Treldon James

My name is Treldon James. Have you been left alone at a young age? I had problems in school. But I am going to tell you about what I achieved on one and one tutoring.

When I was young, my Mom came to Canada and left me with my grand parents. I went to school in Trinidad but I do not remember much other than getting beaten. My Mom went for me and my two sisters. On our way to Canada we stopped at St. Vincent and we attended school there also for a little while. Another bad experience at that school.

I finally reached Canada at age 8. I went to a French school so that put me behind, not learning my first language, English. French was very difficult for me. I was very nervous to read in front of people, I avoided it when the teachers asked me to read out loud. Writing assignments were very hard to understand and do.

My mother fought to get me into an English high school, another bad experience. I was attending school to be with my friends, but my mind was not in class. I was in and out of class so I missed a lot of stimulation and education. John Grant was a no-credit high school. It's just for students with difficulties. I left high school around seventeen years old.

O went to Place Cartier, and adult ed school, where I learned basic English for immigrants. After a couple of semesters I did six courses to my high school diploma. Unfortunately, I had to leave school because I found if very difficult for me to continue.

Sports were my outlet. Football was my first sport. I've been playing football for quite a while. Football is my getaway. It taught me discipline, work together, focus and communication.

I found a full time job working at U.P.S. At that time I had a baby on the way, so work was a priority.

When Keana was a few years old, I decided that I could no go on like this any longer, not knowing how to read and write. I needed help. So strangely, something happened on my way to work. I heard on the radio about L.U., so I took down the number. Literacy Unlimited is a program to help English speaking adults with there difficulties to read and write, etc. I called and came in for an interview. It tool two tried to get a tutor. The first time I did not hear form them so it took me a while to call them back to get a tutor. The tutor and I meet once or twice a week. We touch everything: reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, ad any extra work that I want to do.

After a long day of work I am very tired but with m commitment to L.U., I pull it through. Also I get very discouraged because I always expect more of myself. I want it to come in day but I know it's a long process.

With all the work I put in I started feeling very comfortable. It boosted my self-esteem to pick up a book to read to my daughter, buying a house, being more comfortable at work, reading bills, and following instructions. I rely less on people to help me.

Something that I would never do is to pick up a book to read. Now I have that confidence to read a novel of one hundred ages. Before, I hardly knew how to spell my numbers, months, days. Now it flows perfectly, I feel comfortable writing cheques, even with big numbers. I never liked writing before. That was my weak point but with my tutors help by pushing me, I wrote an essay. I spoke at a training workshop for new tutors last fall. I was nervous, but I was able to do it.

I was asked to drive the big trucks at my work and that requires a class one driving license. I was very proud of myself. I read twelve chapters and studied very hard. It took me a couple of tries but I pulled it off to get my permit. The road test was nerve-racking but it was a piece of cake.

I also attended a workshop program, Speaking Up and Speaking out. It's run by Literacy Volunteers of Quebec; it's to learn how to give speeches in public. I really like this program because it's a good opportunity to tell people it's never too late to learn. It helps me practice speaking.

I am happy to see results in myself, and I feel more secure in my life. I work hard and I see accomplishments.

So I had problems at school and not been able to get my diploma, but with the one on one tutoring, and my efforts, I improved my reading and writing and accomplished some of my goals.