America Reads Resource
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Reads History at TTU
Twenty-eight Original TTU America Reads Tutors
1997-1998
"Giving Literacy Wings"
Scan below to meet the first America Reads tutors trained at
Tennessee Technological University in the fall of 1997. Students kept
journals and wrote reflective papers to keep a record of their experiences
in this program.
Stephanie Klotz, President TTU America
Reads, 1998-1999
"Sometimes I look at the first
grader working across the room from us working with another
America Reads tutor and I think, 'How did I get a second grader who doesn't even
know his
letters . . .' But at other times, like when he correctly names the letter
'R', I am so excited
I almost start to cry tears of joy."
Jasmine Adams
"I know how good it is going to make me feel to know that I have helped a child. When he or she gets older, I want them to look back and remember me."
"I want to have a positive effect on a child's life."
Hannah Bird
Hannah accepts Mortar Board literacy kits for our America Reads students.
Melena Brackins
"What I get out of this tutoring is terribly rewarding. I see my first grader grow in such a small period of time. Her confidence level is so much higher than before. I see her smiles and her giggles and I love that noise. I wonder if I make a small difference in her life."
Rebecca Brady
"I can't bear to think of a child who gets out of bed every morning and dreads coming to school. It isn't enough for me to help them learn to read . . . I want them to love it!"
"I believe that reading is the rock-solid foundation on which an entire school career sets. If a child misses the reading boat, all the other years that they suffer through school won't be spent sailing, they'll just be treading water."
"Children who are poor readers are poor students - permanently."
Craig Breen
"Helping my tutoring student has helped me. I have had to have a good understanding of the material in order to explain it well enough for the person needing help to understand it. Possibly helping my student to read will help me to read better or to pick up on something I didn't learn or learn correctly."
"I am in the America Reads program because I would like to help someone to either learn how to read or to improve their reading skills."
Michelle Colson
"The main reason I am enrolled in this program is because I want to help a child to learn to read better so they will not be ashamed to read out loud."
"I love to help children read better."
Rex Crabtree
"Another reason that I want to learn how to tutor is so that I can help my little brother read better. He has been in every chapter class at one time or another. He hates school this year because I'm not at home at night to help him do his homework. He is in the sixth grade this year and I've been helping him since kindergarten. He thinks I'm the smartest person in the world because I'm going to college and I know I'm his hero."
"If I can only teach one child to read better, then I will think that I have done a good job."
Holly Cravens
"I have learned to be patient, not just with the child, but with myself."
Fay Crawford
"One must be able to read to survive in everyday life. It is important to catch any problems early and fix them before the student reaches the upper grade levels."
"I want to be a part of making a student successful in life through reading."
Tina Ferguson
"After all, this is what I chose to do with the rest of my life: to teach and serve young children so that they can gain a better education and succeed in all that they do!"
"I thought America Reads would be an excellent opportunity for me to gain experience for my future career as an early childhood teacher."
Farrah Godwin
"I never thought that I would care what a child thought of me, but I did . . . if anything, this program taught me more about myself than it did about literacy."
Paul Grady
"I signed up for this particular program when it was offered because I love children and I love reading."
"A person must make some type of difference no matter how small and insignificant. This is my way of doing it."
Casey Haley
"Reading is at the heart of everything. It is embarrassing and extremely difficult for one to function in our modern society if they are illiterate. The ability to read well allows one to communicate with others clearly, concisely, and effectively. It is not a skill used only in academia. It is a skill needed for everyday life."
Chris Hollinghead
"I am an education major and so I was excited when I found out I got into the program, which was sure to become very valuable and much needed experience."
Gabrielle Mansfield
"I think reading and writing are fundamental skills that determine many things. Our confidence, our outlook on life, our emotional state, and many other things are affected by our first learning experiences."
Lisa McFarlin
"Since I am an education major, I thought America Reads would be a very good experience. It will look good on a resume and may open the door for future employment. I thought it would also give me a chance to work on one of my weaknesses: reading."
Tommy Odle
"We visit, we read, we learn."
Kristen Raines
"I feel that reading is the basis for everything. I feel that I can make a difference in a child's life."
"I remember learning to read in the first grade. The moment the 'light came on' I distinguished the difference between 'house' and 'home'. I do not remember what led up to that moment, but after that I could read."
"I feel that tutoring will be a very rewarding experience on many levels. I hope to encourage a love of reading in others. I hope to become better able to help my son in his pursuit of learning to read. I will also be gaining knowledge and experience help for my future career. Above all, I have a genuine desire to help others learn to read."
"I have learned to speak less and listen more."
Brad Sloan
"Well, I never thought this job would require so much work!"
"I think being a reader will make a kid smarter and therefore school will be much easier for him. I hope to make a difference in some kid's life."
Tammy Thompson
"As a tutor, I feel that I have grown. It is very rewarding to watch a child begin to read. I feel pride each time she can read a poem without missing a word. I feel pride when she is waiting eagerly for me to come to class."
Lorie Waller
"Education means everything in this world and society today. Without it you will be at a dead end road. I want this child to be able to choose any road he wants to travel."
Joey Ward
"My student and I have come a long way. He calls me his buddy. Whenever he forgets his poem at home, or forgets to read it he meets me at his classroom door and says, 'Hey buddy, guess what? I've got bad news.' "
"My student is a constant reminder to me that one person can make a difference."
Jennifer Webb
"First of all, I feel that I was cheated throughout my education because I was not taught to enjoy reading."
"Although I do not have a lot of time for personal reading, I have set a goal for myself to read at least one chapter a day from a book for pleasure."
"I feel that if reading is presented to these children as enjoyable, they will be much more willing to understand what is happening with reading and other subjects."
Shannon Auberson - unpaid volunteer in America Reads
"When I help a child, I help myself."Cherie Hall
Melissa Jackson
This site is designed and maintained by Pam Petty.
Email: pam@pampetty.com
04/12/2004 10:06:52 AM