The differences between observing a tutoring session and conducting one are considerable. At first I thought it was going to be an undemanding transition between observing and tutoring, but I was wrong. Fortunately I had the tools necessary to create an environment where a tutee can feel comfortable enough to improve his or her skills in writing. However there is a process that cannot be explained in any tutoring manual. That process is the interaction between the tutee and tutor. The progression in the modulation from being a peer to a tutor is difficult due to the environment where I was positioned to tutor. In other words it is difficult for some to transform from a peer or classmate, to a tutor, a conductor, or one who has control of a tutoring session. Based on my brief experiences, I learned that every person has his or her own identity that contributes to his or her personality and that I should act according to the flow of the session. In other words, as a tutor, I have to be constantly adjusting from student to student and even from minute to minute in a single session. I had to take on the shapes of being a friend, classmate and even have to assume the position of acting like a professor. If it is necessary based on the circumstances, I would take on any shape.
In the first five minutes of my first tutoring session I felt as if I was destined for failure but I managed to save the session. The student was foreign and I had difficulty understanding what he was saying. I mentally referred to the course packet and remembered that it is important to be firm but fair (Course Packet 143). I decided it was time to take control of the session and direct it in the direction of the objective. I began to explain to the student the differences between writing and speaking. I explained the meaning of tone and the importance of being formal in his writing. He explained how his grammar is flawed and wishes to have his ideas easier understood. This is when I decided that it is important to maintain the focus on the higher order of concerns of his composition (Reigstad 43). Whenever he mentioned the grammar issues of his paper, I insisted that those problems will be addressed after his ideas become concise.
Not every strategy I used worked well with the tutee. I tried to have him do “focused free writing,” but he did not seem too fond of the idea (Reigstad 46). He proclaimed that he does not have time to do such things (in his own words). I wanted him to write freely in order to try to help him gain some confidence in his writing. I figured that he believed I was going to ridicule his writing so I decided to try another strategy: “mapping” (Reigstad 47). He was confused about the process and said his vocabulary would not cooperate with this exercise. I decided it was time to try the simplest approach. I began to ask him questions about the assignment and what he has already written.
“Oral Composing” was the key strategy in saving this session (Reigstad 46). With every question I asked, he gained confidence in his ideas. Whenever he gave an insightful idea that requires much critical thinking, I complimented him. I even joked a bit about the ideas he was giving me, while maintaining a strict focus on the task at hand. Once the exercise was over, he felt confident in broadening the horizon of his explanations. When we finally focused on his essay, he was changing words as he read it out loud. Whenever he felt “blocked,” I asked leading questions until he finds his idea. The overwhelming feeling I felt when the session started was gone and I was comfortable in my role. I felt the session was productive when it came to a close. The student and I exchanged emails and I offered to help with any writing issues that he may encounter.
The second student I tutored was an American, but seemed as he was being tutored against his own will. I felt a small panic within me and thought that this session was going to be a one sided conversation. The student seemed uninterested and I began to blame myself for his attitude. I tried to have a short casual conversation with him but he was not enthused. I thought about the best way to approach this kind of situation was to have a “collaborative tutoring” session (Reigstad 26). His paper was based on the nutrition facts behind the McDonalds restaurant and other fast food restaurants in general. I pulled my chair in close to him and asked him to read his paper out loud and we interpreted his thesis. His thesis was not clear, so I decided it was time to use the strategy of “conversation,” and we took turns writing his ideas (Reigstad 34). His ideas were generally concise, but he had trouble formulating coherent sentences. After, in his words, “harassed” him with questions, the true essence of his paper came to light. All I did was ask questions and jot down anything I found interesting. When I showed him all the notes, we constructed a clear and concise thesis statement. He was surprised at the results.
After the thesis issue was resolved, we decided to tackle the problem of connecting his ideas to his thesis. The strategy that I felt was appropriate for this part of the session was “mapping” (Reigstad 47). I wrote the main word from his thesis on a separate sheet of paper and asked him to tell me words that connect to the word. I told him the words he chooses must connect with the article. He chose words and even skipped a step in the process by giving me sentences. He began to look more interested as the session went on. Although his posture did not change, I concluded that his demeanor does not really change according to his interest. His personality just made him seem as if he did not care. I countered his behavior by remaining enthusiastic about the session and full of energy. I sat up and was attentive to every single one of his words. I pretended I was going to be tested on everything he said. The fact that he would say thought provoking statements and then forget he said them, forced me to put more effort into my focus. I had an overall feeling of content for the simple fact that he was interacting with what I was saying.
As I mentioned before, his interest in the session rose and so did the production of ideas also increased. He enjoyed thinking critically and like the first student, he began to change his own sentences as he read the rest of his paper. Although his assignment was not completed, the session was productive. I believe that at first he was not excited about being tutored, but when he became involved in the process of writing his paper he actually had a great time. If I maintained the same approach I did with the first student, the session would have been lost. Based on his personality, I changed my methods of tutoring.
The final student I tutored was the most challenging. This student was actually a fantastic writer. When the session began she sat down looked at me in the eyes and said “fix my paper.” I must have read her four page essay at least ten times. I found myself debating if I am actually capable of being a tutor. I wanted to look up and say “I give up; you are just as good as or even better than me.” I decided it was time to focus as hard as possible and maintain my demeanor and prove that I am meant to be in this position. As soon as I convinced myself that I am capable of being a good tutor, I found a few structural errors. I noticed that she dropped quotes without any kind of signal phrasing. I realized after that was resolved, that the next step is to discuss the paper in general. She had an interesting topic. Her topic was comparing Sigmund Freud’s idea of narcissism and the idea of loving someone and being faithful at heart to that person, but at the same time being promiscuous. It registered in my mind that the only way to tutor a great writer is not to confine their writing, but to expand their thoughts and reasoning.
The old Banking Concept asked that one, as an instructor, to “minimize or annul” the student’s creativity, when in fact, asking critical thinking questions produces better writing (Freire 258). I realized that in trying to incarcerate a student’s thoughts, can result in his or her creativity diminishing. The aforementioned student is at a plateau in her writing. It is my job as a tutor to help her climb the rest of the mountain. I maintain the idea that no matter what the subject matter, there will always be room for improvement. In this student’s case the best strategy was to try to broaden the horizons of her thinking process.
The correct process that I exhibited on every tutee was the process of “Problem-Posing” (Freire 263). If I sat in a tutoring session and acted like an emperor giving orders to the tutee, he or she would feel the session was ineffective. As Paulo Freire states:
“Whereas banking education anesthetizes and inhibits creative power,
problem-posing education involves a constant unveiling of reality.
The former attempts to maintain the submersion of consciousness;
The later strives for the emergence of consciousness and critical
intervention in reality” (Freire 263)
In other words, when one tries to saturate a mind with facts in order to have some feeling of accomplishment, one is actually depriving the student of thought. If one cannot think, how can one conceive the notion of existing? The continuing brainwashing of empty facts leads to a race of mindless drones. On the other hand, if one is given the tools to think and philosophize, in theory one mind can change an entire school of thought or even the world.
I understood that the strategies used in a tutoring session cannot be solely based on what the tutee has written or on the tutee’s level of writing. One has to also base the strategies on the different type of personalities. If one tutors a student who seems angry and uninterested, the same way one teaches a student that is enthusiastic and interested, one is destined for failure. One must also when it is time to put the pen down and ask questions. When a student arrives a tutoring session, it is not always your job to tear the composition apart looking for grammatical errors. There will be times when the best thing one can do is ignore the miniscule errors and focus on the larger lesson that is being taught in the paper. Although my experiences are brief, the differences between them taught me that there is always that chance that a session could be lost or unproductive. The fear of failure should not impair the effort a tutor gives in any given tutoring session.
Work Cited
English 220.5633. Tutoring Writing Course Packet
Freire, Paulo. The “Banking” Concept of Education. English 220.5633 Course Packet 256-267
McAndrew, Donald A., and Thomas J. Reigstad. Tutoring Writing: a Practical Guide for Confrences.Portsmouth, NH; Boyton/Cook, 2008.
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