University of Florida College of Education America Reads Orientation

1. University of Florida College of EducationAmerica Reads Orientation SPRING 2012

2. What is America Reads? • A grassroots effort to improve reading skills among elementary school students in grades 1 through 3. • Established in 1996 by the Clinton administration as a Federal Work Study program. • UF students eligible for work-study as part of financial aid are trained as literacy tutors for elementary children. • Tutoring occurs in schools and community-based after-school settings.

3. Topics to Cover • Program Structure and Contact Information • Tutor Preparation • Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring Model • Essential Components of an Alternative Tutoring Model • Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • Our Expectations of Employees

4. Topics to Cover • Program Structure and Contact Information • Tutor Preparation • Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring Model • Essential Components of an Alternative Tutoring Model • Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • Our Expectations of Employees

5. Program Structure Penny Fultz College of Education AR Financial Coordinator Dr. Holly Lane America Reads Director Jennifer Tragash Mentor Center Director Natalie Chin Office Manager Rachel Parsons Program Coordinator Micaela Thomas Assessment Coordinator Kelly Jensen City of Gainesville Massey-Westside Center Director Harry Jones City of Gainesville Northeast Center Director

6. Our Office • Norman Hall G504 • Phone: 352-273-4171 • E-mail: read@coe.ufl.edu • http://education.ufl.edu/Centers/AmericaReads/ • Office hours will be sent to all tutors via email ***Always call to make sure someone is there before you walk all the way to the office.

7. Topics to Cover • Program Structure and Contact Information • Tutor Preparation • Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring Model • Essential Components of an Alternative Tutoring Model • Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • Our Expectations of Employees

8. Tutor Preparation • Before you begin your tutoring session • Find a space for tutoring; sit side-by-side, rather than across from each other. You are doing one-on-one tutoring. • Gather all materials needed for that lesson from the bin. (When the lesson calls for big books or enlarged copies of poems, you can use regular copies of the books and plain paper). • Read the lesson plan and book – note any variations needed (as mentioned above). • Have Prompting Guide ready and available. • Note the writing students will be doing. Put the corresponding lesson number and date on the writing pages.

9. Managing Your Time • Carefully consider your weekly schedule. • Establish good communication with the people in the site where you are working. • Choose a location to work that is away from TV/video/games/playground. • Before a session begins you will have 15 minutes to gather your tutoring materials and organize them so that you are ready to go. • Following your tutoring session you will have 15 minutes to respond and reflect about your tutoring session. At this time, a ‘session notes’ form should be filled out.

10. Topics to Cover • Program Structure and Contact Information • Tutor Preparation • Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring Model • Essential Components of an Alternative Tutoring Model • Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • Our Expectations of Employees

11. Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring ModelOverall, sessions should take about 40 minutes • Re-Reading a familiar book (~5 minutes) • Word work (~5 minutes) • Reading a new book (~10 minutes) • Writing (~10 minutes) • Extension activity (~5 minutes)

12. Some Great Tips! • Encourage critical thinking! - Ask them the questions and give them chance to answer. The more you listen to them, the more you can see and understand their thought processes. • Write and write and write some more! - Allow students to express themselves through their writing. Help them with their grammar and punctuation, but dont harp on it. Perfection is not the goal. • Teach academic success skills! - Students need help staying organized and learning how to effectively study for a test. • Become an advocate!- Ask them about their day in school, ask them about their favorite subject(s) and the ones they struggle with. Help them understand its ok to ask for help and show them some ways they can ask for help.

13. Topics to Cover • Program Structure and Contact Information • Tutor Preparation • Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring Model • Essential Components of an Alternative Tutoring Model • Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • Our Expectations of Employees

14. Respect Cultural Differences • Pay attention to your students’ accents and pronunciation. • If your student pronounces words differently than you, do not try to “correct” his or her accent. • Our students have to switch codes all the time. We don’t need to make it harder for them.

15. Getting to Know You…..

16. Topics to Cover • Program Structure and Contact Information • Tutor Preparation • Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring Model • Essential Components of an Alternative Tutoring Model • Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • Our Expectations of Employees

17. Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • You will be paid on a bi-weekly basis. • Please sign-in and out every day that you work. Be sure to have your site host and site coordinator verify your hours for that day. • Timesheets that are not filled out correctly or do not have all of the required signatures will not be picked up. This will result in a pay delay. • America Reads staff will do our best to make sure that you get paid on time; however, • Inputting your time late or incorrectly can result in pay delay until the following pay period (if the mistake is fixed).

18. Timesheets and Hours • Minutes will be rounded to the nearest quarter hour. • 53-07 round to 0 • 08-22 round to 15 • 23-27 round to 30 • 38-52 round to 45 • For example, if you came in at 11:24 you will put down 11:30. • There is more information on reporting your hours in the “Time Reporting Done Right” document. ***Falsifying your hours is immediate grounds for termination***

19. Topics to Cover • Program Structure and Contact Information • Tutor Preparation • Essential Components of a Standard Tutoring Model • Essential Components of an Alternative Tutoring Model • Time-Reporting and Pay Schedule • Our Expectations of Employees

20. Our Expectations of All Employees • Follow through on your commitments – this may only be a couple hours a week for you, but for the site and the children, it’s a big deal. Be consistent, dependable, and responsible. • Dress, behave, and speak accordingly – you are a role model to the children and you are representing UF. Be respectful of the school, teachers, and the children. • Be positive – remember you are making a huge difference in the lives of the children, even if some days are frustrating. • Be honest – if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask or let us know.

21. What to Wear? Dress Code • Dress conservatively, professionally, but comfortably. • Good rules to follow: • See-through and revealing garments, tank and halter tops are NOT ALLOWED. • Clothing with writing or symbols advertising or promoting drugs, tobacco, alcohol, sex, etc. are NOT ALLOWED. • Phones, i-pods, iphones, etc. should not be used during the tutoring sessions. • Jewelry and accessories (including piercings) should be professional. • Any visible tattoos should be covered.

22. Attendance and Program Policies • If you are going to miss work, you MUST contact the following people at least 24 hours in advance: • Site Host • Site Coordinator • Office Staff *At least one week notice will need to be given for academic or extracurricular related conflicts. *Contact Information will be available before you leaving this evening. Please write all information down, as you will be responsible for having it. • How many excused absences allowed? No more than 3 • How many unexcused absences allowed? 0

23. Attendance: Days Off • 1/20/2012: Teacher Workday • 2/20/2012: Presidents’ Day • 3/5/2012-3/9/2012: UF Spring Break • 3/30/2012: Teacher Workday • 4/2/2012-2/6/2016: AC Spring Break * Last day of tutoring TBD

24. Book Check-out Procedure • Every tutor will be responsible for checking out their own books for tutoring sessions • Books will be checked out every other week • This includes both LLI books and chapter books • Every book will be signed in and out by the tutor needing it • If you have not finished with a book in the two weeks, you will need to come in to the office to ‘renew’ the checkout • Each tutor will receive an extra hour of pay every two weeks for completing this. Failure to bring your own timesheet into the office will result in no extra pay.

25. Other Program Policies • As an America Reads tutor, it is just as important to exercise responsibility and professionalism as it is for you to strive to be a great tutor. • This includes: • Having strong communication with the office, Site Host, and Site Coordinator • Address every encounter (including face to face, phone, or via email) with an America Reads employee with respect and professionalism • Fulfilling book check-out procedures as required (bi-weekly)

26. Expectations of All Employees • As explained previously, all America Reads employees should treat their position with the utmost level of responsibility and professionalism. • Should an employee fail to uphold this value system, a recorded reprimand will be made by the office. • After two reprimands, the employee will be asked into the office for a re-evaluation meeting. • Should problems persist after this meeting, the employee will be immediately terminated.

27. You MUST have completed the following to begin tutoring: • Application • Fingerprinting • Read the Employee Manuel • Read “Time-Reporting Done Right” • Attend orientation training

28. Thank you for coming! Feel free to contact us at the America Reads office if you have any questions, comments, or concerns: Norman Hall G504 Phone: 352-273-4171 E-mail: read@coe.ufl.edu