I believe it went well...

                I don’t quite remember how my first tutoring session went, but I do remember that the first day I took a session was a very busy one in the Writing Center. I had already read through multiple grammar books and had observed numerous sessions, but nothing was quite like being thrown into a session on the spot. I was nervous and extremely excited to start tutoring, but I wasn’t quite sure of how I would do. I tried to act as confident as I could on the outside so that the tutee wouldn’t immediately expose me as some sort of phony. Although I can't quite recall, my session must have gone well enough for me to want to stay working here at the Writing Center. I am glad to have had most of my fears calmed.  

                In my earlier sessions last semester, I was very paranoid about giving the wrong information. I was also nervous about not being able to finish looking through an entire paper. I have since learned that it is not the end of the world if the paper is not completely perfect after one session in the Writing Center. 

                One thing I loved about being able to start taking sessions was that it helped me answer questions I didn’t even know I had. I would read through grammar book after grammar book and not focus on any one thing until I had a session where I needed that knowledge. I am a huge fan of using the books on each table as a reference throughout each of my sessions. After starting sessions, I was able to look through the books in a much more focused manner in order to be more prepared for my next experience with a tutee. 

               I am so glad for the confidence that has come with experience in the Writing Center, and I am still learning more things to become a better tutor. I can’t give a perfect answer for this blog prompt because I can’t completely remember my first session, but I definitely do not envy the feeling of being a new tutor. I feel like I am experiencing the best of both worlds; I have the class and the resources to learn as if I am a new tutor with the experiences to calm my new-tutor fears. I am enjoying this middle ground.