Kim Ellerthorpe - Moving to the Next Level

​When I joined the VISTA program, I already knew Washtenaw Literacy pretty well. I’d been tutoring for several years, and was also serving as a mentor and site coordinator. I knew everyone on staff in one capacity or another. Possibly because of this experience, I went in not realizing just how steep a learning curve there was ahead of me. (At times the curve felt like a vertical line.) I knew about the pivoting Washtenaw Literacy did immediately following the shutdown. In the haze of chaos and the desire to hide away from the world, I was aware of updates talking about how staff was reaching out to tutors and learners to pilot a virtual tutoring program. Eventually, I emerged from my metaphorical blanket fort to come back to tutoring. I was assigned some new learners and reunited with a few old ones.
 
And then came August, and I started at Washtenaw Literacy as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Wow. Remember what I said about that steep learning curve? Suddenly I wasn’t just tutoring in the Virtual Tutoring Program. I was coordinating it. The Program Manager described it as building an airplane while flying it. She’s right. While I knew staff had been hustling to make the transition as smooth and painless as possible for tutors and learners, I had no idea how much effort they’d had to put in to make it work. And suddenly, I was in charge of a large segment of it.
 
In some ways, this has been an intimidating experience. It’s a lot to take on all at once, even when you are supported, as I was and still am. I conduct learner orientations, place learners and tutors together, and track their progress. I provide necessary support to tutors, some of whom are brand new, and some of whom are experienced tutors exploring this strange new realm of online tutoring. I’ve been assisting with Virtual Tutor Training, and in December I’ll be leading the training. (Attendees will include the Program Manager and at least one tutor who’s far more experienced than I am. No pressure.)
 
On the other hand, I’ve been able to make my own tweaks to the program, and while I wouldn’t make any major changes on my own, it’s freeing to be able to make adjustments that support tutors without having to run everything by someone else. This month I’ve started scheduling Tutor Coffee Chats, where tutors can connect. Initial response has been good. I’ve adjusted the Tutor Monthly Update to start including resources for tutors. Even something as small as adapting the Update email to be screen reader-friendly is an important change.
 
Washtenaw Literacy mentors commit to providing additional support for tutors and staff. Now as a VISTA, it’s like that, but on a much, much larger scale. The broader scope means I’m able to support more tutors, and in turn support more learners. More than once, I’ve had a tutor get so excited when I make a suggestion that makes their tutoring easier, or in one specific case, gave the tutor the impetus to get back to tutoring her learner, rather than just keeping in touch.
 
As a tutor (yes, I’m still volunteering), I already know we make a difference for our learners. As a VISTA, what I’m enjoying most of all is helping tutors make that difference.