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Tutor Brings Wealth of Experience in Adult Education

In addition to tutoring students, Irene has trained and mentored tutors.

Few of Oakland Literacy Council’s tutors are as knowledgeable as Irene Sinclair, who came to the Council with more than four decades of experience in adult education.

Irene received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Adult Education from the State of Michigan in 2009. During her tenure with the Detroit public school district, she oversaw several adult ed learning centers, trained adult ed teachers, wrote curriculum, and taught both foreign-born and native-born adults with low literacy levels. She also served at the state level through appointments to the Michigan ESL Professional Advisory Committee and the Michigan Adult Curriculum Connection.

But Irene lost her job in 2012 when Detroit public schools made an abrupt change in adult education programming. Frustrated, she asked herself what she could do with her knowledge and experience. She decided to reach out to Oakland Literacy Council. “The Oakland Literacy Council welcomed me and provided immediate opportunities to help foreign-born adults learn English,” she says. “This helped ease my feeling of ‘now what?’”

“We are grateful that Irene has been willing to share her wealth of experience with the Council,” says Executive Director Lisa Machesky. “Our tutors are more skilled, and our workforce efforts are stronger, because of Irene.”

She has tutored four English language learners, three of whom have since “graduated” from our program after their reading and listening skills improved.

Irene has led training workshops for other tutors, and she mentors new volunteers individually. She stresses the importance of focused lessons that address a student’s real-life objectives and that utilize different learning styles—oral, visual, written, and kinesthetic. “Everybody learns differently,” she explains. She might use pictures, text, conversation, and role play in a single lesson. Even drawing helps the visual learner, she notes.

“Some tutors worry about boring their students,” she says. “But the student doesn’t get bored. The more we repeat, the happier they are.”

In addition to tutoring and training tutors, Irene has served the Council by helping immigrant job seekers through special workforce efforts. One is a short-term conversation group conducted regularly in partnership with the Michigan Office for New Americans for college-educated professionals who have relocated to Michigan from abroad and who face language barriers to employment. Another was a 12-hour class conducted in partnership with Oakland County Michigan Works.

Throughout her long career, Irene says, she has been fortunate to have work that is intensely satisfying. “Literacy gives people opportunities to live fuller lives,” she says. “That’s my strongest reason for being committed to adult learning.”

Meet Other 35 Faces of Literacy

Check out these articles about Oakland Literacy Council!

The Joy of Being a Literacy Tutor
Read between the ‘lions’
Give a little, give a lot
Seeking volunteer tutors

The Oakland Literacy Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity that relies on the financial support of individuals, businesses, community organizations, and foundations to fulfill its mission. Your tax-deductible financial gift can be made online, by mail or by Donor-Advised Fund. The Oakland Literacy Council also welcomes gifts of Stock and Legacy Gifts.

In celebration of Oakland Literacy Council’s 35th anniversary, we’ve invited students, former students, tutors, donors, and other advocates to share their stories. Read all of their stories here.

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Oakland Literacy Council
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Lesley TauroLesley Tauro
12:43 05 Sep 24
I love being a English Tutor with Oakland Literacy Council on a one-on-one basis as well as for a conversation group. Through OLC, I have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people, many who have become friends.
Cynthia WersteinCynthia Werstein
23:48 04 Sep 24
I have enjoyed my ESL tutoring with Oakland Literacy Council. We received training to help us, help our students. I feel like I can reach out for additional help if needed. Not to forget, they offer outside activities, on occasion, so that the students and tutors can do some typical, but fun activities! OLC is a great organization to volunteer with.
Lisa BurnsLisa Burns
21:33 04 Sep 24
I've been volunteering with the OLC for about a year and a half, and it's been a great experience! I very much enjoy the tutoring sessions with the student whom they paired me with. She is a lovely person and I've learned a lot from her too. OLC makes tutoring easy for volunteers, with an easy-to-use curriculum, training, support, and social events. Highly recommend!
Qambar Ali SarwariQambar Ali Sarwari
19:50 04 Sep 24
Great team, motivational atmosphere, Thank you for your always support and help, especially the refresher training you provide to the tutors.Warm regards ,Ali
Brad RothBrad Roth
19:07 04 Sep 24
When I retired in 2020 (in the middle of the covid pandemic) I wanted to find ways to volunteer. As a former college professor, I am particularly concerned about education and literacy. Working with Oakland Literacy Council has been a wonderful experience for me. The staff at OLC (particularly Laurie Weeks) is so helpful and appreciative. I've gotten more hand-written thank you notes from Laurie in the last four years than from everyone else throughout the rest of my life combined. Volunteering for OLC lets me give back to society but enjoy retirement too. I highly recommend it.
Kelly TurnerKelly Turner
11:12 23 Aug 24
I would like to say How amazing Oakland literacy Council is I came in May To Continue my education and I thank god I found them they where at the bottom of the list when they should have been at the top of the list first off the staff is amazing they did everything by the book I did placement testing to figure out where to place me they took the time out to get the best tutors they also called and checked in on me and also motivated me to keep going and never give up they gave me the option to go online for tutoring or in person Stewart my tutor was amazing he took pride in educating me and never made me feel like I was bothering him patricia was amazing she stayed on me and stayed consistent they made me feel like familythe icing on the cake was how they acknowledged me on graduation day the whole team was there for me and my family and I was so happy and me and my kid's could feel the love it's nothing that I would not do for Oakland literacy I will be there spokesperson for life cause it's worth it and they have top notch tutors employees and the online tutor services is Phenomenal if you're seeking to continue your education look no more this is the place to go
Sanghee HanSanghee Han
11:59 22 Aug 24
I was so lucky to meet oakland literacy Council. Since OLC has been a great institute for me almost 2 years. And they helped my english improve and give me some good talking classes for learning new culture here as well. Now that I graduated from a reading program at OLC, I feel like I'm still with them. Really appreciate it.
BAIYANG LAIBAIYANG LAI
19:36 15 Aug 24
In the past three years I learned English with Oakland Literacy. I met quite a few tutors in one by one tutoring and some conversation groups. Those tutors were so incredible and awesome! They really really helped me a lot in my English. My gratitude to all of them is beyond words!
jung min sonjung min son
17:36 15 Aug 24
Thank you for having me with your excellent support.. I really enjoyed learning English and having conversation class with others. I made some good friends and I think Oakland Literacy Council is very good for people who need English support 👏 👍
Joseph Lee (Jo)Joseph Lee (Jo)
16:39 15 Aug 24
Oakland Literacy Council was a very good program for me as my second language. I evaluated my English ability through English listening and reading tests and matched my tutor accordingly. As a result, my English improved a lot. And most of all, it was free.
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OAKLAND LITERACY COUNCIL 51111 Woodward Ave., Suite 720, Pontiac, MI 48342

(248) 253-1617, info@oaklandliteracy.com

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