Whew! This prompt is a little tougher than the one we wrote last week. Since I didn’t know how I would or should handle these situations I decided I had better consult the tutor orientation handbook. What a resource! I found all the answers to these most perplexing questions and decided, since I want to become a hard-core tutor, I would follow the “rules” it provides.

Before I get to that though, I will never have to suggest that a student completely start a writing assignment over. In order to have anything written down, some form of thought has been put into that writing, therefore making it impossible to start with nothing again. For example, the essays we have read in class have always had parts or ideas that will contribute to a better organized, more thorough paper. Unless an assignment hasn’t been followed at all, or the student wants to start the paper over, I will never offer this as an option.

If a student is writing an argument or opinion essay, they are fully aware that their chosen topic is controversial. Now, what if the essay is deeply offensive? This is where the handbook “rules” are valuable. The National Association of Tutorial Services Tutor Code of Ethics states in parts nine and ten, “I will not impose my personal value system or lifestyle on my student, and I will not use a tutoring situation to proselytize my personal belief system.” Provided with that information I know that it is not my job to be offended by their essay, and ethically I am bound to suppress my own views.

I’ll follow the “rules” again to answer the question that refers to making the paper or writer better. The last part of the Writing Center/DELC Mission Statement says, “Our philosophy is to help people become better writers by giving them the skills and tools to do so. We like to say we work with people, not papers.” Since I am now a part of this organization, this is my philosophy. Establishing the distinction between the paper and the writer will be the hardest, yet most necessary part of tutoring. When it comes to helping the writer, and not just the paper, everything has to be black or white. Allowances must not be made in order to accommodate time constraints or student requests. In holding myself to these high expectations, some students will see me as being unhelpful which will frustrate me. Nevertheless, I will do what it takes to help students in the right way.