By Maleena Dominick
For Deb Anderson, tutoring is not only a teaching experience, but also an opportunity to continue learning. “Tutoring is all components. It's mentally challenging for me, and I'm helping someone get ahead in life.”
As a retired attorney and former adjunct professor, Deb has always been passionate about teaching and tutoring. “It's one of the most rewarding things I can think of,” she says. She started her career as a patent attorney and transitioned into teaching technical and legal writing at the University of Pittsburgh. Before retiring, she worked at NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), a leader in the country for renewable energy development.
Deb began tutoring at Literacy Pittsburgh before the pandemic and has tutored three students, one of whom earned his GED credential. In spring 2026, she also taught a writing class for adult English language learners. Some of her favorite memories from the class came from an assignment in which students wrote about something they liked or disliked about their home country.
She noted that one student from Korea wrote about appreciating the diversity and freedom of expression in the United States, compared to the pressure to conform in her home country. Another student wrote about the regulations regarding climate change in China, such as recycling. “I asked her, ‘Does it ever bother you that the government is pressuring you?’ And she said, ‘No, I think it's good,’” Deb recalls. “I thought that was very interesting.”
Tutoring has even taught her valuable lessons about education. Working with GED students helped her realize how much learning math involves memorization, repetition, and practice. She says, “When you're a kid, and you're learning math, and you're doing it every day in school. You don't realize that you're memorizing stuff, but you are.” This realization helped shape her approach to teaching to better fit the needs of her students, encouraging them to practice consistently.
Reflecting on her experience, tutoring has been rewarding to Deb by expanding her perspectives and allowing her to make a meaningful impact. Her favorite part of tutoring is getting to meet and interact with people from different cultures and different walks of life. “It really takes me outside of myself and my little bubble,” she says. Her advice to anyone considering becoming a tutor is simple: “Definitely do it. It’s incredibly rewarding.”
Literacy Pittsburgh (formerly Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council) helps create better lives through learning. Recognized as a national leader in adult and family literacy, Literacy Pittsburgh is the largest provider of adult basic education in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. Last year, Literacy Pittsburgh helped more than 4,000 individuals acquire the skills needed to reach their fullest potential in life and participate productively in their communities. Literacy Pittsburgh provides free, personalized instruction in workforce readiness, high school diploma test preparation, digital literacy, English language learning, math, reading, and family literacy through one-to-one and small class instruction. Founded in 1982, it serves local adults through numerous neighborhood locations and its Downtown Pittsburgh Learning Center.
