Tutor Training
Initial Tutor Training for new volunteers:
Kerry Education and Training Board runs Initial Tutor Training for all volunteer tutors. Volunteer tutors are people who have been selected following an interview. Our Initial Tutor Training covers everything you need to know before starting to work with a learner. Topics include:
- An introduction to adult literacy and its causes and effects
- How to plan lessons
- Assessment and listening skills
- The reading process and how to teach reading skills
- The writing process and how to teach writing skills
- Numeracy skills
- How to develop teaching and learning materials
- Teaching and learning using a computer
- Spelling
The Powerpoint presentations relating to the Initial Tutor training course are available on this page, scroll down for details.
In Service Training for volunteers and group tutors:
We offer regular in service training courses, to extend your skills and keep them up to date. If you have any questions about in-service training, or would like to request training on any topic around tutoring, contact Tutor Support directly; the details can be found here.
CID Tutor Event 2016
The CID Tutor event was held on Friday 9th September 2016.
Below you can find links to resources that were made available on the day.
Numeracy Energiser by Elaine Clifford
Dyslexia Workshop
Dyslexia In-Service Training
We were delighted recently to welcome Amy Smyth from the Dyslexia Association to deliver in-service training toAdult Basic Education tutors. Amy talked about:
- how dyslexia affects people
- how to identify dyslexia
- where to access assessment
- accessing suitable resources and materials as well as some tips on teaching and learning strategies.
We hope to welcome Amy back in the autumn to demonstrate apps that are useful for teaching and learning with dyslexia.
You can download a copy of her presentation here.
The Decoding phoneme alphabet that was made available can be downloaded also.
Another excellent resource that you may find useful is the web site www.beatingdyslexia.com
QQI Level 2 inservice training
Aoife Comiskey Clifford, Kerry ETB’s expert on all matters QQI, recently delivered an in-service training session to ABE tutors. It focussed on Level 2, exploring the purpose of awards at this level and how they can be delivered creatively. If you would like to see the slides from this presentation, click on the link below.
NALA tutor training videos
Whenever NALA host a training day, conference or seminar, they video some of the key points for those of us who cannot attend. Click here to see a selection of these videos, on topics including:
- Ideas for blended learning
- Team teaching and integrated courses
- Family learning models
- Tips for numeracy teachers on teaching algebra, fractions, problem solving and more
Evaluation Resources
Evaluation Time!
When you come to the end of a term, it is vital to evaluate your work with learners. Why? To find out what worked for them, what they’re taking away from the course and what they would like to do next. The answers might surprise you, and might surprise them!
It is a good idea to conduct evaluations in a few different ways (for example a group discussion, followed by some pair work and then maybe a week later a sheet for each learner) to allow for different styles and to give people time to think. Many learners are not used to reflecting on their own skills and what takes place in the classroom, so they might need a lot of help.
As for planning for what they might like to do next, that’s the really exciting part. Supporting a learner to progress is a key part of our role. That progression might be to another group at the same level, in the same subject area, or might involve some change if they’re ready for that. Check in with your organiser what’s available in your area to make sure you have up to date information for your groups. Here are some evaluation forms we have developed over the years. Feel free to adapt, but be sure to use the tutor summary sheet to feed back the information to your organiser for planning purposes.
Note: You must download the Evaluation Pack document. Then open it, and choose which pages you want to print. If you try to print from here directly without downloading first, it is a huge document. So first download, then print chosen pages in Microsoft Word.
Course evaluation form Tutor Summary to give you to your organiser
Family Learning Evaluation Form
Tutor Newsletter
Isabelle Dumont is the Tutor Support Worker for Adult Literacy and Basic Education tutors across county Kerry. Her contact details can be found here. Her role includes tutor training, development of tutor in service training programmes, day to day tutor support and problem solving. Feel free to get in touch with her if you need advice on a teaching and learning matter. Another important aspect of her role is to collate our Tutor Newsletter. Everyone is welcome to contribute to this publication, it’s a great place to share what’s new or what has gone well for you in your work with your learner or your group, so please put your thinking caps on and submit an article, a poem, a piece of writing, whatever you are ready to share.
New Email Newsletters
Since 2016 our newsletter has been sent out via email. Articles are published under Tutor News.
Previous editions of our tutor newsletter are available to download here:
Tutor Newsletter – FOR June 2015
Tutor Newsletter – December 2014
Tutor Newsletter — December 2013
Tutor Newsletter – December 2012
You can download the most recent edition of the Kerry ETB newsletter here:
Some good sites to visit
Some good sites to visit relating to your skills as a tutor:
WIT Literacy Development Centre – the national centre for certified courses in the area of adult literacy.
Using Google in the classroom – 30 ways to use Google in an innovative way in your classroom
Are there any sites you find useful that should be on this list? Please email them to your organiser for submission to the Webmaster Committee
Tutor training downloads
Tutor training downloads:
NALA Guidelines For Good Adult Literacy Work – essential reading for anyone working in adult literacy
Powerpoint presentations relating to previous training can be downloaded here below:
- What is Literacy
- Causes & Effects of Literacy Difficulties
- Adult Learner
- Meeting Your Learner & Lesson Planning –
- Assessment & Effective Listening Skills
- Understanding the Reading Process
- Extending Reading Skills
- Understanding the Writing Process
- Extending Writing Skills
- Spelling
- Numeracy
- Developing Teaching & Learning Materials
- Teaching & Learning Using the Computer