Fine
Hmmmm… Is there anything we can really tell them? Our first week of the tutoring class was very helpful because it gave us some idea of what we would be facing. A few things have passed through my head that would have been nice to know, but now that I think about them I realize that explaining them to tutors in orientation would simply be too overwhelming.
I think the experience at the writing center is a lot like moving to another country or doing something that no one else can really relate to. It is simply not possible to explain the experience in a way that will adequately describe the feelings, events, and fears that surround it. I’ll attempt to do it for you though.
I guess one thing that I remember hoping to do was a mock session. I know that in most cases these turn out to be just that, MOCK sessions, but brand new tutors would take it seriously, and most likely settle some of their apprehension about tutoring. I remember wondering when we were going to do fake sessions, but when we didn’t, I began creating my own in my head. Overall, I find the practice beneficial, at least the first time.
I know that anyone trying to improve hates to hear this, but I found our last class before the first day of tutoring extremely beneficial and I wouldn’t change anything. The fact is, the only way to become immersed in tutoring is to jump in. I remember my first session, not really knowing how it was supposed to run exactly but just copying the other tutors. It went alright. It was rewarding. I think that if you push the idea of just getting your feet wet, then the tutors will prepare themselves for the plunge and have very good experiences tutoring.
If you really want a suggestion though, and I am sure you are well aware of this principle, but if there are shy or tentative members of a new staff then it may be necessary to prepare them a little more than the other tutors. The other option is to simply make the writing center one of those jobs where you jump in and either sink or swim. Assuming the second option is not the direction the writing center would like to go, I would keep in mind the tentative or shy tutors.
I think the experience at the writing center is a lot like moving to another country or doing something that no one else can really relate to. It is simply not possible to explain the experience in a way that will adequately describe the feelings, events, and fears that surround it. I’ll attempt to do it for you though.
I guess one thing that I remember hoping to do was a mock session. I know that in most cases these turn out to be just that, MOCK sessions, but brand new tutors would take it seriously, and most likely settle some of their apprehension about tutoring. I remember wondering when we were going to do fake sessions, but when we didn’t, I began creating my own in my head. Overall, I find the practice beneficial, at least the first time.
I know that anyone trying to improve hates to hear this, but I found our last class before the first day of tutoring extremely beneficial and I wouldn’t change anything. The fact is, the only way to become immersed in tutoring is to jump in. I remember my first session, not really knowing how it was supposed to run exactly but just copying the other tutors. It went alright. It was rewarding. I think that if you push the idea of just getting your feet wet, then the tutors will prepare themselves for the plunge and have very good experiences tutoring.
If you really want a suggestion though, and I am sure you are well aware of this principle, but if there are shy or tentative members of a new staff then it may be necessary to prepare them a little more than the other tutors. The other option is to simply make the writing center one of those jobs where you jump in and either sink or swim. Assuming the second option is not the direction the writing center would like to go, I would keep in mind the tentative or shy tutors.
posted by Anonymous at 3:13 PM
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