When both of my children were finished with high school, and I had no more ballgames to attend or school committee meetings in which to participate, I went searching for volunteer opportunities that might fill my newfound void.
Adult Literacy was a cause I thought I could put my heart and effort into, so I Googled “adult literacy”. Vickery Meadow Learning Center appeared on the first page. The center was founded by members of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in 1997 as a nonprofit organization to address the literacy needs of immigrants and refugees who live in the Vickery Meadow area.
How perfect could this be? Adults new to our country, striving to learn a new language, just minutes from my home. I called the number on the website, attended an orientation session, teared up during the video, and started teaching.
I should say, though, that I went to my training session last fall full of trepidation. My only previous teaching experience was as a water safety instructor with the American Red Cross when I was in college. Somehow, I didn’t see demonstrating the backstroke crossing over to verb conjugations. I had no ESL experience and hadn’t had a Spanish class in 30 years.
I shouldn’t have worried. This group is well organized under the leadership of Sarah Polley, the executive director. Lindsay and Kimberly guided us through our training and gave us a curriculum complete with lesson plans and teachers’ guides that will make even the most neophytes of teachers appear to know what they are doing. Longtime volunteers are more than willing to share successful strategies. Classes are team taught.
Even with a training session under my belt and lesson plans in hand, I was very nervous before my first class. A few students were early. I introduced myself and commented that I was really scared. One of the students said, “Me, too.” At that moment, a love affair began between me and this class that lasted all semester.
As we teach vocabulary and subject verb agreement, we learn a lot about our students’ lives. They are all hard-working people trying to improve their lives and their children’s lives.
Treza is from the and has six children. Rafael is 26, single and repairs sprinklers at a golf course. Mariola has three children, one grandchild and cleans houses for a living. Alfredo is married, has two young children, and is trying to buy a house. They come to class twice a week for two hours at night after working all day. They are eager to learn and are appreciative of the time we give to them.
The program has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception. The center is funded entirely by donations and grants, and demand for services is greater than what is available. Currently, the center offers day and evening adult classes on four ESL levels, as well as civics, pre-GED and GED. Morning and afternoon classes include an early childhood education program for children of the adult learners. The center has 550 adult learners, 150 children in its early childhood program, and 150 volunteers. Classes are free; students are asked to pay only for books.
This program is successful. Last semester heralded a 43 percent improvement rate among all students based on their end-of-semester evaluation, and last year students had an average improvement rate of 92 percent. Adult students improve their job situations; children are better prepared when they enter our public schools.
I consider the center my neighbor, and a great one to have. Check out their website at vmlc.org or give them a call at 214.265.5057 if you want to find out more about the organization.
