blog090204

Well, first week in tutoring class and everything I thought I knew about writing seems to have fallen out my ears. Maybe I’ll stumble across it in a hallway while looking for one of my classes…one can hope. This experience so far has combined with orientation/first week of the semester shock and rendered me mentally quite numb.
I’m actually excited about it. I want to teach fourth grade, and a formal class in one-on-one tutoring will be a great benefit. Being a tutor with America Reads is what made me decide to teach in the first place.
Dealing with people over the age of nine presents its own difficulties. When I applied, I wasn’t thinking about addressing sexual harassment or counseling issues. I thought they’d come in, sit down, I’d read their papers and tell them something very wise, and they’d leave happy. Okay, I see it’s going to be a little more complicated than that.
We haven’t done enough in class yet for me to have a lot to say about it. In going through some sample essays, I discovered I’m much better at nit picking than I am at recognizing global concerns. I also realized that I’m hesitant to make suggestions—what if someone tells me I’m wrong? That’s not a good trait for a tutor to keep. I need to learn more about order of importance when it comes to helping to “fix” a paper in half an hour. I still can’t recognize a thesis statement if it doesn’t announce itself by blowing a horn…oh, well. I never could. Now I know why I was required to take a class.