The Challenges and Rewards of Becoming a Literacy Tutor

By Annelise

When I first decided to try tutoring after retiring, I was really nervous. It had been years since I had been to school, and I was so worried that I wouldn't have the correct answers for the learners. Honestly, with the support of the literacy center and their training, I managed to avoid jumping ship!

After my very first tutoring session, I walked out of the library completely walking on air because it satisfied the need to be helpful. I quickly realized, for me, that being adaptable was key to working with my learners. Even though all my learners, so far, have been auditory learners, everyone's individual needs are totally different. I enjoy this because it completely mitigates repetition. I work very hard on my lesson plans to keep each session interesting and enjoyable, and I learned very quickly to always have some backup plans ready to go.

My learning journey took a turn in 2025 when I started working with Luis.

Luis is originally from Mexico and has been living in the U.S. for over 10 years. He already speaks English beautifully and is considered an advanced learner. Everything relating to English, Luis has acquired through his incredible work ethic and his genuine desire to better himself in everything he does. It is not a joke that after our very first meeting, I walked out and asked my literacy mentors, "Exactly what do you want me to teach Luis?" because he was already so advanced!

One of the many awesome things about Luis is that he is so self-aware of his actions; he knows that if he does A, the result will be B, and that awareness is exactly what makes him so successful in all his endeavors.

In the beginning, I was terrified of "why" questions and embarrassed when I couldn't answer them. I've learned that unless you are a professional linguist or a dedicated, lifelong learner of the English language, you simply aren't going to have all the answers. Luis's calm and nonjudgmental demeanor helped me to get past that fear. Now, I consider his "why" questions a true gift because it means I continue to learn right along with him. This is incredibly important to me, and I am grateful to Luis.

For me, and especially in Luis's case, tutoring is about helping adult learners unlock personal and professional opportunities. We worked together on his professional profile, focusing on keeping it authentic to allow his distinct personality to come through. To challenge him as an advanced learner, we practice understanding the mechanics of speech. He even created a travel video project that included storyboarding his initial ideas, and right now, he is working on writing a complex fictional narrative that evaluates how a character's personality changes over time.

We both share an immense gratitude for the Napa County Library. Its supportive environment is vital for adult literacy, and because Luis always strives to be his best, he really makes great use of the library's services.

For me, and hopefully Luis, this great experience would simply not have happened if the library did not support this program. Lately, we've been enjoying reading and sharing books together. In the beginning, we just read a book, but now we read and discuss the characters and plots, sharing ideas and anticipating what is going to happen next. We just started reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

And, finally, another favorite thing of mine about Luis is that he has a favorite English word—which few people do! His word is “transcendent,” and it accurately describes and belongs to Luis because he is constantly rising above challenges and surpassing expectations.

Are you interested in becoming a literacy volunteer? Learn about upcoming tutor trainings or fill out this volunteer interest form.