Do I really have to decide?
Which is easier for a tutor, a good paper or a bad paper? I haven’t quite decided. It depends. Both are fun in their own way, and both can be very challenging.
A good paper is fun to peruse. You have an easier time understanding what you are reading, and you don’t get that “horrible paper headache” from trying. You can give a good writer information and be fairly sure they will understand it. For instance, if you suggest clarifying the main idea the writer will at least know what you are talking about. You also know that the writer will probably be happy with the finished product, since it wasn’t that bad to begin with. You get the feeling the paper will likely end up very well, and that you had something to do with it.
There are also challenges associated with tutoring a seasoned writer. It is harder to find things to fix. The mistakes are more subtle: they don’t jump out at you, screaming for relief. Instead you have to read the paper all the way through, scratch your head, read it out loud a few times, then circle the two typos you find in the third paragraph.
You also have to be careful so your advice doesn’t sound like an insult. It is harder to get a good writer to try something like reading their paper out loud to gauge clarity. Some experienced writers find it hard to even walk into the Writing Lab, as if someone important might see them there and their reputations would be ruined. They walk into the Writing Center quietly, checking both ways down the hallway. When you ask if you can help them, they flush and stammer and whisper what they need. It makes you feel like the receptionist at a fertility clinic. Pride makes it hard.
Pride isn’t as much of a problem with a “bad” paper. A writer who is struggling is often much more willing to receive instruction and suggestions. You also get to explain writing principles in terms that are easy to understand. That can be good practice for those of us who are pursuing careers in education.
The challenges involved in tutoring a bad paper involve knowing where to start and when to stop. You don’t want to overwhelm a struggling writer. If they get too much to work on, they will feel so overwhelmed they might want to drop the class. You could end up to scaring them away from writing all together. Instead, you need to give them something new to work with, something that will make a big difference in the quality of their paper. It’s great when you can help someone like that.
I really don’t know if I prefer good papers or bad ones. I do know I like being able to help people. I like the fact that no two papers are exactly alike (unless plagiarism is involved). That fact guarantees that tutoring will never be boring. I like that.
A good paper is fun to peruse. You have an easier time understanding what you are reading, and you don’t get that “horrible paper headache” from trying. You can give a good writer information and be fairly sure they will understand it. For instance, if you suggest clarifying the main idea the writer will at least know what you are talking about. You also know that the writer will probably be happy with the finished product, since it wasn’t that bad to begin with. You get the feeling the paper will likely end up very well, and that you had something to do with it.
There are also challenges associated with tutoring a seasoned writer. It is harder to find things to fix. The mistakes are more subtle: they don’t jump out at you, screaming for relief. Instead you have to read the paper all the way through, scratch your head, read it out loud a few times, then circle the two typos you find in the third paragraph.
You also have to be careful so your advice doesn’t sound like an insult. It is harder to get a good writer to try something like reading their paper out loud to gauge clarity. Some experienced writers find it hard to even walk into the Writing Lab, as if someone important might see them there and their reputations would be ruined. They walk into the Writing Center quietly, checking both ways down the hallway. When you ask if you can help them, they flush and stammer and whisper what they need. It makes you feel like the receptionist at a fertility clinic. Pride makes it hard.
Pride isn’t as much of a problem with a “bad” paper. A writer who is struggling is often much more willing to receive instruction and suggestions. You also get to explain writing principles in terms that are easy to understand. That can be good practice for those of us who are pursuing careers in education.
The challenges involved in tutoring a bad paper involve knowing where to start and when to stop. You don’t want to overwhelm a struggling writer. If they get too much to work on, they will feel so overwhelmed they might want to drop the class. You could end up to scaring them away from writing all together. Instead, you need to give them something new to work with, something that will make a big difference in the quality of their paper. It’s great when you can help someone like that.
I really don’t know if I prefer good papers or bad ones. I do know I like being able to help people. I like the fact that no two papers are exactly alike (unless plagiarism is involved). That fact guarantees that tutoring will never be boring. I like that.
Labels: good or bad papers
posted by Gabrielle at 8:45 PM
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