This paper is intended to help teachers to focus on attitudes and techniques that are useful in working effectively in college skills centers and to become more receptive to the reality of their students' unique problems and needs. The first section offers exercises to help teachers examine their assumptions about learning and about basic literacy. The second section explores ways of working with students on problems in their writing and outlines a procedure for assessing writing. Other sections of the paper discuss techniques for helping students develop their reading and study skills, list essential materials for a skills center, and suggest a few resources for further study. (GW)