Meet Our Tutors: Mark Hurych

Mark Hurych on the Challenges of Tutoring

Oh boy. OK, maybe it is a challenge to get me to shut up once I get rolling. I don't think tutoring or teaching is challenging.

Let me explain. Raising a child to be kind and considerate, that's challenging, especially if you are trying to put food on the table and keep everybody healthy.

Dealing with a child with health issues in early life? (I've been there.) That qualifies as challenging.

I challenge myself when it comes to education. I've defined it as something completely different from schooling. Most of what typically goes on in K thru PhD is schooling, in my opinion. Getting schooled is common and it expresses the usual way of operating schools.

Taking, yes that's right I say "taking," an education is entirely different. When I ask myself a question and treat that question the same way you might treat "Where are my damn keys?" when you're on your way to work, when I ask myself a question in that way I begin to educate myself. No one can educate me. They can write a book, or write to me, they can send me a message, they can help me find my damn keys, sometimes, but the motivation to ask and answer is mine and mine alone.

I'm not done. An answer is just a clue. It's one puzzle piece. It is a piece of evidence. I need to build a whole case with tons of evidence in order to prove to myself beyond a reasonable doubt that I have a right to be certain of something. Certainty defines knowledge.

Now if I say I know something it is your job (as listener or reader) to challenge that with "Why do you say that?" or "How can you be so certain?" or "How did you reach that conclusion?" or "Have you considered this other thing?"

Eventually, after revising the claims and checking new data, and checking for fallacies or contradictions, I begin to establish principles of knowledge that allow me to do the right thing, see the big picture, and act with wisdom.

That is a challenge that I offer my students to take on for themselves. Then it is not my challenge. It becomes theirs.

Love the questions,
bring it on.
mark spark

Our First Blog Post

(image from KPBS.org)

Welcome to the Adult Literacy Services blog for Camarena Memorial Library. We are located here in Calexico, California. Calexico is the southernmost city in Imperial County, and we share the border with Mexicali, Mexico. We know that 1 in every 2 adults in Imperial County is reading at or below Level 1 Literacy (PIAAC survey of adult skills). That's a much higher rate than the rest of California unfortunately.

So, if you are trying to improve your literacy skills, if you're an adult 16 years and older and are not concurrently enrolled in high school, and if you are able to do the intake interview in English, this is the program for you. You are at the right place. 

Or if you are interested in becoming a volunteer to help an adult build their literacy skills, then this is also the program for you. As long as you are willing to commit to at least six months of tutoring and feel comfortable tutoring virtually (for now), we provide you with all the training you need and work with your schedule. Also, the staff here at our library are super kind and friendly, so don't feel intimidated about trying something new.

Here you will find regular updates on our services, stories from our tutors and learners, and links to resources you might find helpful.

Currently our library is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are still doing our best to offer you opportunities to learn or tutor from home. In addition to tutoring services, we offer a weekly conversation class (this is currently offered online via Zoom), and beginning ESL classes. We have a great collection of literacy workbooks and resources to help you learn or tutor.

If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to comment or email us at library@calexico.ca.gov