We Have Problems

Problematic essays are one thing that I do not look forward to. When presented with an essay that needs lots of work, I'll most likely want to simply fix everything in it because it is, according to my mental definitions, "wrong." What I think I'll end up doing, though, is what we discussed in class. Of course, trying to look for the positive is always a good idea. Telling the tutee that they have a good start or that you see some good qualities throughout the paper will be the easy part. I think the toughest thing will be to tell them these qualities while sorting through what to work out first, trying to explain it in language that is understandable, effective, and inoffensive, and figuring out a way for them to be motivated enough to do it on their own. Even thinking of this scenario and the challenges it presents is overwhelming. I think, though, that the best thing for me to do is just take it one step at a time and check off maybe the first or second largest problem in the paper and then mention the others and ways to prevent them, but not go into too much detail.

Now, offensive papers are a different question. In this case, I know it will take much more self-control to not use offensive or incredibly biased language. It is true that some papers will attest the very opposite of what I feel on a subject, and do it as strongly as I do the other way. In this case, I'll be sure to stay away from the premise of the argument or the content of the thesis specifically and focus more on general things. Most likely I'll stick with the things that are easier to explain in objective language, such as we discussed in class today: Introduction, Organization, Conclusion, and so on, rather than stating my convictions. Also, I'll try to keep in mind that some of the papers I write or have written may be just as offensive to that person as theirs is to me. It really is a matter of opinion, and always a choice whether or not to be personally offended. Much of the time, the writer doesn't have any specific person in mind when writing about a certain position, but rather an abstract idea that has struck an amiable chord with them. In this case, their position becomes the "us" thing and the opposition position becomes a "them" thing. I think our job is to temporarily take ourselves out of the "us" stance to as objective a state as possible in order not to turn a tutoring session into a heated ethical debate.

One other thing that was talked about in class on Wednesday was the bit about getting papers from students with the same professors you've had before. One thing I hadn't considered before was not letting slip the opinion you had of the professor. It hadn't occurred to me that saying that you didn't like the professor or that you had a really hard time in the class might discourage student or taint the session unnecessarily. I think, to prevent this happening, I'll mention certain writing styles that the professor has a tendency to look for and help the student do those things (which, more often than not, is what the professor has spelled out in the assignment anyway). As I'm not perfect, I feel I'm likely to slip in this area more than I'd like, but we shall see....what we shall see.