Yeji Lee

TESOL429
Writing Coach
10/4 Sat - First tutoring (30min) & Description of writing student
I met Tsukasa for the introduction of tutoring for this semester. I already had an
experience having a pronunciation tutorial with Tsukasa, so I know him enough. He already
finished EIL course and took major classes now, but he still takes elective EIL. He is
passionate learning and studying. He tries his best in all classes he takes. He has a desire to
learn how to be a better writer. That is why he chose to have a writing tutorial with me even
though this semester will be very busy. I asked him what he wants to work on this semester.
He told me that he wanted to learn metaphors, and grammar, so I am going to work on those
things. I gave him a topic to write a paragraph because I needed to know his writing level,
and I got it. I chose the textbook for this semester. I have a couple of writing/grammar
textbooks. I chose a 4th level of grammar. I used this textbook when I took EIL class. My
lesson will be focused on grammar, based on his opinion, and I will teach him about
Metaphor as well.
10/11 Fri Second tutoring (50min)
<Lesson Plan>
Lesson plan Ref: 10/10/2014
Course Ref: 10/11/2014
Focus on Grammar/Writing Tutoring
Subject/Course
Writing with phrasal verbs.
Topic
Level: Advanced
Lesson Duration: 40 min
Lesson Objectives
Student will be familiar with phrasal verbs, and he will be able not only to write an essay
but also speak with those phrasal verbs we have learned.
Summary of Tasks/ Actions
1. reading the article in the textbook,
2. talk about the experience which is related in the article.
3. figure out the words student does not know.(phrasal verbs)
4. write a paragraph with those phrasal verbs.
5. correct mistakes together.
Materials/ Equipment
Textbook and dictionary

We had about 50 min of tutoring. It was supposed to be 40 min, but I talked a lot.
Overall, the lesson went well according to the lesson plan. First, we read the article. After that,
we talked about the water and wind (Feng Shi which is a topic for this lesson.) Because I
liked this topic, I talked a lot. After talking, we looked up some vocabulary he did not know
with guessing and using an electronic dictionary, and we talked about a phrasal verb. He
mentioned that he wanted to focus on grammar at the beginning of this semester, so I planned
on was teaching grammar for all period of tutoring.
I told him what a phrasal verb was and how it is used. We figured out all the phrasal verbs in
the article. Then, I let him write a long paragraph with using phrasal verbs we just learned. I
gave him a paper which already had some phrasal verbs. I gave him about 10 min thinking. I
thought it would be enough for him to brainstorm and think for a while, but it took 14
minutes him to finish the paragraph. In this moment, I felt that I was giving him too much
time. He was very slow when writing a long paragraph. After he was done, we went through
his paragraph together, and I corrected his paper. He only had a few mistakes, and we talked
about it.
The things that I need to improve on are to focus on improving his writing skills. For this
time, I feel like I talked too much. I should have not spent that much time telling the story.
We worked on the things in the textbook, but for the next time, I would like to find some
sources to help improve his writing skills.
10/18 Sat third tutoring (50min)
Lesson plan Ref: 10/18/2014
Course Ref: 10/18/2014
Focus on Grammar/Writing Tutoring
Subject/Course
Learning Metaphor
Topic
Level: Advanced
Lesson Duration: 40 min
Lesson Objectives
Student will know what Metaphor is and how to use it in their writing.
Summary of Tasks/ Actions
<Review for last week>
- describing a picture with phrasal verbs
-talk together and correcting the paragraph.
<Lesson for this day>
- reading the handout about Metaphor and explain it.
- look at some examples and write own Metaphor sentences.
Materials/ Equipment
Textbook, handout, and dictionary

As Tsukasa mentioned at the beginning of this tutoring, we worked on metaphors

today. I searched some explanations about the metaphors online, and printed them out. We
looked at those which were about definition, function, and examples. It was very
understandable, and I added more explanations. After we looked at some examples of
metaphors, Tsukasa and I both wrote 5 examples of metaphors then we shared it. He seemed
like he understood and got some ideas about how to use Metaphor.
I thought the handout described very well about what metaphors are. I took some time to
find the source because I did not want to give an unclear concept about Metaphor. It was clear
to understand. I thought reading the handout together would be more helpful than my own
words, so we read it together, and I think it was good. While Tsukasa wrote the Metaphor
sentences, I was watching him then he asked me why I did not write. At that time, I felt that I
need to do the practice together, so I wrote the metaphors sentences as well, and we shared it
later. As he told me, I decided to participate in the activity with him, so we shared it together.
I thought the lesson was good today, and the actual lesson went well according to what I
planned.
In the last 15 minutes, we did the review writing. We descried the picture in the textbook. We
both wrote about the differences between two pictures, and shared it. When we wrote, we
used the phrasal verbs we worked on last week. That reminded Tsukasa what we learned last
time. As we shared what we wrote about, we were able to find some different parts from the
same pictures, so it was good.

11/1 Sat. Forth tutoring (50min)

Lesson plan Ref: 11/1/2014
Course Ref: 11/1/2014
Focus on Grammar/Writing Tutoring
Subject/Course
How to choose a good thesis statement.
Topic
Level: Advanced
Lesson Duration: 50 min
Lesson Objectives
Student will get some ideas how to write a thesis statement and will be able to write a
thesis statement.
Summary of Tasks/ Actions
<Review for last week>
-review metaphors 5 min
<Lesson for this day>
-read and study the handout 15min
-take a quiz and write a thesis statement. 20 min
-overview his outline 10min
Materials/ Equipment
Handout, laptop, paper/pencil and dictionary

I mentioned a little bit about metaphors. We worked on how to choose a thesis

statement. I found a useful handout from the reading and writing center. As Tsukasa read it
out loud, we talked about it one by one. There were a good list of how to choose a thesis
statement and a bad list that we need to avoid. That information was very helpful. I explained
details for each list. I found the quiz about thesis statement online, so he took it. It was a
review what we have learned today. There were very good and specific questions, and there
were examples to write a thesis statement. He wrote thesis statements of the examples. I
checked them, and I gave him advice to have a better thesis statement based on the handout
we worked on today. He wrote thesis statements, but those were weak at the specification.
His thesis was okay, but three things he will talk about was pretty weak, so we talked about
that. The quiz was useful to work on thesis statement. While we were talking about this, he
mentioned that he submitted an essay a few days ago, and he told me that he already used
these ways to choose his thesis statement. He showed me his paper, and I read his thesis
statement and his body points. Actually, his essay helped me to explain todays topic better.
He had a good thesis statement and argument. He told me that he already learned those things
in the class, so he was able to have a good thesis statement. Time went by so fast. I felt it was
pretty good; he told me he learned and it was an effective time.

11/8 Sat Fifth tutoring (50 min)

Lesson plan Ref: 11/7/2014
Course Ref: 11/8/2014
Focus on Grammar/Writing Tutoring
Subject/Course
Writing activities: poem, paragraph.
Topic
Level: Advanced
Lesson Duration: 50 min
Lesson Objectives
As student has a variety of activities, he will experience different writings and train how
to approach those kinds of writings.
Summary of Tasks/ Actions
-Read and write about a brief authors biography. 15min
-Write a short poem: alphabet poem and long poem. 20 min
-Share and talk about the writings. 10min
-Feedback 5 min
Materials/ Equipment
Handout, textbook, paper/pencil and dictionary

Today, we worked on three activities which were alphabet poem, long poem and
biography paragraph. Before we wrote a long poem, Tsukasa warmed up as he wrote a short
poem. That was an Alphabet poem. I gave him a word, method, and he wrote a paragraph
starting each sentence with a letter from the word method in order. For the next step, we
wrote a longer poem. There was a sample poem, so we tried to write a poem as we followed
the format. It took 10 minutes, I wrote a poem as well about love, and Tsukasa wrote about
his life. We switched out poem and read them; Tsukasa did a good job on it. He learned
something from my poem, and I learned from his poem as well. After that we shared together.
He thought about his assignment writing a poem. He got some ideas as we talked and wrote
about the poetry. For the next half of the tutoring session, we worked on model writing. This
was the activity we did in class last time. There was some brief information about the author,
Jane Austen in the textbook, but I brought information about Shakespeare. Tsukasa wrote a
paragraph by using the information. This could be a part of biography of a certain person. I
taught him that when we write a place and time, we need to put a place first and then time.
For instance, when there is the information about time period and place of Shakespeare, we
write William Shakespeare was born in United Kingdom in 1564. He wrote a long
paragraph for 10 min and I corrected some grammar, but there was only some articles and
word choices- mistakes I needed to correct. We had three practices and those were fun. I
think for this time, as Tsukasa tried different writing activities, he trained how to brainstorm.

Those were very helpful to get some ideas and come up with some thoughts. I enjoyed this
time and what I like was that we could learn from each others writing. This always makes
me amazed that we all can learn from each other.
11/15 Sat. Sixth tutoring (50 min)
Lesson plan Ref: 11/14/2014
Subject/Course
Topic

Course Ref: 11/15/2014

Focus on Grammar/Writing Tutoring
How to organize outline for research paper/thesis
statement.
Lesson Duration: 50 min

Level: Advanced
Lesson Objectives
Student will know how to approach research papers outline and get some ideas, so he can
organize a good research outline by himself.
Summary of Tasks/ Actions
<Review for last week>
-review how to choose thesis statement 10 min
<Lesson for this day>
- writing and organizing a research paper
-read and study the handout 20min
-overview his outline 10min
-correct and check 10min
Materials/ Equipment
Outline for his research paper, handout, and dictionary

Tsukasa asked me earlier that he wanted to work on research paper outline, so I

planned my lesson with organizing outline. I was given a handout about writing and
organizing a research paper by my English teacher. It had specific explanations and details.
We looked over them one by one. The handout had a lot of useful good information which
was about how introduction, body and conclusion should be. He showed his outline, so we
worked on it according to the handout. He did not think enough when he submitted this
assignment, so we thought about a good thesis statement together. He brainstormed and made
a mind map according what we worked on today. It worked very well; the mind map gave
some ideas he could think broadly, so he got a strong and good thesis statement and 3 topic
sentences as well. As we read the handout, we talked about his paper and compared to what it
is written. It took about an hour to finish todays tutorial, but it was useful time to fix his
outline, and got more ideas how to organize outline for him as well as me. As I explained him,
I got some ideas and concepts for my research paper as well.

11/22 Sat. Seventh/Last tutoring (60min)

He wanted my help for his research paper outline because he changed his topic. We
have been working on his research paper outline last week as well, but he changed everything
and tried to write a new essay. He already got some outline and what he wants to write. I
helped him to make complete and better sentences. We went through the things we need last
week, and we talked to each other a lot. He needed ideas and I thought and thought. He
seemed like he was stressed out. He told me that he spent a day to think about and came up to
these id111eas. After a while, he made almost complete outline. I looked over and gave him a
piece of advice. I was no able to understand some parts, so I asked him questions, and
thought what kind of expression would be better. We fixed topics and sentences several times.
We just talked a lot. I needed to know what he thought and how he wanted to write, so I
asked many questions. We just talked a lot and fixed many sentences. It took an hour to finish
the outline. I did not make my lesson plan for this time on purpose because I was going to
help his thesis statement and outline of research paper. He got helped by me. I do not think it
was the best help, but at least helped him to have a smooth context. I was glad that we could
work on what we have learned so far. I am sure that this tutorial has been helped him to build
a basic skills of writing.
Reflection
I enjoyed this writing tutoring very much. Monday was my birthday, and Tsukasa
wrote me a letter and said that he was very thankful for me and my time, and the tutoring
helped him a lot.
For the beginning of tutoring, I had no idea what to teach and how to teach writing. Because I
was the one who always went to the reading and writing center to revise my paper, and I was
not confident with my writing. As I had a tutorial with Tsukasa, I learned a lot of writing
skills as well. Teaching doesnt really mean to teach, but the teaching is more likely a process
of learning. As I prepared lessons, I studied and learned more. I came to know various great
activities to improve writing. Also, as teachers, we are able to learn new knowledge or aspect
from students. This is why I like teaching. Especially Tsukasas humility always inspires me.
He always works hard and is ready to learn and absorb something.
Overall, my teaching style was more holistic than analytic. I taught him how to organize
research papers outline, thesis statement and metaphors. I sometimes taught him some

grammar, we tried some activities. Actually, he wanted to learn local rather than global, but I
guess it was closer to global. Anyways, I believe it was overall helpful, and effective. I
participated in activities and writings, so Tsukasa and I were able to have a peer work, and
that was one of my favorite parts.
Through this assignment, I became more comfortable teaching writing and became confident.
I appreciate this opportunity having a tutorial and Tsukasa. I am ready to go to field and to
teach writing.