In my experience I have found if you explain the rules and expect the
students to live up to them they do.  For instance I am a big stickler
on promptness, my class starts on time.  The first time the student is
in my class they are told they are allowed a 15 minute grace period to
be late (and that I do not have to let them in the class if the
privelege is being abused).  If the student shows up after the 15
minutes then they are not to be in my class that day, and are awarded an
absence (two full absences and the student is not in the class for the
remainder of the 6 weeks).
 
Now that is the black and white.  I have found that students take things
very literally, like coming to class even though they have been vomiting
from the familial flu all morning.  So I also talk to them about thier
rights as a student, "if you know that you are going to be more than 15
minutes late, call ahead.  If you know you are missing the next class
because of a doctor's appt. let me know as soon as possible.  If you
miss a class you can always make it up, we just have to schedule time
that is convenient to the two of us." and so on.  
 
I let them know it is common coutesy and professional to do so, and that
dialogue/communication is the most effective way to  maintain any
positive relationship.  
 
I like the idea of referring people to counselors, but it is not
available in my learning center's situation, I find that counseling and
advisor are some of the hats an Adult Ed instructor wears.
 
 
I am currently reading Other People's Words.  Has anybody else read the
book, what are your thoughts, and has anybody worked with a non-literate
adult and/or their family?  If you have had the opportunity to work with
a full fledged non-literate adult what did you find the most shocking
"awakening" about the person or their education?

________________________________

From: povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Bertha Mo
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 12:50 PM
To: povertyracewomen at nifl.gov
Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 567] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 4,
Issue 52


Response to the fuzzy wuzzy approach:

Students whatever their age often need to learn what is acceptable and
what is not.  During my three years working with
ethnic/culturally/economically diverse students, I learned that many had
no idea of why rules and boundaries are necessary.  Many also had no
role models for how to problem solve.  I referred many to counselors and
outside services.

However, I'm wondering if the classroom might also be a place to teach
students appropriate problem solving and negotiation skills.

Best,

Bertie

povertyracewomen-request at nifl.gov wrote: 

	Send PovertyRaceWomen mailing list submissions to
	povertyracewomen at nifl.gov
	
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	Today's Topics:
	
	1. [PovertyRaceWomen 563] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade math/reading scores)
	(Bertha Mo)
	2. [PovertyRaceWomen 564] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade (Holly Dilatush-Guthrie)
	3. [PovertyRaceWomen 565] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade (Marie Cora)
	4. [PovertyRaceWomen 566] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade (nsokolof at jjay.cuny.edu)
	
	
	
----------------------------------------------------------------------
	
	Message: 1
	Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 11:58:11 -0500 (EST)
	From: Bertha Mo 
	Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 563] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol
4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade math/reading scores)
	To: povertyracewomen at nifl.gov
	Message-ID: <811305.11711.qm at web43138.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
	Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
	
	I thought many on the list serve would be interested in this
report which I received through Plain Language List: 
	
	Best, 
	
	Bertie Mo
	
	February 27, 2007
	Editorial
	The New York Times
	A Bad Report Card The news from American high schools is not
good. The most recent test results from the National Assessment of
Educational Progress, commonly known as the national report card, finds
that American 12th graders are actually performing worse in reading than
12th graders did in 1992, when a comparable exam was given. In addition,
12th-grade performance in reading has been distressingly flat since
2002, even though the states were supposed to be improving the quality
of teaching to comply with the No Child Left Behind education act. 
	The new scores, based on tests given in 2005, show that only
about 35 percent of 12th graders are proficient in reading. Simply put,
this means that a majority of the country?s 12th graders have trouble
understanding what they read fully enough to make inferences, draw
conclusions and see connections between what they read and their own
experiences. The math scores were even worse, with only 23 percent of
12th graders performing at or above the proficient level. 
	Marginal literacy and minimal math skills might have been
adequate for the industrial age. But these scores mean that many of
today?s high school seniors will be locked out of the information
economy, where a college degree is the basic price of admission and the
ability to read, write and reason is essential for success.
	Congress, which is preparing to reauthorize both the No Child
Left Behind Act and the Higher Education Act, needs to take a hard look
at these scores and move forcefully to demand far-reaching structural
changes. 
	It should start by getting the board that oversees the National
Assessment of Educational Progress testing to create rigorous national
standards for crucial subjects. It should also require the states to
raise the bar for teacher qualifications and end the odious practice of
supplying the neediest students with the least qualified teachers. This
process would also include requiring teachers colleges, which get
federal aid, to turn out higher quality graduates and to supply many
more teachers in vital areas like math and science. If there?s any doubt
about why these reforms are needed, all Congress has to do is read the
latest national report card. 
	
	
	
	__._,_.___
	
	povertyracewomen-request at nifl.gov wrote: Send PovertyRaceWomen
mailing list submissions to
	povertyracewomen at nifl.gov
	
	To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
	http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/povertyracewomen
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	You can reach the person managing the list at
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	When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more
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	than "Re: Contents of PovertyRaceWomen digest..."
	
	
	Today's Topics:
	
	1. [PovertyRaceWomen 560] PASSING THE TORCH: CAAL's ESL Report
	Released (Gail Spangenberg)
	
	
	
----------------------------------------------------------------------
	
	Message: 1
	Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:00:39 -0500
	From: Gail Spangenberg 
	Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 560] PASSING THE TORCH: CAAL's ESL
Report
	Released
	To: assessment at nifl.gov, englishlanguage at nifl.gov,
	familyliteracy at nifl.gov, professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov,
	povertyracewomen at nifl.gov, technology at nifl.gov,
workplace at nifl.gov,
	aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org, library-lit at ala.org
	Message-ID: <373E4887-9F3B-4058-A31E-0A090F3D33B4 at caalusa.org>
	Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
	
	
	New York, NY (February 26, 2007) -- The Council for Advancement
of 
	Adult Literacy today released PASSING THE TORCH: Strategies for 
	Innovation in Community College ESL. This 153 page report is the

	result of two years of intensive work by a research team from
the 
	five colleges studied in the project and by the project's study
and 
	research directors: Dr. Forrest P. Chisman of CAAL and Dr. JoAnn

	Crandall of the University of Maryland (Baltimore County). Drs. 
	Chisman and Crandall bring vast prior ESL experience to the
study. 
	The highly textured report contains extensive descriptions of 
	exemplary ESL programs and practices in use at five institutions
-- 
	all nominated by a national cadre of their peers -- Bunker Hill 
	Community College (Charlestown, MA), City College of San
Francisco 
	(San Francisco, CA), College of Lake County (Grayslake, IL),
Seminole 
	Community College (Sanford, FL), and Yakima Valley Community
College 
	(Yakima, WA).
	
	Primary funding for the project came from The William and Flora 
	Hewlett Foundation. Supplemental support was given by the Ford 
	Foundation, The McGraw-Hill Companies, the Dollar General 
	Corporation, and Harold W. McGraw, Jr.
	
	The study examines a rich variety of innovative and successful 
	programs and strategies in use in the institutions, with a focus
on 
	non-credit ESL services. It concentrates on generating learning 
	gains, retaining students, and bringing about transititons to
future 
	education. The report is for written for both designers of
community 
	college ESL service and policymakers and private funders. Among
the 
	effective strategies looked at are high intensity instruction, 
	learning outside the classroom, and the use of "learner-centered

	thematic" curricular. Special attention is given to curricular 
	integration, co-enrollment, vocational ESL (VESL) programs, and
the 
	Spanish GED. Issues of faculty training, development, and
quality are 
	examined, and recommendations are given for 'engineering
innovation' 
	in ESL colleges and programs. A main section of the report deals
with 
	costs and funding issues, and calls for substantially greater
and 
	more targeted funding for adult ESL.
	
	A standalone Executive Summary of the report is available at the
CAAL 
	website (www.caalusa.org). The full report is attached
(including the 
	Executive Summary as an appendix item) It is also available at
the 
	CAAL website. It will be easily accessible to persons with a
high 
	speed Internet connection. It is also available at cost ($20
plus 
	postage, prepaid) by regular mail directly from CAAL 
	(bheitner at caalusa.org). Multiple copies (10 or more) will be
eligible 
	for a discount.
	
	
	
	
	VERY LONG DOCUMENT (2.2 MB)
	
	PERSONS WITH A LOW-SPEED CONNECTION MAY WISH TO FOREGO THE
DOWNLOAD 
	AND ORDER A HARD COPY FROM CAAL AS PER ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS.
	
	?
	
	
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	Poverty, Race, Women and Literacy mailing list
	PovertyRaceWomen at nifl.gov
	To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go
to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/povertyracewomen
	
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	Message: 2
	Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:30:51 -0500
	From: "Holly Dilatush-Guthrie" 
	Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 564] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol
4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade
	To: 
	Message-ID: <45E4409B0200006900000261 at gwia.ccs.k12.va.us>
	Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
	
	Ou r brains all work in different ways -- reading a few posts
from this listserv today, I was reminded of the story forwarded to my
colleagues and I (by our PD chairperson). I hope you will take the time
to read it http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/stories/stories.cfm?psid=157
and to determine if it has any relevance on your approach to what you
do, and why, and how often is what you do the/a relevant approach for
the student(s) you are seeking to assist/guide/lead/teach... 
	
	I also find myself pondering, increasingly frequently, whether
the "fuzzy wuzzy" approach is really helpful -- when is it? when isn't
it? If a learner's primary goal for studying toward obtaining a GED is
to qualify for 'better' employment, and they routinely arrive late, with
tasks incomplete -- but with 'sob
stories'/excuses/overwhelmed-with-life's realities explanations -- is
fuzzy wuzzy relevant? How does fuzzy wuzzy help them gain skills?
Playing devil's advocate, is the "sol"/tough luck -- find a way to stay
on task or drop the class approach relevant? helpful? 
	
	My apologies if this post seems irrelevant and/or redundant --
venting sometimes has a place, but does it have a purpose in the context
of this listserv? 
	Holly
	
	
	
	"No matter what our attempts to inform, it is our ability to
inspire that will turn the tides."
	Holly Dilatush
	ESL distance learning, Dialogue Cafe, Volunteer coordinator
	Charlottesville City Schools Adult Learning Center
	1000 Preston Ave., Suite D
	Charlottesville VA 22903
	(434) 245.2815 office
	(434) 960.7177 cell/mobile
	http://theHsmile.org ['home' to several Moodle CMS (course
management systems/virtual classrooms)]
	http://www.Charlottesville-ESL.org 
	"Live with intention. Share inside~out smiles, inspire hope,
seek awe and nurture in nature."
	
	
	
	------------------------------
	
	Message: 3
	Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:30:06 -0500
	From: "Marie Cora" 
	Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 565] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol
4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade
	To: "'The Poverty, Race, Women and Literacy Discussion List'"
	
	Message-ID: <024701c75aae$11d2b760$0202a8c0 at LITNOW>
	Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
	
	Hello Holly and everyone,
	
	Actually, being a big assessment and accountability person, I
would not
	subscribe to the "fuzzy wuzzy" approach but would try hard to
help the
	student understand what they can and can't do as a client of the
	program, and so develop an understanding of accountability
within the
	student as well. Each element of the program has its appropriate
level
	and type of accountability and quite frankly, if we are not
helping
	folks to see and understand this, then we are doing a large
dis-service.
	They will encounter this everywhere once they leave the literacy
	program.
	
	Marie Cora
	Moderator, Assessment Discussion List
	http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Assessment
	
	
	-----Original Message-----
	From: povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov
	[mailto:povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Holly
	Dilatush-Guthrie
	Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 2:31 PM
	To: povertyracewomen at nifl.gov
	Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 564] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol
4,Issue
	50 (National Report on 12th grade
	
	Ou r brains all work in different ways -- reading a few posts
from this
	listserv today, I was reminded of the story forwarded to my
colleagues
	and I (by our PD chairperson). I hope you will take the time to
read
	it http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/stories/stories.cfm?psid=157
and to
	determine if it has any relevance on your approach to what you
do, and
	why, and how often is what you do the/a relevant approach for
the
	student(s) you are seeking to assist/guide/lead/teach... 
	
	I also find myself pondering, increasingly frequently, whether
the
	"fuzzy wuzzy" approach is really helpful -- when is it? when
isn't it?
	If a learner's primary goal for studying toward obtaining a GED
is to
	qualify for 'better' employment, and they routinely arrive late,
with
	tasks incomplete -- but with 'sob
	stories'/excuses/overwhelmed-with-life's realities explanations
-- is
	fuzzy wuzzy relevant? How does fuzzy wuzzy help them gain
skills?
	Playing devil's advocate, is the "sol"/tough luck -- find a way
to stay
	on task or drop the class approach relevant? helpful? 
	
	My apologies if this post seems irrelevant and/or redundant --
venting
	sometimes has a place, but does it have a purpose in the context
of this
	listserv? 
	Holly
	
	
	
	"No matter what our attempts to inform, it is our ability to
inspire
	that will turn the tides."
	Holly Dilatush
	ESL distance learning, Dialogue Cafe, Volunteer coordinator
	Charlottesville City Schools Adult Learning Center
	1000 Preston Ave., Suite D
	Charlottesville VA 22903
	(434) 245.2815 office
	(434) 960.7177 cell/mobile
	http://theHsmile.org ['home' to several Moodle CMS (course
management
	systems/virtual classrooms)]
	http://www.Charlottesville-ESL.org 
	"Live with intention. Share inside~out smiles, inspire hope,
seek awe
	and nurture in nature."
	
	----------------------------------------------------
	National Institute for Literacy
	Poverty, Race, Women and Literacy mailing list
	PovertyRaceWomen at nifl.gov
	To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go
to
	http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/povertyracewomen
	
	
	
	------------------------------
	
	Message: 4
	Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 17:38:10 -0500
	From: nsokolof at jjay.cuny.edu
	Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 566] Re: PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol
4,
	Issue 50 (National Report on 12th grade
	To: "The Poverty, Race, Women and Literacy Discussion List"
	
	Message-ID: <25fe5e25c7d1.25c7d125fe5e at jjay.cuny.edu>
	Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
	
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	Poverty, Race, Women and Literacy mailing list
	PovertyRaceWomen at nifl.gov
	To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go
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	End of PovertyRaceWomen Digest, Vol 4, Issue 52
	***********************************************
	


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