Community in the Writing Center
I will have to agree with Kyle—and god knows how I hate agreeing with Kyle—but knowing that there is a family in the writing center is the foremost consideration a new tutor should come to understand. In attending a commuter campus it takes some looking to find a group of people on campus that belong to a class or organization that actually form into their own little community, and the writing center has been one of the best places to find this. Of course, this can be taken as simply advice directed towards the mushier emotions, but it also has a corresponding pragmatism which allows for the development of tutoring skills and the facility of expanded discussion.
Who else but Katie would take the time to explain to me the difference between usage of ‘lesser’ and ‘fewer’ designations? Where else could I have learned to engage a reluctant student in discussion than from watching Kristi’s example of dedication coupled with an almost obnoxiously upbeat attitude? The point being: in embracing the community that surrounds the writing center, a new tutor has the opportunity to goadingly ask all kinds of questions to other tutors (both new and old) that help foster a tutoring style of their own, which is first based on the experience of watching other tutors in action. If one is involved in the community of the writing center, it is easier to get involved, watch and ask questions of other tutors.
In order for this to happen, new tutors need to support the other tutors who are new to the center, but also need to embrace last years established veterans, no matter how ill dressed they may be. This calls for the allowance for tutors to come in and talk to other tutors while they are not on shift; this allowance, moreover, comes with the added responsibility of knowing when it is appropriate to be in the center (whether no one is busy, or everyone is busy), knowing when he or she is engaging in the writing center community or simply being a pain in everyone’s ass—a category I happen to fall in continuously.
A new tutor needs to know of this community because nothing else so thoroughly fosters dedication and pride in the center and in the job itself which, in turn, fosters knowledge in how to handle different types of tutorials, proficiency in documentation and grammar, moving in the direction of the larger issues to the smaller issues. This brings up another suggestion of what new tutors need to know: being the grammar god will never make you a good tutor. All nervousness about not knowing how to punctuate every sentence in every style known to man is a wasted preoccupation. I have yet to pull off a great tutorial on the basis I knew the difference between ‘that’ and ‘which,’ or because I knew the difference between an en-dash and em-dash; however, I have pulled off amazing tutorials because I knew how to read the student, get them involved, plan a session and negotiate meaning. We teach our clients to address global issues first, local issues second, and so must our own education in compositional pedagogy follow the same natural progression. The psychology, confidence, methodology, theory and experience come first; in learning these essentials, proficiency in grammar, syntax and word choice will be absorbed in the process.
Another consideration—falling more under the heading of suggested changes—is inviting the old tutors to join in on the writing center blog. If the class blog facilitates a special purpose for those involved in the class; maybe a blog for the whole writing center is then appropriate. I have heard several veteran tutors complain about how a lot of the writing center business is discussed on the blog, disconnecting them from the current news and changes. This creates a disconnect in community.
Most importantly: get your bibliographic essay done early in the semester.
Who else but Katie would take the time to explain to me the difference between usage of ‘lesser’ and ‘fewer’ designations? Where else could I have learned to engage a reluctant student in discussion than from watching Kristi’s example of dedication coupled with an almost obnoxiously upbeat attitude? The point being: in embracing the community that surrounds the writing center, a new tutor has the opportunity to goadingly ask all kinds of questions to other tutors (both new and old) that help foster a tutoring style of their own, which is first based on the experience of watching other tutors in action. If one is involved in the community of the writing center, it is easier to get involved, watch and ask questions of other tutors.
In order for this to happen, new tutors need to support the other tutors who are new to the center, but also need to embrace last years established veterans, no matter how ill dressed they may be. This calls for the allowance for tutors to come in and talk to other tutors while they are not on shift; this allowance, moreover, comes with the added responsibility of knowing when it is appropriate to be in the center (whether no one is busy, or everyone is busy), knowing when he or she is engaging in the writing center community or simply being a pain in everyone’s ass—a category I happen to fall in continuously.
A new tutor needs to know of this community because nothing else so thoroughly fosters dedication and pride in the center and in the job itself which, in turn, fosters knowledge in how to handle different types of tutorials, proficiency in documentation and grammar, moving in the direction of the larger issues to the smaller issues. This brings up another suggestion of what new tutors need to know: being the grammar god will never make you a good tutor. All nervousness about not knowing how to punctuate every sentence in every style known to man is a wasted preoccupation. I have yet to pull off a great tutorial on the basis I knew the difference between ‘that’ and ‘which,’ or because I knew the difference between an en-dash and em-dash; however, I have pulled off amazing tutorials because I knew how to read the student, get them involved, plan a session and negotiate meaning. We teach our clients to address global issues first, local issues second, and so must our own education in compositional pedagogy follow the same natural progression. The psychology, confidence, methodology, theory and experience come first; in learning these essentials, proficiency in grammar, syntax and word choice will be absorbed in the process.
Another consideration—falling more under the heading of suggested changes—is inviting the old tutors to join in on the writing center blog. If the class blog facilitates a special purpose for those involved in the class; maybe a blog for the whole writing center is then appropriate. I have heard several veteran tutors complain about how a lot of the writing center business is discussed on the blog, disconnecting them from the current news and changes. This creates a disconnect in community.
Most importantly: get your bibliographic essay done early in the semester.
posted by Anonymous at 6:35 PM
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