Changes in Thinking

Despite health issues, I have had a good bit of experience being a tutor now, and it has taught me a lot. Firstly, I have learned better how to communicate with other students. A lot of students, even if they are trying my patience, are simply trying to get help, or improve themselves. In fact, I really admire the students who come to the writing center for help. Not everyone is able to do that, and it is really great that so many students seek help willingly.

In terms of myself and my schoolwork, I think I've become more aware of my own errors. I am also more thorough when it comes to editing my papers. I find myself double checking my thoughts on citations, organization, and flow. I also now make sure someone else goes over my work now. In particular, I tend to keep an eye out for using words that I would use in speech, but that don't work in writing.

Being a tutor has also opened up my mind to getting help in general. Even though I am confident about my writing ability, I've always known that there were ways to improve. However, tutoring has helped me to focus on what the problems areas could be, what to look for, and who to ask for help.

Self Awareness Through Tutoring

I believe that tutoring has helped me as a student in a number of ways. It has helped me become more aware of how I write, and it has also helped me in my own writing. But most of that has also come from taking this class, not necessarily through tutoring other students.

Through taking this class I have come to realize more about myself as a writer and as a student. I remember the first time I stopped to think about how I begin an essay, and I realized that I have almost always started by outlining my essay before actually writing anything down. This was something that I had always done without really ever thinking about doing it because it helped me visualize the assignment. This was around the time that I started to help students write their own outline to help them figure out how to organize their thoughts and main ideas into their essays.

I can also remember last week when Kimmy (Kimmie, Kim-E?) was explaining the idea of technology improving learning, and I was able to reflect on the importance of the computer/internet in my own education. I can't even remember the last time I wrote an essay with pencil and paper, but it was probably my senior year of high school for my AP exams. I now realize how important my laptop is to me in all aspects of my education. I don't feel comfortable writing anything unless I am sitting at my desk typing my ideas down.

My final example of how this class (and tutoring in general) has helped me become more aware of myself as a writer is when we were discussing innate grammar rules. I believe David (Dave-ihd...just kidding) brought this up in his presentation, and I was able to recall my struggle with explaining the grammar rules when I started working at the Writing Center because I had always written based on what I felt was right, and those feelings had never failed me until I tried to teach someone else.

This class has essentially helped me become more aware of myself as a student. Tutoring has helped me become a better writer because what I have learned at the Writing Center, I have been able to implement into my own writing. Before working here, I had no idea that "pique" was even a word let alone what context it is used in. I also didn't know the specific comma rules or the importance of getting rid of contractions in formal writing. It turns out that working at the Writing Center has been very beneficial in more ways than I originally realized.

When blank stares change your life

One of the most important lesson’s i’ve learned this semester is how to realize that students have no idea what i’m talking about and that I have to change the way I’m communicating. It doesn’t stroke my ego when students look at me like i’m a blabbing adult on “Charlie Brown” [yes, i punctuated that wrong and I’m proud of it]. What that has to do with the blog prompt is this: My student-hood has learned to speak more simply and clearly, and more importantly, to stop saying the same thing in the same when students (and professors) are nodding blankly at what I say. My in-class comments have gotten more concise. When I would have babbled on and on trying to make a point that I hadn’t quite figured out yet, now I think about it and then talk and try to make it clear and as short as possible. My conversations with writing center students has also changed the way I ask my professors questions. I used to kind of oss out some loosely connected ideas and hope my professor would not only interpret, but then make sense of it for me, and then respond with the perfect answer. #laughingatmyself My writing has changed because of this new communication skill, as well. I used to be that tutee who wanted to be mysteries and brilliant in my papers. Now I get to the point and try to be as clear and concise as possible. Life lesson #476l357b: Longwindedness leads to longboringness. I also see more what Bartholomae says about “Inventing the University”: students have to learn new ways of explaining ideas, expressing themselves, and, well, communicating in general. At the beginning of the semester i didn’t understand students’ long questions that said something about “flow” and “commas” and “looking it over.” Now I suspect that my questions to my professors sound about the same: [insert charlie brown dialogue: “whah whah whah whah whah”] I had hoped that working in the writing center would help me be a better teacher next semester. Now I’m seeing I learned a lot more than just grammar, punctuation, and 5-paragraph essay structure.

Prompt: Cross-Pollination?

How has your experience tutoring affected your other schoolwork?  Has it changed the way you approach being a student?  The way you think about yourselves as students?