepy at the drive-in).
As a child, my dad read From the Mixed Up Files to my brother and me, a chapter at a time, at bedtime. (We would beg him not to turn the light out, to keep reading…) I’ve gone to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, for the express purpose of looking for the fountain where Claudia and Jamie took baths when they ran away from home to live in the museum. (Yes, I found it.) And when my youngest brother was 7 or 8, I made sure the book was read to him.
I remember discussing The Phantom Tollbooth with a friend, when I was 19, in the cafeteria of our college dorm. I read A Wrinkle In Time last summer on the beach. I was in sixth grade when the very first Harry Potter book came out, but now, as an adult with a Master’s degree, I’ve added a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to my bucket list.
They may be “just” children’s books, but clearly the reach is farther than that.
Adult education tends to focus on the practical. At Turning Pages, we do learner-led instruction, which means that often, learners want to cover material related to getting their commercial drivers license, or balancing their bank account, or making some healthy recipes. But other times, they want to read what their child is reading in school, or want to read something to their child. We can never predict the true meaning of helping someone bring reading into their life, but we can be sure that the meaning is there.
Read more about becoming a tutor, or other ways you can help.
Editor’s note: Today’s blog post comes from community leader and board member Jerry Bellune.
You and I have a lot to be thankful for. We can read and write, have a great job or a secure retirement, loving families and comfortable homes. Not everyone is as blessed as we are.
The first employee we ever had who could not read or write was a young man named Jimmy. When his deep, dark secret was discovered, Jimmy walked away and we never saw him again. He harbored that secret a long time and was humiliated when he was found out.
There’s hope for the Jimmys of this world. Through the good work of volunteer Turning Pages tutors, hundreds of illiterate adults in our area are learning to read, write and other skills they need to land good jobs and take care of their families.
Genevieve Ray Lyons who works with us at Turning Pages shared several success stories about the progress of our learners. Alex is an example, Genevieve writes. He is a public school dropout who started learning to read at around a second grade level four years ago. Today he has advanced to a high middle school level. He’s gone from a disadvantaged background to a married father of several kids. His wife is a nurse.
In another example, Former Turning Pages director Debbie Yoho worked with Alice who started at mid-elementary level and progressed several grade levels before Debbie retired. Now Alice is working with another tutor and found a job in a middle-school cafeteria but has higher goals. She is able to read such popular fiction writers as Nora Roberts and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. And Alice wants to set a good example for her granddaughter who lives with her.
“Speaking of working in cafeterias,” Genevieve writes, “we have several learners who work at USC in various housekeeping positions. Another works at the Marriott in the kitchen and another, Sarah, worked as a sous chef at a popular local hotel’s restaurant, but dreams of attending culinary school. Some learners are lucky enough to get tutoring at work. “At a local hospital, we had weekly tutoring sessions with a small group of employees, during their workday.” One learner, Samantha, improved from fourth to sixth grade level, and the hospital, seeing her improvement, switched her into computer-based, on-the-job training to help put her on a track toward promotions.
“It always fascinated me how many learners came by after work,” Genevieve said. “Their goals were not necessarily to simply get a job but to do better work at their current job to get a promotion. “It is always important to emphasize that the people who come to Turning Pages are highly motivated. Many of them are currently employed, or retired after working many years. The Lord helps those who help themselves.”
Turning Pages Board Chairman Bruce Donatelli of Lexington is working with me to raise $10,000 to keep the tutoring going. For a $100 donation, I will give you five autographed copies of my books. They make great Christmas gifts. Just call me at 359-7633 to make a donation.
Read Jerry’s Success Strategies at http://www.JerryBellune.biz
As an aside, this is my first post here at Turning Pages as a contributor, and I wanted to begin with the admission that I knew/know little of adult literacy in America. I mean, I have always known that it is a “problem” in the abstract sense: people should have the ability to read, of course. And I could, vaguely, understand the link between social status, economic standing, race, and illiteracy. It made sense, even if I had not put much thought into it.
I found that I exemplify one of the most interesting facets of the adult literacy “situation” in America. We often assume that because someone “functions,” because someone “gets” by in a world driven by reading and writing, by text, that they are literate (in the traditional sense of being able to read English text). But (as I found out during my initial research), this sense of operational contentment sort of breaks down when an illiterate individual has to face some sort of medical emergency or financial trouble. Then, these individuals run into problems with insurance, with prescriptions, and with following treatment instructions. I found that this is not just the case for what I had deemed as “illiterate” adults. In my view, illiteracy meant that you cannot read, Period. But my research has illustrated various forms and ranges of illiteracy. So an individual who gets by with reading particular documents or signs (road signs, for example) can still very easily make a mistake in regards to interpreting healthcare documents and instruction.
I also found that, to a certain extent, the rest of us are allowed to think about it as “their” problem: if they get along, great. If they can’t read, it isn’t a big deal. What does it mean to the rest of us that a small cross-section of our population doesn’t read? We need to complicate this view. Academic Journals such as The Journal of Internal Medicine and The Journal of Learning Disabilities feature articles confronting this issue, with more than one author referring to it as the “crisis of health literacy.”
It goes like this: adults with little or no appreciable skills in reading or writing have continued into advanced age with the help of other parties (a spouse, children, other family friends) who can read. When the support system for some reason is removed from the situation, or when the individual finds themselves confronted by a situation that involves reading or interpreting documents or instructions without the help of others, mistakes are made. In the case of the elderly of those who require intensive medical care, the inability to read instructions or fill out forms is a huge gap: not only does that adult have no way to communicate with the faceless doctor or medical institution behind that document, they may have no way to reach out to others for assistance.
This, in turn, becomes an issue for everyone. The inability of those who cannot read to interact productively with healthcare providers and insurance companies costs the healthcare industry billions of dollars by way of unnecessary emergency treatments. Those who could avoid specific treatments or symptoms often do not when they are unable to read instructions or communicate effectively with their healthcare provider. Furthermore, those with emergency illnesses or injuries who visit emergency rooms often leave with written instructions regarding how to treat wounds, ingest medication, and handle foods and liquids that they cannot read. Inevitably, these people return to the hospital or their doctors for further treatment of the same illness or injury to compensate for their inability to remember or understand their own healthcare documents.
My first questions regarding adult literacy encountered, overwhelmingly, this issue of healthcare. And, obviously and unfortunately, this problem does not go away unless we address both our educating practices for our youth as well as offer services to those who have already entered adulthood without the skills necessary to navigate institutions they rely on for their health and well-being.
This is why organizations such as Turning Pages need support, through donations or volunteers: there are people who want help, who want to learn how to help themselves. But they cannot do it on their own, and more often then not they cannot do it with the support system they have. And it is not just a problem “out there:” adult illiteracy is an issue that affects us all. Educators and tutors with adequate funding and support can commit themselves to helping adults gain the proper skills to be able to go to the hospital, to follow medical instructions, and to take care of their own health and wellness.
D. Cameron is an intriguing combination. He’s an educator — and a stand-up comic. If you think teaching school is tough, you just haven’t encountered a demanding and sometimes hostile comedy club crowd. He will perform at the Clarion Hotel’s Comedy Zone in a fund-raiser for Turning Pages, the literacy tutoring program at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16.
In this interview with Turning Pages board member Jerry Bellune, he tells all — or mostly all. Comics keep a few secrets.
Q. What attracted you to comedy?
A. I decided to become a stand up comedian after I graduated from The Ohio State University. After numerous, unsuccessful job interviews to become an advertising professional (my college major), I said to myself, “Why not now?” So I started doing open mike nights in Dayton, OH, and the rest is what you see now.
A. I really enjoyed, and still enjoy, watching a variety of comedians. Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Sinbad, Billy Crystal, and Daymon Wayans. I didn’t really listen to what they were saying, I watched how they controlled their performance with stage presence. It’s kind of like, if the audience senses that you are confident in your ability, they will be more comfortable with you.
Q. What about your experiences in teaching in the classroom?
A. I started substitute teaching when I moved to Charlotte, N.C., in 1998. I subbed for about four years before I decided to get a full-time job with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. I started in ISS (In School Suspension). I did that for three years. I was about to go back to stand-up comedy when a principal from another school talked me into coming to her school as a BMT (Behavioral Modification Technician). She said that she needed my help to curb the unruly behavior in her school. My job was to “handle” the kids that constantly caused trouble. I was very good at my job. I started an exercise program at the school as an alternative to out-of-school suspension. I also tutored kids in subjects that they were struggling in. If a child doesn’t understand what’s going on in class, they become disruptive as a way to be removed from that class. They would rather be looked at as “bad” than “dumb”. I did that for about five years. Then comedy called, so I answered. I still substitute teach when I’m at home.
A. I was the defensive coordinator for our football team. A boy named Raequan was one of my defensive ends. We played eight games. In six of the games I called him Daequan, because I thought that was his name. I would scream “Daequan” during the games to tell him to move around the defensive line. No one told me his real name. He answered to it so I kept calling him by it. At our 7th game we were undefeated and his father was on the sideline with us.
As I started hollering his name, our head coach came over to me and said “Coach, his name is Raequan and his dad is standing right next to you.” I turned to him and said, “I’m sorry, I thought that was his name. I’ve been calling him that all year.” I started calling him by his real name for the rest of that game. We lost. Afterwards his father came up to me and said “You can keep calling him Daequan.” We won our last game.
Half way through my first year as a BMT, I answered the call of a teacher for an unruly student. As I walked into the building, I could see the student being very disrespectful in what he was doing and saying. As I got closer to them, the teacher looked at me and smiled. The student, whose back was turned towards me, stopped, dropped his head and said, “ He’s standing right behind me, ain’t he?” She nodded. Without turning around he said, “I’m sorry for being so disrespectful to you just now. Can I please stay in class instead of going with him.” I smiled to myself, because, in just a half of a year, I made kids actually want to stay in class. I still kept in touch with that student. He’s a high school graduate and now he is in art school.
A. As an entertainer, just about every night is humorous. Audience member say funny things. Comics are escorted off of the stage for being drunk and bad mouthing the comedy club and its managers. One time a comic challenged an audience member to be funnier that him. Bad move. He lost. Very funny. One night people threw money on stage for every funny thing I said, like I was a stripper. I collected about $150. I gave it to the wait staff.
A. My advice to someone interested in becoming a comedian is to remain who you are. Don’t change yourself to become something that you think is funny. Believe in yourself and stay true to yourself. People can sense when you are not being real.
D. Cameron will bring his brand of clean stand-up comedy to the Clarion Hotel’s Comedy Zone on Gervais Street at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 in a fund-raiser for Turning Pages literacy tutoring.
For a $50 donation (fully tax-deductible), we have two tickets for you to the show. Call 359-7633.
It is a genuine pleasure to be able to share the message of Turning Pages and all it is doing for the thousands of adults whose reading, writing, math and life skills keep them from realizing their full potential. All of us want to be the best we can be. Turning Pages board members Bruce Donatelli and Jerry Bellune recently visited the Lexington Rotary Club to share a few of our success stories.
Rotarian Paul Scott wrote his membership that Jerry talked about Rotary’s commitment to promoting literacy and related three stories about adults dealing with literacy issues, promoting literacy and related three stories about adults dealing with literacy issues. Turning Pages also known as the Greater Columbia Literacy Council, serves a four-county area.
“It began as a Christian mission in SC in 1968, and has served over 6,000 adults,” Paul wrote to his membership. “The mission is to help adults reach their full potential by helping them improve reading, math, computer, and English language skills through customized learning plans. Tutors work one-on-one or in small groups, and volunteers are always being recruited. Turning Pages provides opportunities for lifelong learning, and is learner-led. The services and materials are free and different levels, approaches and subjects are offered for different abilities, needs and individuals.”
The Lexington Rotarians are considering a three-year commitment of financial support for this vital literacy program as are other civic, business, educational and religious groups.
An opportunity for you
If you would like Bruce and Jerry to bring this inspirational message to your group, please contact us at 803-782-1210.
Turning Pages 