November Volunteer Hours: 671 | |  |
School Year to Date: 2046 | |
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As fall classes come to a close and the year winds down, our entire team would like to extend a big THANK YOU for making the work that we do possible. And what a year it has been! We know you have dedicated so much time to building a better future with our students so we hope you are able to find a moment to take a breath and reflect on the year.
One of the great things about the work we do is how much we learn from our students. Those "a-ha moments" as they gain critical thinking that will help them to build a better future for themselves, and their community can be eye-opening for us as well. The essays that GED Reading & Writing students wrote this quarter are a great reminder that, as one student reminds us, "history is not about the dates, and we need to understand there can be more than one story in history because of the different perspectives, and seeing different views, not just one truth." Maybe we can remember this as we process the complex events that happen around the world, this year and every year, and as we engage in animated conversations around the holiday dinner table!
We also received so much useful feedback from our students in their end-of-quarter class evaluations (more on that in January's e-news). One thing that students consistently reference in their responses is that they are so appreciative of the individualized attention they receive, as well as the kindness and friendliness they encounter in every person that contributes to their educational journey with Literacy Source. So now seems like the perfect time to remind you that none of this would be possible without you. We wish you all the best this holiday season and look forward to a wonderful year ahead.
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With gratitude,
Liz Wurster
Communications Coordinator
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Because the truth is, rarely can a response make something better.
What makes something better is a connection.
~Brené Brown
In our classes, we have students from all over the world with lived experiences that may, in many respects, be very different from one another. Because of this, it is so important to create safe places for our students to, as Cari Hastings, our Ready to Work and Conversation class instructor, explains, "have the ability and opportunity to talk about problems in their daily lives."
But how do we do that? One way, Cari says, is to "sit with students in their trials and pain. We can listen. We can offer empathy. We can create safe places where students can unburden themselves and express their feelings, and worries."
You may have seen the RSA short created by Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, about empathy (it has, after all, been viewed more than 20 million times). In its touching portrayal of a relationship between a bear and a fox, it shares some powerful insight into how to use empathy to connect with the people around you.
From describing the four qualities of empathy (perspective taking, staying out of judgment, recognizing emotion in other people, and communicating that recognition) to sharing memorable advice on how to grow through vulnerability in our complex relationships with those around us, this video can be a good reminder this holiday season of how to connect with people, some of whom might have very different views than you, in a way that brings meaning and connection in your relationships.
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Wait time, in educational terms, is the time that a teacher waits before calling on a student in a class or for an individual student to respond to a question. On average, teachers pause only one-and-a-half seconds after asking a question. When that time is extended to three or more seconds, there are positive changes to students’ and teachers’ behaviors and attitudes. ESOL students need even more time. Six seconds or more is appropriate sometimes. Why? Wait time gives students a chance to take risks. | |
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A simple way to build wait time into a lesson is including activities where students are asked to write down their thoughts and ideas before sharing.
By: Allie Azersky, Community Programs Developer
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On the last evening of fall quarter, we celebrated our volunteers’ hard work at the 2023 Literary Mixer… back in-person for the first time since the pandemic began!
The volunteer community is the heart and soul of Literacy Source, and we treasure any opportunity to gather in honor of you all – especially with our favorite books and snacks in hand. Just in time for cozy winter reading, mixer attendees have curated a list of recommendations to gift, grab for yourself from your nearest library or bookstore, or download and devour.
Check out the complete list here, or start with 6 of our featured picks (listed below). Thank you to all who participated, and keep an eye out for our next Literary Mixer this spring!
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Join Us!
(1) Winter Term Zoom Skills Training
Zoom Skills Workshop
Session 1: Monday, January 8, 10-11am (online)
OR
Session 2: Thursday, January 11, 6-7pm (online)
Required for all new classroom assistants and online tutors, returning volunteers welcome as a refresher and to see what has changed! We will review Zoom skills students need in their classes; it is a good time for you to learn/review and practice these skills so you can assist students with troubleshooting. Please review the short training videos before the workshop, then you will have time to practice in the training. Topics include: screensharing, joining/leaving breakout rooms, using annotate tools, renaming and background effects (useful for privacy).
Please join the Zoom Skills Google Classroom to sign up to attend, view videos and Zoom link for the trainings.
(2) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: Office of Citizenship
Free Webinar: Overview of the Naturalization Test/Naturalization Test Process Eligibility Overview
January 19, 2024 @ 11am – 12pm PST
Who should attend? Anyone working, or interested, in working with students studying for their citizenship
Click here to register
Questions? Please email Caroline.
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Congratulations - and thank you! - to the following volunteers for reaching a year of service with Literacy Source!
- Diane Clausen (ESOL tutor)
- Mark Antone (Board Member)
- Vincent Fiorentini (ESOL tutor)
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Michael Phipps (Conversation Partner)
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Literacy Source partnered with five individuals who became new citizens in the past month. Two were from Eritrea, two from Ethiopia, and one from Colombia. Congratulations!
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Here is a photo of one of the new citizens, Sandra. She is holding her certificate and standing next to an American flag, a banner that says "Today, I am an American", and the Department of Homeland Security symbol. | |
Literary Mixer Recommendations | |
Here are some favorite picks from our Literary Mixer this month! | |
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Through December 30, various times (Broadway Performance Hall, $5–115)
Millennials will remember the Capitol Hill theater’s annual production of Black Nativity from 1998-2012; a decade later, director Valerie Curtis-Newton reimagines the cult classic. Her version of the original Christmas story hinges on a manger full of soul—and plenty of dance, gospel choir singalongs, and engaging choreography.
Garden d'Lights
Every evening from 4-9pm until December 31 (Bellevue Botanic Gardens, $5-8)
Garden d’Lights features over half a million sparkling lights formed into the whimsical shapes of plants, flowers, birds, animals, and cascading waterfalls set amid the natural beauty of the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
An Evening with Alice Wong
January 9, 6:30pm (Town Hall Seattle, FREE)
Disabled activist and writer, Alice Wong joins remotely for a moderated conversation addressing topics important to her work in raising the visibility of disabled people. The author of the 2022 Must Read Book, Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life, is sure to inspire and enlighten all of us. The lecture is sponsored by The Graduate School, UW Disability Studies Program, and is part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
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Our next New Volunteer Orientation (via Zoom) will be on January 3 at either 1pm or 7pm.
Potential volunteers are invited to register online here.
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Winter Term: January 16th - March 14th
Winter Term Class Schedule
Snow Policy: Literacy Source follows the Seattle Public School open/closed hours on snow days. Please call the center on 206.782.2050 to hear a voicemail about that day's center closure.
Here is the 2023-2024 Class Calendar.
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Miss any of our past volunteer newsletters? You can access archived newsletters at the bottom of the Volunteer Resources of our webpage. | | | | |
