At Chatham Literacy, we’re all about making a difference in our community through tutoring adults, and we’re lucky to have amazing volunteers like Marian Olson. We recently caught up with Marian to chat about her journey in adult literacy and the joy she finds in helping others.
A Journey of Dedication
Marian has been part of Chatham Literacy for about three years, but her love for teaching doesn’t start there. “I’ve been tutoring since 2000,” she shared with a smile. Before joining Chatham Literacy, she ran a one-room school in New Jersey and worked with various literacy agencies in North Carolina. She describes her time as a tutor as “more than just volunteering; it’s been my career.”
What really stands out about Marian is her genuine passion for her learners. “Seeing my learners grow and gain confidence is the best part of what I do,” she said, radiating enthusiasm. Marian shared an inspiring story about Ana Maria, an advanced learner who initially struggled with reading. “Now she reads manuals in English on how to operate a forklift and trains others in Spanish,” Marian beamed. This transformation shows just how powerful literacy can be in someone’s life.
Fun and Engaging Learning
Marian believes in making learning enjoyable and effective. She often incorporates games and interactive activities into her sessions. “I like to mix things up,” she explained. “Sometimes I have my students write things on slips of paper, and we draw them one at a time. I also use board games to make learning fun.” By creating a dynamic classroom environment, Marian helps her learners connect with each other while practicing their skills.
She emphasizes the importance of peer-to-peer interaction: “One of the things I tell them is that they’ll learn more from one another than they will from me.” This collaborative approach fosters a sense of community and encourages learners to support each other.
Overcoming Challenges
Marian also recalled a moment with a beginner learner who expressed the challenge many face, “We know lots of words, but we can’t communicate.” Marian learned an important lesson from this: “They could name a thing or an action, but they struggled with how to put those words together.” This realization inspired her to focus on teaching function words that help learners form meaningful sentences rather than just memorizing vocabulary.
Like any educator, Marian faces challenges along the way. One of her biggest lessons has been learning not to overwhelm her learners with too much information at once. “They don’t have to learn everything at once,” she shared.
A Community Call to Action
We invite you to consider how you can contribute to this vital work. Your donations are crucial in helping us provide free tutoring services and resources to adults who live or work in Chatham County. We need to continue to improve all of our programs: ESOL, Spanish Literacy, Citizenship, Financial Literacy, and Adult Goal-Based Education. Every contribution you make — no matter the size — plays a significant role in transforming lives and empowering individuals through these programs.
Together, let’s continue building our programs that give our learners the opportunity to thrive. Thank you for your ongoing support and for believing in the power of literacy!
Click to donate to Chatham Literacy.
