BREAKOUT #5
LOCATION: PRE-FUNCTION AREA - GROUP CHAT SPACE
This is a Group Chat IRL session. These lively, highly interactive sessions are designed to highlight the wealth of knowledge and experience among conference attendees.
Sit in groups at round tables, and be guided by an expert facilitator on a relevant topic. Come prepared to share, to listen, to learn something new – and to go home with practical skills and fresh ideas.
(IRL = “In Real Life”)
About This Session
Description
Volunteer instructors are essential—but training them can feel overwhelming. Join this practical session to learn and share simple, proven approaches to preparing, supporting, and retaining volunteer teachers while improving instructional quality and consistency.
Volunteer instructors are the backbone of many adult literacy and ESL programs, yet training and supporting them remains one of the most time intensive responsibilities for program staff.
What we'll cover:
This highly practical session invites participants to reflect on their own training practices and consider realistic ways to strengthen volunteer preparation over time. Participants will leave with practical insights and planning tools they can adapt to support clearer, more sustainable volunteer training while keeping learner success at the center.
- What’s one thing your volunteer training just doesn’t cover – because there’s never enough time? And what does that gap cost you?
- We’ve all had that volunteer: willing, reliable, kind… and struggling in front of students. What actually happens next in your program?
- Who decides which volunteers end up in front of a class – and honestly, is it working?
- “Free” labor isn’t free. What does your volunteer program really cost – in staff time, turnover, and the things you never get around to?
Participants will leave with concrete, adaptable ideas for strengthening volunteer teacher training today while planning carefully for future growth.
Topics & Focus
Primary Topic Area
Session will also cover:
Assigned by TCALL
Audience
Level
Case study?
Promotion?
This session is sponsored by / will focus on –
Find definitions of topic areas, audiences, levels, and PD categories by clicking on any icon, or see them all on this page.
Discussion Facilitator
David Coles
Adult Education Trainer & Coordinator
Memorial Assistance Ministries
David Coles is an Adult Education Trainer and Coordinator at Memorial Assistance Ministries in Houston, where he supports large‑scale volunteer‑led adult ESL, citizenship, and digital literacy programs. He trains and coaches volunteer instructors and develops practical instructional resources focused on engagement, accessibility, and learner persistence.
With a background in music education and a master’s degree as a literacy specialist, David brings a strong understanding of adult learning theory paired with real‑world program experience. He is passionate about helping community‑based programs strengthen instruction while supporting the volunteers who make adult literacy possible.
Breakout26 – COLES
Page checked or updated: 6/19/2026
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