Blog 13.
I would advise future tutors to allow themselves to malleable. Being a tutor, you must allow yourself to accommodate to several different situations and approach each student in a unique way. Also, something that has been particularly difficult for me, is not to be offended if a student does not respond well to you. Every person interacts with others in their own way, and your tutoring style may not pertain to their learning style. Do not get offended. Adapt yourself as best as you can to help that student and find out how to integrate your tutoring style with their learning style. I find myself wanting to assist the student in any way humanly possible, which isn't a bad thing, but it is important to emotionally detach yourself enough from the tutee so that you do not overtake their paper or the session.
Furthermore, knowledge that you have gained in the past may not be correct and it is crucial to integrate new information into your schema. English is one of those subjects where despite the fact that it operates within grammatical constructs, there are often situations where there is no solid empirical conclusion or answer. This can be frustrating. Once again, it is important to lend yourself to the style of the tutee, as we all have our personal writing styles. Sometimes it can be difficult not to impose your own writing style on the tutee. It is important to pay attention to the power dynamic of the tutor and tutee and understand that we are peers, not teachers or instructors. We are merely there to provide our knowledge and support to make them better writers and help them become self-sufficient.
Finally, I would like to stress the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. As many of us are both students and tutors it can be overwhelming, especially on long or busy work days. The purpose of the writing center is to provide a safe haven for students. Therefore, it is important to check baggage at the door in order to maintain a healthy work environment for both your co-workers and the students as well.
Furthermore, knowledge that you have gained in the past may not be correct and it is crucial to integrate new information into your schema. English is one of those subjects where despite the fact that it operates within grammatical constructs, there are often situations where there is no solid empirical conclusion or answer. This can be frustrating. Once again, it is important to lend yourself to the style of the tutee, as we all have our personal writing styles. Sometimes it can be difficult not to impose your own writing style on the tutee. It is important to pay attention to the power dynamic of the tutor and tutee and understand that we are peers, not teachers or instructors. We are merely there to provide our knowledge and support to make them better writers and help them become self-sufficient.
Finally, I would like to stress the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. As many of us are both students and tutors it can be overwhelming, especially on long or busy work days. The purpose of the writing center is to provide a safe haven for students. Therefore, it is important to check baggage at the door in order to maintain a healthy work environment for both your co-workers and the students as well.
posted by Amanda Nielson at 2:01 PM
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