Vive la Resistance!

Oh man, tutoring resistant students, what a treat!  There are the kinds of resistant students who just don't think they need tutoring.  They typically are forced to come in to the writing center by a professor.  I had one of these this semester.  She was civil but mentioned how she thought it was a waste of her time to come in.  I was cordial and polite.  I told her we'd make the session as painless as possible for her.  By the end, she was thanking me for how useful I was and said she would definitely be coming back in for more help.  Sometimes, we just need to prove to these students that we are there to help.

Another session that comes to mind was a few semesters ago with a non-traditional student. I know that's our class discussion soon, so I won't talk about it too much here.  She was insistent that she A) knew everything already and B) was incapable of learning "new tricks."  I found the best way to handle the session was to focus on what she needed without trying to overdo it.  I didn't think it was worth my time and effort to convince her on every individual error.  She was reluctant to make any changes I suggested, so I didn't see a purpose in struggling with her.  I read through her paper and talked about what I saw.  She ignored me, and we ended the session.  As much as I want to believe that everyone is able to be helped, occasionally I find someone who may be beyond my help.