NLA Clarification: waiting lists issue

[Angela_Hock]

George,  your following comments really struck a chord with me.

> I was less concerned whether tutors had
> up-front formal training (many did, some did not) than that they:
> a)  had good relationship skills
> b)  were willing to experiment and could act on their own in a new
> situation with only a minimal amount of support
> c)  could make a good faith commitment to the program

The formal training of some sort is definitely beneficial, though I know of
lots of students in classes with "trained" teachers who are receiving
appalling instruction even though the instructor has some good interpersonal
skills and up-front skills.  Oh, for the ideal mix of both teaching ability
and good relationship skills, experimentation confidence, humor and
commitment!  My experience is that the best "real" teachers definitely have
the qualities you mentioned, with or without formal training of any sort.

And you touch on what must be one of the knottiest problems: the attrition
issue.  It's a bit encouraging to learn that, even with the environment you
descibed as : >an exciting learning climate, students felt supported, a lot
of good learning was taking place, student writing anthologies were created,
etc.,<  lots of folks still come and go.  Tom's probably right that some of
that is normal cost of doing business in this arena. I do wonder if you or
others have info or statistics of numbers of students who return, even
repeatedly, over time.  That's something that our tiny agency in W. Texas
does run into--many leave when jobs change, the oil industry busts, the
tutor's life changes, or whatever, but we do see some students return over
time.  This makes me aware that I need to try to figure out that number for
our agency.

Anyway, thanks so much once again for good information and thought-prodding
comments.

Angela Hock
Ex. Dir., Partners In Learning Adult Literacy Agency
Odessa, Texas
915-332-0633, xt. 36




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