Arlene is one of Reading to New Height’s most tenured tutors after starting in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic when she had taken a break from her elementary school teaching. At Reading to New Heights, she had eight adult learners she supported multiple times a week at one point. While that was a full-time responsibility on a volunteer basis, it didn’t bother her. She wanted to use her years of experience in teaching to support adult learners virtually. For her, there was no reason she couldn’t do it.
“I just wanted to help people. Why not?” said Arlene. “They’ve struggled so much, and they’re willing to help. Why should people struggle when there’s someone to help them? Why not help?”
Arlene has a love for teaching, no matter if she’s teaching young children or adult learners. What she says is different about teaching adults is their dedication and focus on the lessons, no matter how busy they are with work, family, or other life tasks.
“There’s really a dedication from the learners. Some are so tired that they fall asleep in class after working for so long, but they press on,” she said.
Arlene is now working full time teaching elementary school again, but still finds time in her schedule and in her heart to support Reading to New Heights learners. She has an open-door policy and wants her students to call her anytime.
“Whenever my students have a problem, they can call me anytime,” she said. “I’ll pick up and help them.”
If you’re interested in helping students Read to New Heights, find out more about our volunteer positions at readingtonewheights.org/volunteer-application/.
