Working
at the Writing Center has been harder than I expected—so
much to think about in so little time!--but also more fruitful.
When I tutor, I have to meet students where they’re at:
listen to their understanding of the assignment, discover what
they’ve done so far, ask them questions that lead to their
own answers—in short, pay attention to the students’
intentions for their writing.
Clyde’s workshop helped remind
me how hands-off I can be when I tutor. I have to keep my over-enthusiasm
under control—it’s really not about me solving all
the student’s problems in 40 short minutes. The first two
exercises in particular did this, where we asked questions about
the writer’s intentions without looking at what they’d
written, and where we worked with outlines without getting too
bogged down in the language—these are now my favorite modes
of tutoring.
The trick is to see how these principles translate (PWR 2 lingo
here) to my classroom teaching. It’s involves a different
kind of attention. Instead of just restating my assignment and
showing my students how to approach a piece of writing, I’m
more likely (if I remember how I tutor) to ask how they intend
to handle things and help them go in that direction. I do this
when we meet for conferences, but I try to keep that spirit when
I’m writing comments on drafts, and even in preparing my
students to do peer review.
Back to the workshop. Along with
the immense practical and intellectual benefits, I got to know
some new people, and ate some darned good sandwiches and cookies.
As Clyde knows, the way to my heart has always been my stomach…
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