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Steps to Become a Tutor

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  • Steps to Become a Tutor

Welcome!

Literacy Volunteers of Morris County (LVMC) helps foreign-born adults in Morris County, New Jersey improve their ability to read, write or speak English. Volunteer participation is free.

Steps to Become a Tutor  

  1. Prior to applying, please review tutor qualifications below.
  2. Complete an online application.*  
  3. Once we review your application, a member of our office staff will contact you within one week.
  4. Accepted tutors are invited to participate in our New Tutor Training offered throughout the year (Upcoming Training Events).
  5. Once you complete the training, you will be assigned an adult learner.

Literacy Volunteers of Morris County reserves the right not to accept volunteer tutors at our discretion.

*If you have additional questions, please call our office at 973-984-1998.

  • Be at least 21 years old and have at least a high school diploma.
  • Demonstrate the ability to speak English clearly. Must speak, read and write English with native fluency. 
  • Be willing to meet with a student in Morris County.
  • Be sensitive to the adult learner and other cultures. Be patient, dependable, friendly,  interested in helping others.
  • Be respectful of confidentiality, and enthusiastic about empowering adults through literacy.
  • Must have a level of comfort with using a computer and email for training and communication with program staff.

Training consists of two parts:

Part 1: LVMC New Tutor Orientation & Discussion Group (total hours: 4)

  1. Orientation groups provide information specific to LVMC including resources, lesson planning ideas, and strategies for teaching.
  2. Orientations are offered over Zoom or in-Person throughout the year.
  3. Upcoming dates can be found on our Upcoming Training page.

Part 2: ProLiteracy ESL Tutor Training Online Workshop (total hours: 7-9)

  1. New tutors are asked to complete 8 self-paced online training modules, approximately 30-45 minutes each. These modules cover topics such as lesson planning, teaching grammar, and developing vocabulary.
  2. Login instructions will be sent upon registration.

Training is free.

Additional new tutor frequently asked questions

  • No, you do not need to speak or understand another language to tutor.
  • No, we provide all training and materials.
  • Minimum commitment of 6 months to tutoring an adult learner for 1 hour a week. (We understand tutors may need time off for travel and appointments.)
  • In addition, tutors are expected to spend some time planning their sessions and choosing relevant materials. This may be an additional 30-90 minutes each week.
  • Initial training will include 4.5 hours of discussion group sessions, plus 10-12 hours of  online New Tutor Training modules.
  • Meet with your adult learner regularly.
  • Prepare each lesson to meet your learner’s goals and life-skills needs, integrating his/her special interests.
  • Submit volunteer hours online on a quarterly basis.
  • Contact program staff for support at any time. We look forward to assisting you!
  • We ask that tutors meet with their student(s) for at least one hour a week.  This hour can be in the morning, afternoon, evening, during the week or on weekends.
  • We ask that tutors and students meet in the library or other quiet public places or utilize remote tutoring platforms such as Zoom or FaceTime.
  • Home tutoring is not permitted.

LVMC helps new tutors learn how to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) and basic literacy skills to adults.  The workshop covers:

  • Practical advice on getting started
  • Designing a lesson plan
  • Recommendations for strategies and materials

The LVMC office maintains a library available to tutors for use with their learners.  Our materials are specifically designed to be used with adult learners.  We have both Basic Literacy and ESL materials.  The library includes picture dictionaries, workbooks, readers, grammar books, and easy to read periodicals. We also have skill specific materials such as high school equivalency test preparation and citizenship preparation. 

Tutors will receive ongoing support from staff, including help designing lesson plans and finding materials.

Tutor Resources

  • Interested tutors should complete our online Tutor Application.
  • A staff member will contact you within 1 week of receiving application with more information on upcoming discussion sessions and the online New Tutor Training modules.
  • We offer tutor training throughout the year with both daytime and evening sessions.
  • Once you have completed both the training and the online modules, you will be assigned an adult learner.

Literacy Volunteers of Morris County reserves the right not to accept volunteer tutors at our discretion.

For information about our next training workshop, please call us at (973) 984-1998, email us at bevin@lvmorris.org,  or go to Upcoming Training.