Daniels tutoring philosophy.

The position of peer writing tutor can be a difficult balancing act between friend and adviser. I know that I myself wouldn't trust a student to tell me how to improve my paper unless they knew what they were doing, but I also wouldn't appreciate an authority figure evaluating my writing if they were unaware of the position I was coming from as a student. I think it is always most important to emphasize that one is a peer to the writers who come into the UCWbL, because that is the facet of the writing tutor position that is the hardest to develop. A writer will quickly see if they carry any doubts that each staff member at the UCWbL is extremely capable of doing their job, but it can be less apparent to someone coming into their first appointment that we are here to help because we understand what it entails to be a university student. I always begin each session by looking the writer in the eyes and casually talking about whatever they might be interested in, to assure that we understand each other on the same level rather than through a barrier of assumed authority. It helps just to see someone for who they are rather than for what their role is in the professional writer-tutor relationship. A connection on a basic human level is integral in helping someone look at their thoughts and ideas in a different way, constructively. When commenting on writing, I feel the only fair way to help someone is to be direct. If they come into the writing center, they expect to receive help on the areas they are struggling in. It does no good to skirt around these issues in favor of kind words. When attention is drawn to a section of a paper that can be improved upon, the writer will see and understand why it is being mentioned. Students who work with tutors understand that there is room for improvement, and being as open and clear as possible about what needs to be done, I feel, is the most effective way to lend a hand. Whenever I work with a writer I want to ensure that they walk away with a different perspective on their writing. I may not always be capable of improving their assignment in a clear, visible way. Sometimes I may work with a writer who has a knowledge of writing superior to my own. Even though my role as a peer tutor puts me in a position conducive to improving someones writer, sometimes the best thing to do is just to provide another pair of eyes. I know that I struggle with seeing a paper from the reader's perspective, so I always try to provide the most open, clear, and genuine feedback possible from my point of view. I want my trademark as a writing tutor to be my ability to build rapport. As a writer myself, I work with people I trust much more successfully than I do with a total stranger. The initial introduction to a writer before a conference might not entail a whole lot of time spent connecting, but it can really establish what sort of direction in which the session will go. Each writer that comes into the writing center brings with them their identity, their personality, their very being; I don't feel that it is fair to jump right into a writer's work until I can sort of see where they are coming from. The approaches one can bring to the UCWbL need to be flexible. Not every writer I work with will respond well to my personal philosophy, and I need to keep at the forefront of my mind the various strategies I may need to utilize to connect with and work with any particular person. As long as I keep a solid grasp of what the writer's specific needs are in any given area, I can adjust my tutoring style to suit the situation. I want to ensure that I never get too occupied with what I want to talk about, and I am aware of what the writer wants to talk about. In this regard, I want to maintain a more minimalist approach to tutoring in general. There needs to be a dialogue in all writing appointments, but I want to be flexible and adaptable to any situation that I am thrust into.
Admin 10/22/13 3:01 PM Comment [1]: Hi Daniel, Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I will be commenting throughout. On content and clarity, and then I will provide a summary note.

Admin 10/22/13 5:41 PM Comment [2]: I totally agree! J Admin 10/22/13 5:56 PM Comment [3]: Okay, I like that you right away you state a belief, and Im curious to see how this plays out throughout. Admin 10/22/13 5:57 PM Comment [4]: Is there a way to be direct and kind? I was talking about this idea with another writing fellow and we were discussing our interpretations of directive tutoring. Im curious to hear your take on it and whether tone is a strong indicator of a directive style. Admin 10/22/13 5:58 PM Comment [5]: I think this would be a great spot to be more specific and descriptive with your personal experience. Admin 10/22/13 6:03 PM Comment [6]: Could you say more about this idea? Do you not consider yourself a reader? What is your interpretation of what a reader entails? How do you manage the balance between your personal point of view and how you interact with a writers ideas? Admin 10/22/13 6:04 PM Comment [7]: Beautiful theme and goal. Im wondering if you have a measurable aspect to see if you are succeeding (which Im sure you are)! Admin 10/22/13 6:05 PM Comment [8]: Right on! Are there any core readings that can connect to this belief? Admin 10/22/13 6:06 PM Comment [9]: Okay, for sure. I am intrigued with this idea and I think you can definitely expand maybe with some more examples or observations you have been a part of.

Daniel, I thought you provided a solid consensus and conceptual idea in your approach to tutoring. You have valuable claims that I find very true and relevant to the work that we do at the UCWbL. As you mentioned in your first paragraphs, we dont connect to writers because of assumed authority, (really interesting phrase, btw), but because we are peers. We are on an equal playing field, but even more so because we do have an expertiseI mean, each and every one of us was hired for a reason, right? Because we all have something to offer, and it was heartwarming to see you recognize that when you mentioned that each writer brings with them their identity and their presence to an appointment. In terms of moving forward, I think your tutoring philosophy and your claims can be fully strengthened if you brought in scholarship using your core readings from class. What readings and information stuck out to you, whether positively, or negatively? What beliefs did you agree with and which did you disagree with? It is important to establish your connections and understanding of the core beliefs and readings to give credibility to your beliefs. How has your role as a tutor been shaped up until now? Can you think of specific examples? You mention broad experiences towards the end of different writers that have come in, but theyre still a bit vague. How can you be more explicit in your experiences and relate them back to your development as a tutor? Ive been saying this a lot lately, but its helpful to think of your tutoring philosophy as putting theory into action. What aspects can you bring into real-life situations, and what just looks nice on paper? I think youre definitely on the right track, and it was a pleasure to read. Please bring any questions, revisions, and just overall your very amazing person to our face to face appointment. I cant wait! Best, Cynthia M.