Different Strengths for Different People
In one way or another ever student that I tutor is smarter than me. Many of the students have more “life experience” than me. Some know how to use computers better than me. And many know much more about the sciences than I do.
These past couple of weeks I’ve had a handful of students needing help with their research papers for Bio Med. For starters, I don’t even know what they teach in Bio Med. I’m pretty sure it’s something medical, but I don’t know exactly what is being taught. Even if I knew the content that was being taught in the class I wouldn’t understand the terminology. The medical field has never been a big interest of mine. Even though the students have been a lot smarter than me in the area of their subject, I believe that I was able to give them some of my writing knowledge.
Many of the Bio Med papers have been APA style. I have never written a paper in APA before. The first time that I’ve been exposed on how to use APA is this semester at the Writing Center. Every single time I have helped someone with APA I have felt really stupid. Often I find myself searching through the manuals wondering what to do if there are two authors or if it is an online source. APA is gradually growing on me. Even though many of the students know APA better than I do they still have questions. When they see me looking through the manual it gives them the confidence to look through it themselves.
At first, I thought that the student would think of me as an incompetent tutor, because I had to search the manuals. Even if I am incompetent, when I look through the manual it shows the student that I am helping them find the right answer and not just something that I think sounds good. It also helps the student become aware of the manuals. Many might not even know that they exist, unless we show them how to use them.
We will always have students with papers where we are unfamiliar with the subject, but if we focus on what we are supposed to (i.e. thesis statement, conclusion, clarity of ideas) we will be able to help them become better writers.
These past couple of weeks I’ve had a handful of students needing help with their research papers for Bio Med. For starters, I don’t even know what they teach in Bio Med. I’m pretty sure it’s something medical, but I don’t know exactly what is being taught. Even if I knew the content that was being taught in the class I wouldn’t understand the terminology. The medical field has never been a big interest of mine. Even though the students have been a lot smarter than me in the area of their subject, I believe that I was able to give them some of my writing knowledge.
Many of the Bio Med papers have been APA style. I have never written a paper in APA before. The first time that I’ve been exposed on how to use APA is this semester at the Writing Center. Every single time I have helped someone with APA I have felt really stupid. Often I find myself searching through the manuals wondering what to do if there are two authors or if it is an online source. APA is gradually growing on me. Even though many of the students know APA better than I do they still have questions. When they see me looking through the manual it gives them the confidence to look through it themselves.
At first, I thought that the student would think of me as an incompetent tutor, because I had to search the manuals. Even if I am incompetent, when I look through the manual it shows the student that I am helping them find the right answer and not just something that I think sounds good. It also helps the student become aware of the manuals. Many might not even know that they exist, unless we show them how to use them.
We will always have students with papers where we are unfamiliar with the subject, but if we focus on what we are supposed to (i.e. thesis statement, conclusion, clarity of ideas) we will be able to help them become better writers.
posted by Anonymous at 5:48 PM
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