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According to
Chapter 1, many
students may be convinced that good writing is "correct"
writing and that placing the commas in all the right places
will, in and of itself, make for a great paper. As I've
explained, "I do not want to imply that we are here to give
students what is good for them whether they like it or not,
nor do I think that grammar really doesn't matter. It
matters a great deal, and we want to give our students what
they want. But it is important for me to help you understand
how problematic this version of 'good' writing can be and
work from this in your sessions (diplomatically and,
perhaps, passive aggressively). Why might this version of
"good" writing be problematic?
- What
are some of the differences between editors and tutors?
- What
are some of the basic responsibilities of tutors and how do
they differ from the responsibilities of writers?
- What
do I argue "good" writers know that many less effective
writers do not?
- Why
might all "writers benefit from some guided talk about their
writing projects"?
- What
are the dual assumptions we work with in the Writing Center?
How do these/can these assumptions translate into practice?
- What
are some of the phases of the writing process? How does/can
knowing this help you work with writers?
- What
should you do if you end up working with a student with a
terrible attitude?
- What
should you do about a student who seems to have a very
ineffective writing process (at least in this case) yet
unwilling to try something else?
- A
tutor isn't an "editor," "lecturer," or (in most cases) the
student's mother. What do these metaphors imply, and why are
they inappropriate for wc work?
- A
tutor is the "expert" reader, most sympathetic-yet-savvy
audience member, fellow conspirator, and expert questioner.
What doe these metaphors mean, and how can you embody the
imperatives of these metaphors in your wc work?
- What
information will help you set the agenda for the session?
- Why is
it important for the student to read the paper to you? What
should you be doing while she is reading the paper to you?
- When
may it be permissible to read the draft yourself? How can
you keep the student deeply involved in the session while
you read the draft?
- What
if the paper needs a lot of work? How will you determine
what she needs to work on if she really needs to work on
everything? You only have one hour, and you are not a
miracle worker!
- How
should I end the session?
- What
if she has no draft at all? How do I proceed with that
session?
- What
questions or concerns do you have about "The Tutoring
Cycle"? We will use this to work through our
self-evaluations and our observations. You needn't follow
this chart every time, but it can be a very useful guide.
- Take a
look at the list of the various things (from Gillespie and
Learner) that a "tutor does not--and does--have to be an
expert" in. What surprised you? What concerns you? What
questions do you have about this?
- Jot
down one question about any aspect of the Writing Center you
have encountered thus far. You may decide to narrate a
situation you would like for us to explore during our
meeting. That's what these things are for!
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