Thank you. That really helps me out.

I was reading through everybody’s blogs and found that I would actually like to steal some of the things that they would like to steal. A couple of people mentioned Kassie’s and Sam’s comfy atmosphere. I was watching how they created this type of an atmosphere and observed that they both start out with small talk. Kassie always compliments the writer, too. Sam always laughs with the student. Both of these ways help the student to feel more welcome in the Writing Center.

Another thing that Kassie did was that she took control of the situation. She had a tutee that kept rambling on about things. Kassie listened and laughed with her, which made her feel comfortable, but then she used what the tutee said to strengthen her paper! I thought that was so nifty. Also, as the tutee kept going on about her life Kassie would always focus her back on her paper. Very good.

When John and Kassie (By the way, the reason that I keep mentioning Kassie is because I observed her the most.) told a rule to a tutee they would also explain it to them. I loved that! That technique goes hand-in-hand with what we have been reading in class. A tutor isn’t supposed to just edit a tutee’s paper but rather help their writing skills. By explaining the rules you are doing just that. Great!

I also have been stealing what Dr. Rogers has been teaching us in class. I guess that would not be stealing then. But anyway…I found that asking the students what they mean really helps. For example, yesterday a student that I tutored kept ending his paragraphs with quotes that were not quite fitting in. So, I asked why he wanted to put that quote in and he explained to me why he did. I told him to end with the statements he had just told to me, and it tied the quote into the paper beautifully.

of post-modernism and stealing

I just have to throw my hat into the post-modernism ring for a moment, so please bear with me. ARGH! That class discussion drove me nuts, yes it was very interesting and informative, but still! I walked away with the unfortunate predicament of having all thoughts, conversations, and French papers tainted with po-mo. Let me just say that no matter what the post-modernist were shooting for or how great their ideals are- they don't help you conjugate verbs! Even if that verb is only given meaning by me believing what the department says is the verb meaning- ahh! It's happened again.

Right, now that I've had my say about that I'll start on stealing. It is pretty intimidating to watch all the seasoned tutors at the top of their game (even at half their game, really) and it makes me want to try all sorts of new tutoring techniques. I love how Kassie and Katie just have this way with words that allow them to be so friendly with the students. I really want to try that but every time I finish the formal introductions of self the students get right down to brass tacks. Sometimes well before introductions too. Sam has this great ability to get right to the heart of paper problems, it's almost like she and the paper are having little conversations behind the students back. Paper: "Oh, you wouldn't believe all the organization problems with me, I just jump from on topic to the text, and them back again! It's making my head spin!" Sam: "You don't have a head but I know how to fix this without Dramamine." Or something in that vain. Tyler's sincerity and Jacie's...well, her thingness. Something about her sessions seems to work really well. It just may be all sorts of little things working together in such a way to create a chipper and informative session but whatever it is it definitely fits the bill.

Weeeeeeee!

First, I'll adress stealing. There are so many great tutors in the writing center that I often feel a little intimidated by actually having to tutor students myself. I'd like to just sit and watch in awe. Kirsten makes students feel very comfortable, easily getting them to open up about what they are REALLY trying to say. Kassie always has positive feedback and makes the student feel good about their strengths before she ever mentions a wekaness. Tyler asks great questions. I think those are all important aspects of tutoring that I should add to my own style. I've noticed that I don't ask enough questions, and I sometimes forget to compliment the students on what's good about their writing. So, those things would be my plunder from rifling through the tutors' bags of tricks.

I have to comment about class yesterday. My head was spinning when I left after talking about post-process, post-modernism, anti-foundationalism...weeeeeee! I was so far out of the box that I couldn't see the box anymore. I would like to make the blanket statement that philosophy is confusing, but that would be a grand narrative. Weeeeeee!

Post process argh with a bit a theft thrown in

I want to be able to steal the ability to make students laugh. I saw Sam tutoring, and she was making the student so comfortable. I think that her positive energy is what I want to steal. Tutoring can be a serious business, but I saw her absolutely making people comfortable with her critique. It is hard for me to give feedback without sounding mean.

If I could just relax I think that would help my tutoring out. I feel like sometimes I’ll be tutoring a student and I will come across a problem that has no solution. I will fixate on this problem with the attitude that I can get it out of the student. I ask questions, and I get blank stares. This is where I need to learn from the other tutors by stealing.

At this moment my bag of tutoring tools is limited. I want to be as divers in my tutoring as possible. Take Chris for example. Every time he tutors he gives so many sincere compliments. This trait is so wonderful; I am scared to mimic him for fear that I will come across as insincere.

The goal for me is for students to feel comfortable in a session. Kassie also does a wonderful job of sincere compliments. Here sessions always sound very productive. These are traits that I will try to incorporate into my tutoring style if the occasion rises…Writing is situated.

Now that I’ve touched on that I have to talk about the class today. This “Post-Process,” is blowing my mind apart. I like it. I’m thoroughly confused with the whole idea of post process, but I get the gist that anything far sweeping is wrong; even if they preach a far sweeping idea. My little mind is having a hard time grasping the concept. The only concrete, usable, information I can ‘steal’ is that we need to be flexible.

This flexibility has to include my willingness to admit that I am wrong, and that another tutor has a better style (Even though that’s just situational… Post process argh). I guess it’s like having a mechanic that is wonderful at trouble shooting the problem of a broken car. My friend tom is a professional mechanic whom I rely on to tell me what’s wrong with my car. I never ask him to fix it; I’m fully capable of taking the part off and putting a new one on. I am happy letting him diagnose the problem on my car; however, I am not content to not know how to better help a student.

I am grateful that I have a class which forces me to become better. Without the structure of the class my tutoring prowess would not experience as fast of an increase in tutoring ability. I know that I will get better with experience, but that it’s only a process and not a product (Is that product communication or self discovery…Post process ahhhrghh). Where do these people come up with this stuff? I’m impressed and in awe with there knowledge, but I don’t understand it. Who knows, maybe someday, someone, won’t understand what I write and call it genius.

On Stealing

I freely admit that I am a huge fan of stealing when it comes to tutoring and teaching. Sometimes this makes people nervous, but it's important to remember that stealing, in this sense, is a tremendous compliment. If I hear about a good idea being deployed in a class, I will steal it and put it to use in my own classes (with attribution, of course).

When I was tutoring, we had the Golden Child on whom we'd all secretly eaves-drop when she was in a session. Watching her tutor was like watching magic. She had an incredible knack for getting right at the root of the problem--whatever it was. Paper seems to have weird word choice issues? It's actually an issue of the student trying to mimic what he/she thinks is appropriate "college language." Solution? "What are you trying to say?" Student has problems with organization? Nope. Transitional topic sentences making their way into paragraphs where they don't belong. Problems with sentence fragments? Nope. Stop writing like you talk. Pretend you're talking to your preacher.

And so I ask: what have you seen that you want to steal?

Oops!

Hi all. John pointed out that there was an error on the syllabus indicating a Freire essay for Monday. This is incorrect. The two essays for Monday are online in the handouts section of the course website.

Cheers

Busy busy

I seem to be very busy this week, and that my tutoring sessions are getting better and better. I've had a few ESL students, and since the training my proficiency with these students has gone up exponentially! I remember tutoring ESL students last semester and thinking, "whoa this is hard." I'm so happy that I have the tools to teach these students now.

In addition to teaching these students I have had many native speaking students as well. It is interesting to note that I have tutored more ESL students this semester than the traditional speakers. I recall talking about changing your style with different students, and the transition from ESL to native speaking student emphasized this point for me. The native speaking student I was tutoring had article problems, and I had to focus on the global. It was challenging to shift gears this way, but I think I will figure it out.

College bowl. COLLEGE BOWL. I am a nerd, and I love college bowl. I'm so happy that we have started early this semester. I was stressed out about getting the word out about the bowl practice; however, my stress turned into exhubarent nerdy joy once the practice started. i don't know why I get so much pleasure knowing that Rosewell, New Mexico in addition to having alien citings is home to the nations biggest mozarila factory...Wait, I know why, my true nerd is showing.

Is it just me, or is the Black Cloak Society of Weber State(The ones that collectively decide to make college student's lives stressful) really working overtime this semester. I mean it is crazy the amount of homework I have. Although the homework is intense, it certainly beats idleness. I just wish that I could have a few more hours of the day, but if this were the case I would probably just fill them up with more stuff.

I enjoy tutoring, and it is difficult. I don't know if I will ever reach a point where I 'know' how to tutor. In my recent tutoring I wish that each individual that came into the writing center came with a text book on how to tutor them. This lady that came in for tutoring kept telling me what a terrible writer she was. She wasn’t that bad, and despite my complementing her she still refused to believe that she wasn’t that bad. My fear is that my complimenting her came across as flattery and not the sincere compliments that I am aiming for. This is just an example of being a flexible tutor, and I need more flexibility in my tutoring style.

Let me come back to the idea of ESL tutoring for a moment. I lied, I want to talk about ESL students and how interesting they are! It is cool to sit down and have a session with them because I get a little clip of what their culture is like. I was tutoring a student from the Middle East and I was asking about the weather. He told me how hot it was in the Middle East. I said did it compare to our summers here in Ogden Utah, and he replied, “ I catch a cold in summertime In Ogden.”