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Over time, I learned that, as tutors, our role is not to perfect every paper or provide the ‘right’ answers. Rather, it’s to foster the tutee’s ability to think independently and develop their voice. By framing my advice in a way that gave them the freedom to interpret and apply it as they saw fit, I empowered them to take ownership of their learning process.
About Tutor Voices
Inspiring Resilience
From Meghan Flaherty – What is Inspiring You Lately?
There is nothing more beautiful than a slap to the face by the cold, brisk wind when you walk outside to catch the bus to campus. I am not being sarcastic.
From Justin Laiti – Connecting Pen Pals During Isolation
A sense of connection is restored by these weekly letters, full of doodles and jokes, exchanged between fellow students in isolation.
From Mackenzie Williams, Virginia Tech, USA – What Is Inspiring Me Lately?
Our focus on the next thing disassociates us from the present. This notion, embracing real-time events, is what has been inspiring me lately.
From Dr. Shireen Campbell, Davidson College, USA – I Am Inspired by Change
Thanks to rich conversations with an Associated Colleges of the South summer working group, I reaffirmed what mattered most—available, effective writing support—and changed long-standing practice. Seven weeks in, as compared to last fall, the Center has experienced a 13% increase in use of available hours despite an 18% reduction in total hours. As predicted, we have seen fewer clients, driven by a 25% reduction in first-year writing course sessions. Yet individual sessions are longer, with a 46% increase in sessions lasting an hour.
From Jack Menya, Daystar University, Kenya – What Is Inspiring Me Lately?
I recently received quite inspiring phone calls. Two students from my University, part of some I had tutored during the semester ending May 2020, called me back, separately and on different occasions, to individually appreciate for the time and attention I accorded them in my online tutoring sessions.
From Monicah Kiarie, Daystar University, Kenya – What Is Inspiring Me Lately?
The confinement is obnoxious—almost everything is amiss. I sure do miss seeing the before frustrated tutees grin like a Cheshire cat after a successful session. But you know what's inspiring? The hope that has stayed alive all through, hope for a better tomorrow, that come hell or high water, we will ultimately come out of this "cage" and be on the loose again.
Tutor’s Perspective
From Sophia Spears: A Writing Center Meditation
The day might have been filled with stressful exams, exciting updates from friends, or a generous meal that can make anyone sleepy. That’s why it’s critical for me to have a routine when entering the workplace. I use the first few minutes to soothe my nervous system and ground myself in the present moment. For I cannot be helpful to those I serve if my mind is somewhere else.
Read the Room: What an Unfortunate Incident with Dog Poop and a Robot Vacuum Taught Me About Peer Tutoring
When a student comes to the Writing Center asking for help with grammar, concision, or thesis development, a wise tutor considers this request but first surveils the lay of the land. She reads the student’s piece and peers into proverbial dark corners, searching not just for shit that could be stepped in, but also jewels hidden or haphazardly scattered on the ground. She helps the writer highlight areas that shine so that those glimmers might not accidentally be swept away. This specifically human ability to see beyond formula, to describe both pitfalls and potential, is what makes the human tutor impervious to the advancement of artificial technology.
Consulting Myself Through the Dissertation Process
I am fascinated by the ways that a consultant’s own writing skills grow from the activity of helping other writers. This is not a new idea, by any means. Our own personal experiences working in writing centers tell us this, as does research on the benefits of serving as a tutor/consultant (e.g., Hughes, Gillespie, & Kail, 2010; Driscoll, 2015; Jeter, 2016). I saw this firsthand with my former high school writing center tutors, and now years later I am experiencing it personally as I work as a consultant in the George Mason University writing center.
My Title I Public Education – The Secret to My Success as a Writing Coach
While the growth was incredibly obvious within the tutees, it was even more so within myself. The program showed me that my experiences had value. I feel incredibly lucky to have ever experienced it, and while I did not think much of the experience at the time, I now know that it is something that not everybody has the opportunity to be a part of.
The Importance and Limitations of Resilience in the Context of a Writing Center
Resilience is an essential skill in a person’s life and a very complex term because it is made up of so many individual characteristics. It shows how you endure life, it is a feature that can be trained and it shows how open and flexible you are towards other people and perspectives which likely makes you less judgemental. I believe that being resilient not only shows how you manage difficult situations but how you make use of them to learn from your mistakes and difficulties. Therefore, I see resilience as a skill that is also important in
Permission to Think
Transitioning from high school to college highlights the disconnect between learned secondary education skills and post-secondary expectations produces anxiety, ruffles insecurity surrounding individual opinions and acceptance, and shames students for their apparent inability to write. As a result, students often swear off writing and any subjects requiring it. Others come in desperation to the writing center, looking for guidance.
