Jim Moyer

As a tutor, Jim Moyer knows that the learning goes both ways. He has found that he learns just as much as his students. “My students’ life experiences have all been much different from mine, so I’ve learned a lot.”

Jim became a tutor almost four years ago when he found himself with a little extra time and wanted to help somebody in a way he’d never helped anyone before. He also knew that tutors were needed to make the Literacy Council successful.

An especially rewarding experience for Jim was the time his current student got all the answers correct on the Skill Book 1 checkup. But all tutors know that you must face challenges to get to the reward.

Jim’s biggest challenge as a tutor is to try to get his 40-something student to learn things quickly—-things we as tutors often take for granted. “We had covered possessives several times, but the Skill Book 2 checkup showed he still needed work,” recalls Jim.“I’ve had several experiences that taught me how it feels to be nearly illiterate. Traveling in Italy where all the signs are in a language I can barely read made me feel completely lost. So I understand the importance of reading a language”

Jim stresses that you don’t have to be a teacher to teach someone to read. “If you can read the instructions in the materials, you can teach someone to improve their reading,” he explains. When he isn’t tutoring, Jim stays busy as a founding member of Reflection Big Band, playing the saxophone and clarinet. He also enjoys collecting 1950’s and 1960’s rock-and-roll records, volunteering at Loaves and Fishes, and teaching adult Sunday School.