Tutoring writing in English has been a very challenging, interesting, and sometimes complex process. The strategies and/or theories associated on how to write and tutor english have broaden my knowledge in the way writer’s write and think through their unpolished work. I believe there’s a structure of writing unique to each writer’s way of thinking, and his/her experienced in writing that may not be conventional or academically correct, but it’s the organization of these skills that produce a clearer and concise product.
My tutee’s name is Henry Aristizabal, he is 28yrs old and is from Bogota, Colombia. This is his second semester at LaGuardia Community College where he majors in Math and Science, with hopes of earning a degree in Accounting. Henry is very easy going and quite pleasant each week that we meet, and I have noticed that his essays have consistently been on some fictitious movie that he is required to write about, fortunately for him science fiction is his favorite.
I am always apprehensive at the beginning of my tutoring session, because I feel I lack the experience that is required for this position, and in some ways I feel like a phony in this role I now play. I quickly re-assert myself, and began my session with henry. Henry is very easy going an quite pleasant, and even though he is somewhat cautious with me, we both warm up to each other, and talk about the concerns he has and the assignment.
Henry’s essays have been mostly filled with LOC’s, and only on one occasion did he have a few HOC’S. Henry’s problems with verb and tense agreement, as well as word choice are at times easily dealt with by me asking him to re-read his work carefully. He usually see’s his mistake, and makes the necessary corrections. In my opinion, Grammar and Syntax should be taken before Eng 101, and/or at the least a prerequisite for this class.
Henry’s essay’s have good ideas, but at times are poorly developed, and without proper structure. His lack of knowledge with verb and tense agreement might be more of an ESL issue, henry’s accent is very heavy, and when he re-reads his sentences he seems to pick up which verb is appropriate with the subject. I have been using a student-centered strategy because it fits well with the issues he has with his essays.
Recently, he had a problem writing a topic sentence and a draft for his essay. The professor from his English 099 class suggested that he and his classmates use a sketch or image to add to their essay. This I believe would be categorized as doodling or sketching, “visual thinking can help verbal thinking” (Registad, p 34). Henry became stimulated to write after the idea, and he suddenly had many thoughts, and began writing in a flurry, I was very impressed and motivated to get his sentences into the proper form.
I took out the Tutoring Writing book and went to page 39, then referred him to a strategy called point of view mapping, and clustering. I asked henry to write down the maid ideas, the action, the drama, and the characters that he thought focused on the story line, then write his essay based on connecting those ideas. Henry agreed with the advice from the book, but by henry’s body language and facial expression i was not confident he would use it. During my sessions with henry I found him to be likeable and passionate about writing, but a little lazy to take the time to read his work. Our interpersonal relationship was just starting to grow, and I am confident that he will pass his eng 099 exam.
On my last tutoring session I met Elizabeth. She is friendly and is eager to know my opinion on her essay. She presents her essay to me, which is very difficult to read because of her penmanship. I began to try to find an area in her paper where I can piece this together, and understand her ideas, and at the same time make sure it’s structured properly. I feel extremely challenged, I do not want to say anything negative, but this paper is a mess. I cannot understand where this paper starts, where the body is, and where is the conclusion. I asked her what did she think of her paper, and what issues did she feel I could help her with. She told me her professor wanted her to write her paper with a thesis, a summary, 2 main ideas from the essay, and a conclusion. I agreed with her that that was correct. I began immediately to read over her thesis sentence which was not complete, it used the author’s remarks and not the writers feelings about why she believed advertising is the cause for obesity in children. I asked elizabeth for as much input as possible, I really needed it. There were moments I did not know if I was reading an idea, a conclusion, or topic sentence. I am getting worried that her paper requires a more experience tutor, but I am extremely focused, and realize I need a strategy that quickly gets to the point, and gets her going in the right direction. At this point I cannot think of a strategy, I feel slightly overwhelmed, and time isn’t on our side, so I just wing it! I felt that we needed to pull out the bad sentences, and create a new competent essay without me taking over her paper, I caught myself starting to write for her instead of letting her ideas do the work.
I can see and feel Elizabeth’s sincerity, and she states that learning the proper way to write is important to her, and that after the session she will go home and write more. I can tell and feel in her words that she is focused, and for the first time during my tutoring sessions I am moved by the reality and seriousness that someone takes in passing this test. As I say goodnight to her, I walked away humbled by her dedication.
The LOC’s i observed in the writing center with my tutee’s gave me a deeper understanding that, the HOC’s cannot be the main focus. The writer must first understand that if his/her sentences are not clear, then the thesis, topic sentence, main ideas, and conclusion will not be in sync, and will result in an unpolished paper. I think that the assignment of peer tutoring in the Eng 220 course has helped me more than I have helped my tutee. I realized how important it is for me to learn and sharpen the tools I will need to become a great tutor, as well as the significance I can play in helping someone become a better writer in English. I believe my life experience will also benefit me in the future, as i am well aware of the importance of helping someone achieve a goal that could be a big step in their journey to obtain a higher education.
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