More than 20 million students have completed their high school education by earning a GED. In the United States, it is a critical pathway to better jobs and advancement to college.
To earn a GED, students must pass four exams that many consider more rigorous than high school curricula. It takes a tremendous amount of time and commitment to succeed. Students in NFCC’s GED tutoring program have the advantage of one-on-one assistance and encouragement from volunteer tutors.
Leland “Lee” Nicholson, one of NFCC’s volunteer GED tutors, has seen how adults without a high school diploma face barriers in the job market.
“Human Resources systems have automatic readers that scan your resume or application and if you don’t have a checkmark by high school, then you don’t go any further,” said Lee. “Some people have master’s degrees from other countries, but they just don’t have a U.S. high school diploma.”
Lee joined NFCC’s team of GED tutors, after retiring from teaching at Alpharetta High School in May 2020. He works weekly with adult students.
“It’s well worth investing in these students,” he said. “They’re not here because someone made them come. They’re here because they want to be, and that’s huge…They can all be on a different page, coming in from different countries with different levels of English, and so the fact that we’ve got this Essential Education (digital learning) allows them to focus on what they want to focus on.”
With Essential Education, students begin GED tutoring with a placement test and then are assigned lessons according to their specific learning needs. Knowing where to focus alleviates pressure for students while allowing tutors to concentrate on study tips and test-taking strategies.
Often a tutor’s simple guidance proves most valuable. While one student may need help understanding English idioms, another may benefit from time management tips or reading comprehension strategies. “One thing you have to do as a tutor is butt in a little bit and get them talking to you versus just doing computer work,“ Lee says. “You can show them some shortcuts, and add some understanding.”
Lee says the digital system makes providing guidance and support easy for the tutor. In addition, NFCC provides each new tutor with training and support, so they have educational and interpersonal tools to assist students on their path to graduation.
“(Tutoring is) not very difficult, and they are very forgiving students – they’re not trying to judge you, they just want to learn,” says Lee.
Our tutors say that seeing students succeed is greatest reward for their work.
“You get a lot of satisfaction when they pass one of those tests,” Lee says.
If you’re interested in joining Lee as a GED tutor, NFCC would love to hear from you. The only requirements are that you have evening availability and a college degree. Complete a Volunteer Tutor Interest Form to get started.
