[AAACE-NLA] NIFL: Teach the Parent, Reach the Child

[Art LaChance]

And therein, I believe, lies a problem that affects most adult literacy
programs' effectiveness and ultimately funding since the funding formula
contains factors like number of students and time spent in studies as well
as level completions.  If the field received formal training in the student
referenced emotional issues we might find our recruitment and retention
factors improve.

Since there is no official "certification" of adult literacy teachers or
assistants/aides we are able to employ all comers.  And that isn't a bad
thing, but what takes away from what credibility we do have is that many who
become adult literacy teachers have never been in a position to evaluate or
teach the academic skills.  Especially to an adult student who is pretty
much overwhelmed with anxiety and fear of failure when confronted with the
issue of "testing" and subsequent acceptance of their not being "ready" to
take the GED test.  And no I don't believe this capability to be a "common
sense" factor on the part of the teacher.

I fail to understand why, when "training" of adult literacy teachers is a
requirement, do we as a field continue to train our teachers in those
teaching methodologies that didn't work the first time our students were
exposed to them, and additionally totally ignore the students emotional
response issues.
What we're saying here is that to become fully aware and effective in your
teaching you must independently seek out the knowledge, that which you don't
understand, and take a college course that specializes in such information.
On your own time.  Makes perfect sense.

Art

Art LaChance
Gilmer Learning Center
Ellijay, GA


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ttweeton at comcast.net>
To: "National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE"
<aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 11:57 AM
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL: Teach the Parent, Reach the Child


> Art, I am only talking about University level traing on "Affective
filters" the concept Krashen talks about  in his  ESOL text books. ESOL
teachers in Florida can receive training in ESOL  via workshops but I am not
sure they mention this concept  at all. Of course it would be a good idea to
incorporate in any training when working with adults.
> Cordially,
> Tanya Tweeton
> ESOL and GED
> Fort Lauderdale, Florida
> > Tanya,
> >
> > What your post here says is that all of FL's ESOL teachers receive
formal
> > training in the what's and how's of that emotional affect in order to
better
> > serve the interest of the adult literacy student.  If that's true then
FL's
> > ABE and ASE teachers should also be receiving formal training for the
same
> > purpose ?  However I wouldn't bet on the second part of your statement
that
> > the rest of the nation is receiving like training in this area.  I am
> > curious if any other states offer or require their adult literacy staff
to
> > participate in such training ?  The training would include how to
recognize,
> > informally evaluate, and help to resolve the "affective screen"
mentioned by
> > Tanya or more than that how to recognize and effectively deal with the
adult
> > student's sense of impending doom, low self confidence, failure
syndrome, as
> > well as help to generate internal motivation for "work" in the
classroom.
> >
> > Art
> >
> >
> > Art LaChance
> > Gilmer Learning Center
> > Ellijay, GA
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: <ttweeton at comcast.net>
> > To: "National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE"
> > <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
> > Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 10:03 AM
> > Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL: Teach the Parent, Reach the Child
> >
> >
> > > Art, certainly in ESOL training in university courses the emotional
> > "affective screen" of the ESOL students is dealt with certainly in
Florida
> > and I would imagine around the nation.
> > > Tanya Tweeton
> > > ESOL and GED
> > > Fort Lauderdale,Florida
> >
> >
> > > > I find it exceptionally interesting that those of us in the
classroom
> > > > understand these issues yet I don't remember folks like NIFL or
NCSALL
> > > > addressing same in proposed training for teachers / administrators.
Nor
> > > > have I seen research that directly addresses the student emotional
> > condition
> > > > and how to deal with it.  Does this mean that one cannot
'understand'
> > the
> > > > concept unless they are directly involved with the day to day
> > functioning of
> > > > an adult literacy classroom that serves the average citizen?
> > > > Might be an indicator of an area we may need to go in order to
improve
> > the
> > > > communications between the classroom and administration and
legislative
> > > > processes?  I don't feel that it's appropriate to expect the
classroom
> > > > practitioner to adapt whatever materials and processes are being
> > dictated as
> > > > mandatory without some measure of understanding from the top.  We've
> > been in
> > > > adult literacy long enough now to have developed a comprehensive
> > > > understanding of what goes on in the classroom and what is needed to
> > ensure
> > > > effectivity, yet I'm completely unaware of anything that might be
headed
> > in
> > > > that direction.
> > > >
> > > > Art
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Art LaChance
> > > > Gilmer Learning Center
> > > > Ellijay, GA
> > > >
> > > http://literacytent.org
> >
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