Why Tutor for Turning Pages?

Sabrina Todd answers:

Several years ago, a friend told me about her rewarding experience serving as an adult literacy tutor.   I love to teach and was intrigued. I have also known adults who could not read.  It’s hard to comprehend how much I take my ability to read for granted or to imagine what daily life would be like if I could not read.  Thinking about it gives you that awful feeling you get when you are near the end of a bad dream.  The desire to help others overcome that nightmare is what brought me to Turning Pages.  

The learner I am working with now is near the beginning of his journey. It would be easy for him to become discouraged and I am sure he has in the past.  However, he is determined and is putting in the hard work. His progress is not fast or perfectly linear, but he has read a verse of his favorite Bible story, written his children’s names for the first time, and read a couple of sentences in public. These accomplishments have impressed and motivated us both.  Few things bring me as much joy as working with him.

 

Library Love

Editor’s note: Today’s post comes from former employee and current board member Genevieve Ray Lyons.

Yesterday on my lunch break, I walked over to the Richland Library to check out a book for my book club, and I saw a Turning Pages flyer on the reference librarian’s desk! Fantastic. The libraries in Richland County (Lexington, too, for that matter) have always been pretty supportive of the work we do.  Did you know there are dedicated tutoring rooms available? That way a learner and tutor can meet in public, at the library, with access to thousands of books and magazines, yet still have a little privacy.

Once I went to the St. Andrew’s branch to introduce a new learner and tutor. I began eyeing the little study room and walked in that direction. Next thing I know,  a librarian was kindly but firmly telling me that, “Sorry, ma’am, those rooms are reserved for literacy tutoring.” I told her, that’s great because that’s exactly what we are here for! I learned that several of the libraries have these spaces, and some prefer that you make a reservation in advance, while others just ask that you give the librarian a heads-up when you arrive.

Here’s a few library images to inspire you:

The gorgeous University of Michigan Law Library:

The donor who funded the law school stipulated that any additions or expansions must be in the original architectural style. So when they expanded the law library, they built it underground. Slanted glass windows allow some natural light inside, but I love how it looks on a frozen Ann Arbor night.

The James J. Hill library in St. Paul, Minnesota:

And this cozy little library in the Hermitage of St. Bernadine, New South Wales.

Image credits: first,  second, third. Thanks to everyone who shares their photos under a creative commons license.

One mother’s story of overcoming her learning difference

Editor’s note: Today’s post is the second in a two-part series about one tutoring pair from Turning Pages. Click here to read the first one. Both articles first appeared in the Lexington County Chronicle on May 30, 2013  and are reposted with permission. Lexington Publishing Co., Inc. retains all rights.

What if you could neither read nor write? Imagine what your life might be like — filled with frustration and shame that even your children can do what you cannot do. That’s how Tammy Myers felt as her three boys were growing up, attending school and dealing with homework that she could not help them with.

Tammy is one of more than an estimated 27,000 Lexington County residents who do not read well enough even to fill out applications for the better-paying jobs they need to support their families. Tammy had trouble reading in elementary school. In third grade, she was diagnosed with dyslexia, a neurological disorder that underlies a learning difference. Because people with dyslexia process visual information differently they can experience difficulty with reading, writing, spelling and sometimes even speaking.  People with dyslexia may be of average or above-average intelligence. Dyslexia is different from impaired vision or hearing.

“Reading is difficult for me,” Tammy says. “If someone reads it to me, I can understand it. When it comes to writing, I’m lost.” Tammy’s parents were divorcing, a traumatic experience for her and her younger sister. As a result, her mother had to move her daughters repeatedly. By the time she reached high school, Tammy had attended eight different schools. Tammy’s teachers did not know how to help her, she wrote in a narrative about her life for the Chronicle, so she was put in special education classes which did little to help.

She began to suffer with pain in her knees. After three months, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition that results in chronic widespread pain.  Some say it is like a tooth ache all over your body.

While working at a Waffle House, Tammy was working on her 11th and 12th grade credits at an alternative school when she was told all her credits but five had been lost. Disheartened, she quit school, found another job and met her husband. Tragic as her story is, it is not uncommon among those who cannot read.

Tammy is determined to do something about it.

She meets regularly with Sandra Dayse, a Turning Pages literacy tutor at the Lexington District 1 adult learning center at the former Intermediate School on Harmon Street. Tammy has found that she can learn better when she hears than when she tries to read, a result of her dyslexia. But she has made a commitment to qualify for her General Education Diploma (GED). She wrote a four-page biography of her life using an app on her cell phone. It allows her to tell her story into the phone and convert it into writing.

She believes that will help her get a better job and help her husband with their family’s expenses. “Turning Pages and First Steps has been such a help to me,” Tammy says.  “Now I want to do what I can to help.”

To find out what YOU can do to help, give us a call at 803-782-1210.

But Seriously, Folks.

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.

Always Leave ’em Laughing

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.

Q. Who were your early influences and how did they prepare you for performing?

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.

Q. What have been some of the humorous experiences you had in education?

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.

Q. How about humorous experiences as an entertainer?

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.

Q. What advice would you give anyone interested in becoming a stand-up comic?

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.

Telling the Story

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.

Guest Blog: Ami Foote

Editor’s Note: This post comes to us from intern and USC journalism student Ami Foote.

Among obvious social concerns like disease, poverty, violence, and drugs — there is one problem that often goes unaddressed — low levels of literacy. Education is essential to the quality of life in human beings. So how does an adult get through twelve years of school without being able to read a street sign?

I had the pleasure of interviewing an adult learner who has become a regular at Turning Pages over the past 3 1/2 years. Assumptions and percentages can only explain so much, so I went straight to the source to find out where he thought his educational problems came from. “When I was young, school didn’t interest me. I was making money with my hands, so my brain didn’t matter as much,” he tells me. The source of immediate income for this learner came from his physical abilities, so it made sense to blow off intellectual goals, which could only provide monetary gain later in life. He ended up dropping out of school to lay bricks, paint, and work in construction. It was only when he was diagnosed with diabetes that he realized how unreliable his skills really were. His disease was so severe that he almost lost his legs and had to retire from the work he had spent his entire life doing. Suddenly, he had nothing but free time on his hands, and nothing to do with it. The only thing that didn’t require literacy skills was television, which quickly lost his interest.

So he started coming to Turning Pages to finally learn how to read — one of the “best things he has ever done with his life.” He now enjoys his newly gained independence. He is able to go to restaurants, take road trips, and go to the doctor’s office without having to ask others for help. The most simple things that we take for granted every day require the ability to read and comprehend. “I am more confident in myself, and I am able to be somebody my kids can look up to.” I couldn’t help but smile as I shook hands with this man and told him how nice it was to hear his story. His positive attitude about life and education surprised and impressed me. He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t make excuses or feel ashamed. He is proud of his new literacy skills; skills that cannot be taken from him. As he puts it, “The more I learn, the better I feel.” It makes me happy to know there is a center in my community for people who are excited about learning. Turning Pages is a place that strives to give opportunity to those who would love to improve their lives, but were never given the chance.