Professional Development

 

Washtenaw Literacy believes strongly in offering regular and ongoing professional development opportunities for our tutors. We offer a combination of formal tutor training and topical continuing education workshops throughout the year. For tutors who want to take their tutoring skills to the next level, we offer a Master Tutor Certification program. Additionally, you will find links below to a selection of highly recognized training and certification programs. 

♦  Tutor Training: comprehensive introductions to a variety of tutoring modalities are offered throughout the year for all tutors.  Below are three of our featured trainings:

  • Recommended for all tutors, Core Tutor Training is our nationally recognized 15-hour interactive training for Basic Literacy and ESL tutors.  It offers an overview of a wide variety of topics, strategies and techniques for teaching adults.  Click here for current offerings.  (This training is required for Personal Tutors.)  
  • Our most recent addition to Tutor Training is Virtual Tutor Training.  This opportunity will prepare you to work remotely with Basic Literacy and ESL learners, giving you practice in platforms and helping you adapt in-person strategies to a virtual environment.  Click here for current offerings.

♦  Washtenaw Literacy Workshops: topical workshops offered throughout the year for all tutors.  To see the current workshop offerings and register, click here. Below are three of our featured workshops:

  • Our premier professional development event, Power Tutoring, allows tutors from around the region to explore tutoring topics and strategies, while also sharing ideas and experiences with your peers. Held on the third Saturday in February, this day-long collection of workshops is designed with you, the tutor, in mind based on your feedback and the current trends in the adult literacy arena. We strive to provide you with a fresh and thought-provoking list of workshops each year.  
  • Tutor Tune-up: Each summer, we offer refresher training workshops called Tutor Tune-up.  Held on two consecutive Saturdays in August, Tutor Tune-up is a more intimate workshop experience with distinct Basic Literacy and ESL tracks.
  • Held in October or November every year, Fall Forum workshops focus on the more social-emotional aspects of tutoring.  

♦  Current Washtenaw Literacy Tutors, Mentors, and Community Tutoring Coordinators also have access to password protected website pages for additional resources! Click here to login. If you need login or password information, please contact our office at (734) 337-3338 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

♦  Current Washtenaw Literacy Tutors also have access to a Slack workspace.  Slack can be used to organize projects, crowd-source answers, share lesson plans or materials, highlight new resources and more!  If you aren't on Slack, you're missing out.  If you need help connecting, please contact Alison at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

♦  Take an online course, join a discussion group, or just find resources at LINCS (Literacy Information and Communication System).