Immigrants learn math from immigrant tutor
By Judy Masterson jmasterson@stmedianetwork.com June 1, 2011 8:22PM
Paul Shiels of Mundelein, a retired electronics engineer, volunteers as a GED math tutor at Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park a couple times a week. | Ryan Pagelow~Sun-Times Media
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Mano a Mano is seeking volunteer GED tutors. Call (847) 201-1521 or visit www.manoamanofamilyresourcecenter.org.
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Updated: August 1, 2011 12:21AM
ROUND LAKE PARK — An immigrant and a teacher of immigrants, Paul Shiels of Mundelein, like generations of volunteers before him, offers testimony to the claim that in giving, there is also receiving.
Shiels, a retired electrical engineer and native of Belfast in Northern Ireland, began volunteering at Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park in 2002, after learning that more than 200 people were on a waiting list for the agency’s GED classes. He saw an opportunity to put the “poquito” of Spanish he picked-up as an exchange student in Spain — he holds a degree from Queens University, Belfast — to use.
He not only used his Spanish, he became fluent in the language.
“I’ve always been interested in languages,” said Shiels, 77, who also speaks German and French.
Shiels not only tutored students, he attended classes taught in Spanish.
“Thanks to the teachers who put up to me,” he laughed.
In Shiels, immigrants have discovered both kindness and expert help in that most dreaded of GED subjects — math.
“It is true,” Shiels said. “They are intimidated by the math, they lack confidence in their ability to learn it. Many of our students have not even attended high school.”
Mano a Mano Executive Director Carolina Duque said that Shiels is reaching those students who need more help than they can receive in a twice-weekly, two-hour class of 25 or 30 students. And after two months, it’s on to the next subject.
“Math is the area where students get stuck,” Duque said. “But when a volunteer works with small groups of between four and six students, we see students grasp the concepts.”
Most of Shiels’ students are women.
“In Latino culture, math is not high on the list of things for women to learn — even in school,” he said.
Shiels has witnessed “unbelievable” perseverance and “tremendous determination” by women who juggle child rearing, one or more jobs, plus GED classes and homework. He recalls one student who “had tremendous difficulty with math all the way through” but finally, after two years of struggle, earned her GED.
“Another woman took the math test three times and failed it three times,” Shiels recalled.
On the fourth try, she passed.
Guadalupe Patino of Round Lake Park, who walked to classes at Mano a Mano, earned her GED with Shiels’ help. She is now taking classes to become a CNA, certified nurse assistant.
“Mr. Paul is a very patient person,” Patino said through a translator. “He is always willing to help us regardless of the date, time or weather. I am so grateful to him, and to Mano a Mano.”
“I’m just getting them over the hump,” Shiels said. “Tutoring is something many people have time to do — it’s a couple hours a week. If we had more, we’d see more results.”
In today’s labor market, a GED is a basic requirement for most entry-level jobs.
“Education is the key,” Duque said. “The GED is the first-step.”
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