Eric: Thank you for using the word "horrid."
I'm excited because I now have tutoring experience to reflect upon!
I think receiving a really bad paper really isn't all that bad of a situation. This gives us a chance to lead the tuttee in the right direction, get them off to a good start.. We can use the writing process that we are so familiar with in the right order instead of editing, rearranging, and rewriting certain parts of another paper. Our purpose is to help the writer become better at writing, so maybe helping them with how to begin a paper and create an outline will help them even more than just rearranging things.
If I ever receive a really awful paper, I will reflect back on writing this blog and remain true to my words: I will find something that is good and strong in the paper. I would refer to the paper as a good rough draft and help the writer in expanding ideas and making an outline.
Today, I received a paper that was actually pretty good. In comparison to other papers I saw today, it was well-organized, had a good voice, and was only speckled with grammatical errors. To be honest, I thought assisting this student was a lot more difficult than assisting some of the students that were having a hard time with their writing.
Nothing in the paper was screaming, “Hey! Look at me! I need help!” I feel that every paper can always be improved, but I couldn't figure out what kind of advise to give her. We clarified her introduction, perfected her thesis statement, and tried to find areas that she could expand on. But I was struggling. I was staring at the essay for some sort of an answer, then looking to her for answers. She didn't have any questions or concerns...she just needed me to edit and sign her paper. I felt much more lost than I would have had I been given a disastrous essay.
I entirely agree that editing an offensive paper has nothing to do with our purpose as tutors. We are objective, unbiased guides on the writer's journey to turn in a paper. We offer assistance in writing skill and that is where our influence ends.
This is where I place myself in my role as a tutor. I am here to help, I offer up my knowledge of the English language and all its complexities to share with those in need. I am here to help fellow writers improve themselves, challenge themselves, and inspire something within them. I am not here to rub my techniques or opinions onto writers or their papers. My purpose had absolutely nothing to do with the papers I am reading and revising. My purpose has nothing to do with the writer's opinions. I am here to enrich the writer so they can enrich their writing. This is the point.
I think receiving a really bad paper really isn't all that bad of a situation. This gives us a chance to lead the tuttee in the right direction, get them off to a good start.. We can use the writing process that we are so familiar with in the right order instead of editing, rearranging, and rewriting certain parts of another paper. Our purpose is to help the writer become better at writing, so maybe helping them with how to begin a paper and create an outline will help them even more than just rearranging things.
If I ever receive a really awful paper, I will reflect back on writing this blog and remain true to my words: I will find something that is good and strong in the paper. I would refer to the paper as a good rough draft and help the writer in expanding ideas and making an outline.
Today, I received a paper that was actually pretty good. In comparison to other papers I saw today, it was well-organized, had a good voice, and was only speckled with grammatical errors. To be honest, I thought assisting this student was a lot more difficult than assisting some of the students that were having a hard time with their writing.
Nothing in the paper was screaming, “Hey! Look at me! I need help!” I feel that every paper can always be improved, but I couldn't figure out what kind of advise to give her. We clarified her introduction, perfected her thesis statement, and tried to find areas that she could expand on. But I was struggling. I was staring at the essay for some sort of an answer, then looking to her for answers. She didn't have any questions or concerns...she just needed me to edit and sign her paper. I felt much more lost than I would have had I been given a disastrous essay.
I entirely agree that editing an offensive paper has nothing to do with our purpose as tutors. We are objective, unbiased guides on the writer's journey to turn in a paper. We offer assistance in writing skill and that is where our influence ends.
This is where I place myself in my role as a tutor. I am here to help, I offer up my knowledge of the English language and all its complexities to share with those in need. I am here to help fellow writers improve themselves, challenge themselves, and inspire something within them. I am not here to rub my techniques or opinions onto writers or their papers. My purpose had absolutely nothing to do with the papers I am reading and revising. My purpose has nothing to do with the writer's opinions. I am here to enrich the writer so they can enrich their writing. This is the point.
posted by Anonymous at 5:12 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home