Having been a writing consultant for two years now, I thought I had done just about every type of consultation: the ESL student, the introductory English course freshman, the reluctant visitor and the know-it-all. I was understandably caught off-guard, then, when my client struggled to tell me that she was severely hearing impaired. Unfortunately, I felt unprepared and untrained to carry out such an unusual session. Usually, we ask clients to read their writing aloud so that they may catch some of their own mistakes, but, obviously, I couldn’t ask her to read her paper aloud. Right away, I was forced to adapt to the situation and “think on my feet.” I read her paper aloud and stopped whenever I had suggestions or concerns about her writing. She suggested I type out my comments for her to see. Since it was a face-to-face consultation, even though I was writing my comments to her, I had to think of a concise and clearly worded written explanation of the issue extremely quickly. I could tell that not only was there a communication barrier, there was also a language barrier (she was an ESL student). Thus, I often had to come up with alternate explanations for a single grammatical issue. I found that using varying techniques, such as examples, grammatical rules, and asking questions, just as I would in any other consultation, was most effective. Asking her questions helped me to maintain the consultation as “normal” as possible. Through our interaction, I was able to help her more by responding specifically to her concerns and modifying my suggestions. I also realized the importance and usefulness of body language that we often take for granted. By reading her face, I could judge her comprehension, agreement or disagreement with my comments. And between typing out comments and using hand gestures, we were able to communicate effectively. I grew more comfortable with the situation as the consultation went on.
Reflecting over the session, I also realized that, though it may have been a challenge to very carefully gather my thoughts and articulate a comment as clearly as possible, it is something that could improve my consultations with any ESL student; by being more deliberate about wording, I can avoid confusion on their part or repetition on my part. After the session, I also realized that I had all the basic training I needed-- everything in the consultation remained the same except that I communicated my comments to her by writing them out instead of verbally. In this way, I did adapt to the client not being able to read her own writing aloud, but I still refrained from taking over the paper, writing all over it, and not taking advantage of the face to face interactions.
Lesson learned: Be prepared for the unexpected, and adapt your tutoring style to the client or specific situation, while maintaining the integrity of tutoring principles. Again, we are all already prepared to handle these situations whether we realize it or not. This is because adapting to a client with any sort of disability does not mean completely changing the outline of a consultation; it simply means that you have to identify what is no longer possible (reading aloud, for example, if the client is blind or hearing impaired) and change how you do just that one step. The rest remains the same.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Transitioning Structured vs. Unstructured Environments into the Writing Center
I recently had the privilege of attending the third Academic Peer Educator's Conference at Texas A&M University, and at this conference, I sat in on Cameron Brown's discussion of "Structured vs. Unstructured Environments." Cameron Brown was a Supplemental Instruction leader. One of the instructors, Caroline Hirko, described the Supplemental Instruction, or an SI, as: “a program to help student's succeed academically in not only challenging courses, but also throughout their collegiate career. SI leaders facilitate learning skills through peer led group sessions to create a positive and rewarding learning environment.” So, Mr. Brown’s discussion was based around a classroom-oriented setting, but if one looks closely at the definition given, one may see where SIs and writing centers share common ground.
Brown defined a structured environment as one where the instructor sets out clear and direct instructions for learning. An example of a structured environment in a writing consultation would be when a student comes into the writing center for the first time and the consultant has to set out clear, specific guidelines for what he or she will be working on. The speaker saw an unstructured environment as a place where the students take control of their own learning. His example was posing this question at the beginning of a lecture: "Based on what you have been learning in class, what should we work on today?" This seems like the ideal environment for a Writing Center consultation, but unfortunately for us, the students are not always able to take such great control of their own learning.
Brown discussed several ways instructors can provide an unstructured type of environment. Writers who became more familiar with their environment are more likely to allow for an unstructured type of environment. We see this at the Writing Center when students have come in three or four times; they bring in their paper and tell the consultants what they feel they need to work on. The students are taking more responsibility for their own learning. Brown pointed out that if students are working with a lot of new, or unfamiliar, material it is more effective to use a structured environment. This strategy may be more apparent in a consultation where students are unfamiliar with the material that they are writing their paper on. A good consultation is based on the idea that you, as a consultant, are knowledgeable about your topic, writing, and the student is knowledgeable about his or her topic, the subject of the paper. However, if they do not come prepared with that knowledge, then you are the only one with authority, so you must practice a more structured environment.
In order to implement structured and unstructured environments in a writing center consultation, a consultant must first ascertain how confident the student is in his or her ability to write a paper. A writer with little confidence in their writing will need more direction, a structured environment. The consultant can introduce a structured environment by simply setting out a list of goals for the session, such as “developing a thesis, organizing paragraphs, proving your thesis, building your ideas, etc…” Setting up these goals will allow the student to progress through the consultation with a clear result in mind, and this list will allow the writer to formulate his or her own goals the next time he or she writes a paper. Developing a structured environment is ideal for a student who has never been to the writing center, who is uncomfortable writing papers, or who has not written a paper in a long time. Another aspect that can be used in a structured environment is using a sentence that is incorrect in some way as an example for the writer, then allowing him or her to work through the rest of the paper to find similar mistakes. These are techniques that are often used during writing center consultations, which leads me to believe that a structured environment is easy to develop in a consultation.
Allowing for an unstructured environment is a bit more difficult, especially when the consultant is eager to help the student, but an unstructured environment lets the student help him or her self. One way to start an unstructured environment in a session is to say “where do you think you need help in this paper?” This question allows the student to think critically about the paper he or she is writing. Usually, a writer can pinpoint the areas they as the most flawed in a paper, but they do not always know why that area is flawed. Making a student think about “where” the paper is flawed will then cause them to think about “why” the paper is flawed. The consultant should ultimately focus on getting the student to the “why.” An unstructured environment can also be developed by simply not allowing the student to depend on you for guidance. If you do not give the writer a set of goals for the session, then he or she will begin to make goals for the session on his or her own. We, as consultants, tend to want to help the student any way that we can, but when we step back and let the writer work things out alone, we see them begin to think critically and independently.
Whether we, as consultants, realize it or not, we use structured and unstructured environments in almost every consultation, and it is important that we are aware of how these two environments can help or hinder a consultation.
Brown defined a structured environment as one where the instructor sets out clear and direct instructions for learning. An example of a structured environment in a writing consultation would be when a student comes into the writing center for the first time and the consultant has to set out clear, specific guidelines for what he or she will be working on. The speaker saw an unstructured environment as a place where the students take control of their own learning. His example was posing this question at the beginning of a lecture: "Based on what you have been learning in class, what should we work on today?" This seems like the ideal environment for a Writing Center consultation, but unfortunately for us, the students are not always able to take such great control of their own learning.
Brown discussed several ways instructors can provide an unstructured type of environment. Writers who became more familiar with their environment are more likely to allow for an unstructured type of environment. We see this at the Writing Center when students have come in three or four times; they bring in their paper and tell the consultants what they feel they need to work on. The students are taking more responsibility for their own learning. Brown pointed out that if students are working with a lot of new, or unfamiliar, material it is more effective to use a structured environment. This strategy may be more apparent in a consultation where students are unfamiliar with the material that they are writing their paper on. A good consultation is based on the idea that you, as a consultant, are knowledgeable about your topic, writing, and the student is knowledgeable about his or her topic, the subject of the paper. However, if they do not come prepared with that knowledge, then you are the only one with authority, so you must practice a more structured environment.
In order to implement structured and unstructured environments in a writing center consultation, a consultant must first ascertain how confident the student is in his or her ability to write a paper. A writer with little confidence in their writing will need more direction, a structured environment. The consultant can introduce a structured environment by simply setting out a list of goals for the session, such as “developing a thesis, organizing paragraphs, proving your thesis, building your ideas, etc…” Setting up these goals will allow the student to progress through the consultation with a clear result in mind, and this list will allow the writer to formulate his or her own goals the next time he or she writes a paper. Developing a structured environment is ideal for a student who has never been to the writing center, who is uncomfortable writing papers, or who has not written a paper in a long time. Another aspect that can be used in a structured environment is using a sentence that is incorrect in some way as an example for the writer, then allowing him or her to work through the rest of the paper to find similar mistakes. These are techniques that are often used during writing center consultations, which leads me to believe that a structured environment is easy to develop in a consultation.
Allowing for an unstructured environment is a bit more difficult, especially when the consultant is eager to help the student, but an unstructured environment lets the student help him or her self. One way to start an unstructured environment in a session is to say “where do you think you need help in this paper?” This question allows the student to think critically about the paper he or she is writing. Usually, a writer can pinpoint the areas they as the most flawed in a paper, but they do not always know why that area is flawed. Making a student think about “where” the paper is flawed will then cause them to think about “why” the paper is flawed. The consultant should ultimately focus on getting the student to the “why.” An unstructured environment can also be developed by simply not allowing the student to depend on you for guidance. If you do not give the writer a set of goals for the session, then he or she will begin to make goals for the session on his or her own. We, as consultants, tend to want to help the student any way that we can, but when we step back and let the writer work things out alone, we see them begin to think critically and independently.
Whether we, as consultants, realize it or not, we use structured and unstructured environments in almost every consultation, and it is important that we are aware of how these two environments can help or hinder a consultation.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Conference
Hello All,
I am happy to announce that I am new to this blog. I am a tutor/intern at the University Writing Center at St. Thomas University.
In the first week of March, some of my colleagues and I attended the SWCA -NCPTW conference in Nova Southeastern University. It was a wonderful experience!
Did anyone attend any regional conferences?
I am happy to announce that I am new to this blog. I am a tutor/intern at the University Writing Center at St. Thomas University.
In the first week of March, some of my colleagues and I attended the SWCA -NCPTW conference in Nova Southeastern University. It was a wonderful experience!
Did anyone attend any regional conferences?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"But It Isn't Grammatically Correct!"
This past summer, I began splitting my hours at the Writing Center between regular consulting with students, and podcasting and video-editing with our media team. Texas A&M produces two podcasts- “Write Away,” which targets professors and faculty members, and “Write Right,” which focuses on students. These podcasts cover everything from interviews with professors about their methods of writing instruction to mini-lessons on specific writing-related topics to highlights of the services our Writing Center offers. Our video productions commonly consist of training videos for consultants and instructional screencasts.
As a Communications major, I was excited about the opportunity to develop skills in these areas. Yet before the summer, the extent of my “experience” with podcasting consisted of nothing more than downloading and listening to them. I remember reading about principles of podcasting in a Communications Theory class, yet this is just one of those areas where book knowledge pales in comparison to actual practice.
The first podcast I produced was a “Quick Tip” – a short reference guide for students – on writing memos. When I started, I assumed the most challenging part would be mastering all the technicalities that come with splicing and synching different audio files. I was confident in my writing and speaking ability – all I had to do was write a page about memos and then read it out loud, right? As it turns out, I really had to stretch my conception of “good writing” to create an appropriate script.
In any formal essay for class or an application, I generally express myself in a very sophisticated and elaborate style. My paragraphs are intricately woven with complex sentence structures, qualifying phrases, and educated diction. In the context of academic papers, I find this style extremely effective, picking apart the layered meanings of language until I reach just the right nuance for iterating a particular idea. And these points come across clearly, provided that readers have the words in front of them. Even in these last several sentences, you can begin to see what I mean.
Well, it’s one thing to read writing silently; it’s another to attempt to articulate your sentences out loud. When I first tried to record my script on memos, you can imagine that I was a little surprised when those same sentences that “sounded” just right in my head translated into a confusing mess when spoken. I quickly learned the importance of communicating my thoughts concisely and directly. In oral recordings, the only tool your audience has to follow your thought process is their auditory retention span. Too many shifts within a sentence or idea are confusing. However, changing my scripts consisted of more than just breaking down a few compound-complex sentences. To make myself understood, I ended up throwing several grammar rules out the window as well. For example, when we speak, we subconsciously ignore some prescriptive no-no’s, such as starting sentences with a conjunction or ending them with a preposition. We don’t stop to analyze whether or not our subject and verb agree. We start sentences with ambiguous references such as “it is,” “this is,” and “there is.” If we use words like ‘each’ or ‘everyone’ as our subject, we are likely to tack on the plural ‘their’ instead of ‘his or her’ later on as a corresponding pronoun. Even though these tendencies aren’t grammatically correct, they’re descriptive of the ways we actually talk. Not only are they permissible in spoken communication, they’re ideal. Speakers want to be conversational and able to relate to their audience, a difficult thing to do if they sound like they’re reading a dense essay.
As a Communications major, I was excited about the opportunity to develop skills in these areas. Yet before the summer, the extent of my “experience” with podcasting consisted of nothing more than downloading and listening to them. I remember reading about principles of podcasting in a Communications Theory class, yet this is just one of those areas where book knowledge pales in comparison to actual practice.
The first podcast I produced was a “Quick Tip” – a short reference guide for students – on writing memos. When I started, I assumed the most challenging part would be mastering all the technicalities that come with splicing and synching different audio files. I was confident in my writing and speaking ability – all I had to do was write a page about memos and then read it out loud, right? As it turns out, I really had to stretch my conception of “good writing” to create an appropriate script.
In any formal essay for class or an application, I generally express myself in a very sophisticated and elaborate style. My paragraphs are intricately woven with complex sentence structures, qualifying phrases, and educated diction. In the context of academic papers, I find this style extremely effective, picking apart the layered meanings of language until I reach just the right nuance for iterating a particular idea. And these points come across clearly, provided that readers have the words in front of them. Even in these last several sentences, you can begin to see what I mean.
Well, it’s one thing to read writing silently; it’s another to attempt to articulate your sentences out loud. When I first tried to record my script on memos, you can imagine that I was a little surprised when those same sentences that “sounded” just right in my head translated into a confusing mess when spoken. I quickly learned the importance of communicating my thoughts concisely and directly. In oral recordings, the only tool your audience has to follow your thought process is their auditory retention span. Too many shifts within a sentence or idea are confusing. However, changing my scripts consisted of more than just breaking down a few compound-complex sentences. To make myself understood, I ended up throwing several grammar rules out the window as well. For example, when we speak, we subconsciously ignore some prescriptive no-no’s, such as starting sentences with a conjunction or ending them with a preposition. We don’t stop to analyze whether or not our subject and verb agree. We start sentences with ambiguous references such as “it is,” “this is,” and “there is.” If we use words like ‘each’ or ‘everyone’ as our subject, we are likely to tack on the plural ‘their’ instead of ‘his or her’ later on as a corresponding pronoun. Even though these tendencies aren’t grammatically correct, they’re descriptive of the ways we actually talk. Not only are they permissible in spoken communication, they’re ideal. Speakers want to be conversational and able to relate to their audience, a difficult thing to do if they sound like they’re reading a dense essay.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Feared Classroom Workshop
The most feared task of writing consultants: the classroom presentation. Perhaps it is the boredom expressed in every student’s face when you pull up a presentation on editing. It could also be the blank stares you receive when you ask for feedback on which form of punctuation is better. Either way, classroom presentations are one of the most challenging aspects of working as a writing consultant. It doesn’t help that the presentations can usually be characterized as the following: boring, long, and containing grammatical terms that even you have never seen.
After performing a series of less-than-exciting workshops, I (along with another tutor) was assigned the daunting task of revamping our writing center’s entire collection of classroom workshops. This ranged from grammar to editing to correspondence. It was not an easy task: the layouts had to be exciting enough to interest students yet professional enough that people would take us seriously. There needed to be visuals and pictures to hold people’s attention, but the pictures needed to be relevant to the information (if anyone knows of a good picture to describe the difference between colon and semicolon, let me know!). However, after spending a summer redesigning and working with presentations, I came away with useful knowledge on how to create and present a workshop in the least boring manner possible.
1. Never write too much on the slides. People hardly like to read term papers, and I can guarantee nobody wants to read one when it is projected on a screen. Instead, put keywords that can trigger your memory to discuss important topics. Students should learn from YOU talking- not from reading the slides only.
2. Use pictures. As corny as it may be, simple photographs help retain information through association. Do not use busy photos- it will take away from the information. But if you are discussing the etiquette of email, a simple picture of keyboard will help emphasize your ideas that you are trying to portray.
3. Pick a layout- AND STICK TO IT. One of the most important ideas I grasped was the importance of staying consistent. Our old classroom workshops all had different layouts and designs, and it made it hard to present from one workshop to another. Pick one design, and use it in every classroom workshop. This builds recognition of your writing center and makes it easier on consultants giving the workshops because they will be familiar with the general layout.
4. Familiarize yourself with the material. It might seem obvious, but it really is a Rookie mistake to go into a workshop thinking you know all the material, and realize you are clueless. If you do not know at least a little about what you are presenting, the audience will pick up on this, and probably not listen to most of your presentation. Review the workshop the day before at least, and you will feel much more confident about actually giving the presentation.
5. Be confident. You work at the writing center for a reason, and it’s not just because you have read the Harry Potter series ten times (wait...is that just me?). It is okay to not always have the answers—what is more important is to have the ability to lead students in the right direction to find their own answers.
Classroom workshops are not the end-all-be-all of your writing center existence. They should not be the most feared aspect of your job (that is reserved for the 200 page thesis in nuclear engineering), but instead, should be another way for you to assist students in their writing knowledge. As long as you understand what you are talking about and what you are doing, classroom presentations are just an easier way to reach more people in need of help.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Physical Space and Collaboration: Comparing the Two Locations of the Texas A&M University Writing Center
Recently, I had the opportunity to partake in a unique consultation at the West Campus Library University Writing Center. This location is a converted small group study room. As such, it is a small but open space that boasts just three separate desks equipped for consultations. There are no walls separating the desks, and individual consultations are visible and audible to all inside the room. That day, two of us had finished our consultations but a fellow consultant seemed to be having a difficult session. She turned her head around and asked us for our opinion on the issue. The client’s prompt really was difficult to decode, and we each had our own take on it. We were unsure of what her professor wanted her to analyze from a website: the pictures? Rhetorical devices? The advertising? But we sat there, huddled together (three consultants to one client) discussing and exchanging ideas. The client reacted favorably to this environment, becoming more animated about the paper and process. I believe that the client became receptive to the idea that, in the end, we are also students (her peers) who struggle with ideas and assignments, and that writing is a dynamic and often collaborative effort. Eventually, we were able to steer her in the right direction, and she left satisfied with the consultation. Never have I had such a collaborative consultation at the other location of the
The other location has four individual glass enclosed carrels. Each one contains a desk, computer, resources and room enough for just two chairs. This set up is excellent for privacy, which is definitely not the case at the previous location. Having this privacy, however, also means that the consultation takes place in complete isolation and without the possibility of collaboration with other consultants. Although we have been trained, and even encouraged, to ask fellow consultants questions during consultations, the carrels are just not conducive to this. On occasion, I have gotten up, excused myself from the consultation and exited the carrel to ask a fellow consultant a question, but it is definitely more of a discouraging hassle. In this situation the client might feel awkward left in the carrel by himself or the formality of bringing in another consultant into the consultation might make the client doubt his consultant’s competency. Even if collaboration does occur, it is definitely less natural and seems more like an intervention than a conversation. In fact, it might even cause a student to question any previous advice.
I believe that collaboration should have an important role in
The ideal space would allow for both privacy and collaboration; a possible set up being an open space with separate tables where individual consultations could take place inaudibly to others but one which allows easy verbal and nonverbal communication between consultants.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Some Thoughts on Tutoring
As my first semester in our writing center ends, I've been reflecting on what have become key points to me. I view each and every interaction in the writing center as an opportunity to enrich lives – that of the student with whom I’m working, and mine – through the work we do around writing. It begins with checking the appointment notes: I want to call the person by name. If they took the time to note anything about the assignment they’re bringing in, I reference it: “So Amanda, you’ve got a personal essay on your experience with writing!” The interaction begins the moment she walks in the door saying “I have an appointment…” I want to demonstrate, right off the block, that “We’re here to work together, I am paying attention, and I’m so glad you came!” A warm, enthusiastic welcome – and acknowledgment of the information she has already provided – can set the tone for our work together. How many times have I called “customer service” and given a complete accounting of the issue I would like to address, only to repeat it six times to people that don’t bother referring to the information I’ve already painstakingly provided? Perhaps it seems like a tiny thing in the larger picture, but I believe it makes all the difference in that crucial first impression.
Knowledge does not occur in a vacuum; it cannot exist without interaction – human communication. The degree and quality of interactions are widely acknowledged to determine both acquisition and transference. This is truly a collaborative effort, though “collaboration”, it must be recognized, exists on a continuum.
I’ve come to understand “collaboration” as having many different degrees of involvement between partners…sometimes with limited focus and scope, and other times strongly connected in a broadly focused, wide scope. Dialogue is the connection factor, and dialogue can be verbal as well as textual. The interactions may be highly collaborative, or may involve a higher degree of direction from one of the partners.
I must be as flexible, intuitive and thoughtful as humanly possible, because each appointment is different in myriad ways. In a nutshell, it means being highly flexible and responding in-the-moment. It means doing my best to elicit the highest level of engagement I can from the student with whom I’m meeting, watching body language, looking into eyes, asking careful, open-ended questions, and responding thoughtfully. It is being an encourager, translator of professorial instructions, sometimes commiserator, and sometimes teacher or director – as opposed to peer – in our collaboration. It is using all of my senses, intuition, and knowledge to gage the support and assistance I can best bring to our work.
Knowledge does not occur in a vacuum; it cannot exist without interaction – human communication. The degree and quality of interactions are widely acknowledged to determine both acquisition and transference. This is truly a collaborative effort, though “collaboration”, it must be recognized, exists on a continuum.
I’ve come to understand “collaboration” as having many different degrees of involvement between partners…sometimes with limited focus and scope, and other times strongly connected in a broadly focused, wide scope. Dialogue is the connection factor, and dialogue can be verbal as well as textual. The interactions may be highly collaborative, or may involve a higher degree of direction from one of the partners.
I must be as flexible, intuitive and thoughtful as humanly possible, because each appointment is different in myriad ways. In a nutshell, it means being highly flexible and responding in-the-moment. It means doing my best to elicit the highest level of engagement I can from the student with whom I’m meeting, watching body language, looking into eyes, asking careful, open-ended questions, and responding thoughtfully. It is being an encourager, translator of professorial instructions, sometimes commiserator, and sometimes teacher or director – as opposed to peer – in our collaboration. It is using all of my senses, intuition, and knowledge to gage the support and assistance I can best bring to our work.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Its All in the Name
Most WC writings use many different names for those of us who work in the writing centers, working with students with various writing abilities, a multitude of writing difficulties, and at any stage of the writing process. Some say it doesn’t matter what we our called, but I disagree. What we are called or call ourselves will have an influence on what is expected of us and the session that each student is involved in.
While doing the reading for class, it occurred to me that there is a difference between tutoring and consulting, between a tutor and a consultant. Knowing these differences can help us in our interactions with the students. And these differences can affect how the student reacts and responds when we are trying to help them.
Let’s look at the word tutor first. By definition, tutoring is to teach or instruct especially privately. Another word that can be used in defining what a tutor does is the word guide. A tutor gives guidance. All of these give the implication that it is a process, one that happens over time. Consistent, regularly, and scheduled also come to mind. All of this meaning that tutoring is more than just one session of meeting with someone. It is where someone is lacking in knowledge in a certain area, and needs to be instructed and given the information that they do not have to become efficient in the that subject. So in this case, a tutor is someone who is an expert, a teacher, someone who can instruct a person for a duration of time as in which the individual will be apt in their knowledge.
Here is a good definition of consult, “…to seek from a presumably qualified person or source advice, opinion.” A consultant is the one who gives expert or professional advice. And a consultation is a conference at which advice is given or views are exchanged. All of this gives the impression of a limited time frame. It also gives the collaborative feel that is a main theme in academic writing of what is done in the writing center. It also does not give the authoritative sense that tutor implies, where the instructor is superior to the person they are helping. It is mentioned over and over that the majority of students have fears coming into the WC. If it was expressed that they were coming in to ‘consult’ about their papers and writing process, would this not help alleviate these fears? Would this not insure that collaborative activities would be more likely to happen?
I am not ignoring that there is a need for tutoring, and that it can be done at the WC. But what if we gave the students this choice? If they felt that they just needed support for one paper at different stages, or in one specific area, then they could come in and get advice on that part. But if there was strong indication that they were lacking in knowledge of basic skills needed to be writing at a standard level, then tutoring would be offered on a regular basis with one certain person. So both services are offered separately, giving both the consultant and tutor a clear idea of the basic expectations of each session.
So basically, in the WC we are doing both tutoring and consulting. It just seems that if it were specified which one was needed and which one we were attempting, it would be better for all involved. Clarity is always a good thing, especially when it comes to writing, right?
While doing the reading for class, it occurred to me that there is a difference between tutoring and consulting, between a tutor and a consultant. Knowing these differences can help us in our interactions with the students. And these differences can affect how the student reacts and responds when we are trying to help them.
Let’s look at the word tutor first. By definition, tutoring is to teach or instruct especially privately. Another word that can be used in defining what a tutor does is the word guide. A tutor gives guidance. All of these give the implication that it is a process, one that happens over time. Consistent, regularly, and scheduled also come to mind. All of this meaning that tutoring is more than just one session of meeting with someone. It is where someone is lacking in knowledge in a certain area, and needs to be instructed and given the information that they do not have to become efficient in the that subject. So in this case, a tutor is someone who is an expert, a teacher, someone who can instruct a person for a duration of time as in which the individual will be apt in their knowledge.
Here is a good definition of consult, “…to seek from a presumably qualified person or source advice, opinion.” A consultant is the one who gives expert or professional advice. And a consultation is a conference at which advice is given or views are exchanged. All of this gives the impression of a limited time frame. It also gives the collaborative feel that is a main theme in academic writing of what is done in the writing center. It also does not give the authoritative sense that tutor implies, where the instructor is superior to the person they are helping. It is mentioned over and over that the majority of students have fears coming into the WC. If it was expressed that they were coming in to ‘consult’ about their papers and writing process, would this not help alleviate these fears? Would this not insure that collaborative activities would be more likely to happen?
I am not ignoring that there is a need for tutoring, and that it can be done at the WC. But what if we gave the students this choice? If they felt that they just needed support for one paper at different stages, or in one specific area, then they could come in and get advice on that part. But if there was strong indication that they were lacking in knowledge of basic skills needed to be writing at a standard level, then tutoring would be offered on a regular basis with one certain person. So both services are offered separately, giving both the consultant and tutor a clear idea of the basic expectations of each session.
So basically, in the WC we are doing both tutoring and consulting. It just seems that if it were specified which one was needed and which one we were attempting, it would be better for all involved. Clarity is always a good thing, especially when it comes to writing, right?
Improving Your Teaching Style Through Student Feedback
At the Texas A&M University Writing Center, some of the consultants are “loaned out” to other departments as writing assistants. We, as undergraduates, work one on one with a professor in many different scenarios, reading drafts, looking at grammar, style, and structure in a student’s paper for the professor, and making presentations tailored to these particular students about grammar. Starting my second semester as an Undergraduate Writing Assistant, I discovered that this class, of future Special Education teachers, was very different from my previous class, a group of senior Agronomy majors focused on soil and crop sciences. Part of my job as an assistant is to give feedback on personal reflections that each member of the class writes, and they turn in five of these reflections throughout the semester. After receiving the second group of reflections it became abundantly clear to me the students were not growing as writers. Each student seemed to be making mistakes repeatedly on every paper turned in.
Desperately in search of the reason that a group of future teachers could not seem to learn from their mistakes, I conducted an anonymous survey online to discover their thoughts. Initially, only three students filled out the survey, but after several pleas from the professor I obtained a reliable amount of data to reach reasonable conclusions, 50% of the class filled out the survey.
The first question on the survey was "Do you find the notes the UWA writes on your paper helpful?" with varying answers according to the student’s varying range of emotions on the subject. Overall, I realized about half the students read the notes that I write on their reflections and half do not. Next, I asked if any of these things may be more helpful: 1) A presentation on common writing errors, 2) Regular Office Hours that you can attend for writing, 3) Clearer comments on papers, 4) More comments on papers, 5) Nothing. An overwhelming majority of the students asked for clearer comments on their papers, more comments on their papers, and regular office hours. Some of the students even offered additional explanations for how they felt I could help them improve their writing. Therefore, as a writing consultant, what can I do to give them more and clearer comments on their papers? I feel that I try to explain myself in simple terms and include helpful links in their papers, but obviously if the students are having a problem understanding me, something must change.
I began to realize that my comments must change their tone. Often, when writing comments on papers, instead of explaining in person, it can be easy to alienate the students by using direct language or academic jargon. Therefore, I have decided to eliminate all grammar "terms" from my notes. Instead of explaining that something is an appositive, and then explaining what an appositive is, I will simply explain to them that they are offering an explanation of a noun, that they are clarifying. Additionally, I will try to give more examples on their papers, rather than lengthy explanations about style or grammar.
After receiving the third and fourth rounds of papers from these students, I found that removing the technical jargon from my comments did seem to help them. I saw multiple examples of writing that was beginning to improve. Most of the writers had trouble using commas. They would either overuse them or never use them at all, so to explain when to use a comma I asked the writers to take apart one sentence from their paper and look for the subject and the action in the sentence. Using “subject” and “action” seemed to be a lot less intimidating to the class than “verb” and “noun.” They began to relate to my comments.
As an experienced UWA, it is easy to find yourself falling into a routine, but it is imperative that Writing Assistants remember every classroom is different and every group of students learns differently. Usually, if you are assisting in a class of seniors, they have been writing in their field for four years now and feel like they know what they are doing, so it may not be as easy to change their ideas as one may hope. Some classes will want to know the technical meanings behind grammar mistakes, but others will simply just want to know what “sounds right.” Some classrooms may benefit from presentations by the UWA or from independent office hours during which any student in the class may come in. So, it is the UWA's responsibility to explore every avenue to help these students better their writing. I would encourage UWA’s to implement a survey like the one I sent out because it allows you, as a UWA, to learn what the students expect from you and what they believe you can do to help them. Additionally, this survey may be best administered early on in a semester so that improvements can be made throughout the rest of the semester.
Desperately in search of the reason that a group of future teachers could not seem to learn from their mistakes, I conducted an anonymous survey online to discover their thoughts. Initially, only three students filled out the survey, but after several pleas from the professor I obtained a reliable amount of data to reach reasonable conclusions, 50% of the class filled out the survey.
The first question on the survey was "Do you find the notes the UWA writes on your paper helpful?" with varying answers according to the student’s varying range of emotions on the subject. Overall, I realized about half the students read the notes that I write on their reflections and half do not. Next, I asked if any of these things may be more helpful: 1) A presentation on common writing errors, 2) Regular Office Hours that you can attend for writing, 3) Clearer comments on papers, 4) More comments on papers, 5) Nothing. An overwhelming majority of the students asked for clearer comments on their papers, more comments on their papers, and regular office hours. Some of the students even offered additional explanations for how they felt I could help them improve their writing. Therefore, as a writing consultant, what can I do to give them more and clearer comments on their papers? I feel that I try to explain myself in simple terms and include helpful links in their papers, but obviously if the students are having a problem understanding me, something must change.
I began to realize that my comments must change their tone. Often, when writing comments on papers, instead of explaining in person, it can be easy to alienate the students by using direct language or academic jargon. Therefore, I have decided to eliminate all grammar "terms" from my notes. Instead of explaining that something is an appositive, and then explaining what an appositive is, I will simply explain to them that they are offering an explanation of a noun, that they are clarifying. Additionally, I will try to give more examples on their papers, rather than lengthy explanations about style or grammar.
After receiving the third and fourth rounds of papers from these students, I found that removing the technical jargon from my comments did seem to help them. I saw multiple examples of writing that was beginning to improve. Most of the writers had trouble using commas. They would either overuse them or never use them at all, so to explain when to use a comma I asked the writers to take apart one sentence from their paper and look for the subject and the action in the sentence. Using “subject” and “action” seemed to be a lot less intimidating to the class than “verb” and “noun.” They began to relate to my comments.
As an experienced UWA, it is easy to find yourself falling into a routine, but it is imperative that Writing Assistants remember every classroom is different and every group of students learns differently. Usually, if you are assisting in a class of seniors, they have been writing in their field for four years now and feel like they know what they are doing, so it may not be as easy to change their ideas as one may hope. Some classes will want to know the technical meanings behind grammar mistakes, but others will simply just want to know what “sounds right.” Some classrooms may benefit from presentations by the UWA or from independent office hours during which any student in the class may come in. So, it is the UWA's responsibility to explore every avenue to help these students better their writing. I would encourage UWA’s to implement a survey like the one I sent out because it allows you, as a UWA, to learn what the students expect from you and what they believe you can do to help them. Additionally, this survey may be best administered early on in a semester so that improvements can be made throughout the rest of the semester.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Beyond Pen and Paper
Writing. Writing what? For whom? In what context? Through what medium? What exactly does the word “writing” encompass? As a discipline, it implies much more than formal compositions or school assignments, and by no means is it limited to a specific context or audience. Whether we realize it or not, we write to communicate constantly. Any type of writing allows us to formulate our ideas, structure them, and express them in a way that is permanent.
Let’s expand our notion of writing even further. The final “product” of writing does not have to end with typed words and sentences. Writing can also be the backbone for audio and visual productions, as well as speeches and presentations. You could, for example, be writing a script that you’ll produce as a video. You could be organizing points that you want to highlight when presenting your research poster. You could be writing interview questions that you’ll use to create a podcast.
One of Texas A&M’s core-curriculum requirements states that students take two writing intensive courses, or W-courses, in their major field of study. The purpose of these courses is to teach students how to write appropriately in their discipline. Additionally, some departments have begun offering oral communications-focused courses, or C-courses, which may substitute for one of the W-courses. C-courses give students the option to produce videos, podcasts, webcasts, and/or give oral presentations. Personally, I eagerly support this change. The opportunity to create multi-media productions encourages creativity and stretches students to learn new communication technologies. (Talk about highly versatile skills that will be an asset in the workplace!) And furthermore, even though communications-focused courses no longer have “W” in their title, they still play an integral role in teaching students about writing.
So how do communications-related assignments impact us as writing consultants? The new challenge is guiding students, who are now coming into the writing center with their presentation slides, scripts, and posters, to write (and speak) in a way that is appropriate to the channel of communication they’re using. Initially this may cause a bit of apprehension. We may wonder whether we have the ability to help students in these areas, and question whether we need to invest our time into learning new communication software programs.
The answer to the first concern is a definite ”yes” – we’re more than equipped to handle consultations involving media and public speaking. As consultants, we’ve been trained to determine what constitutes good writing by a variety of contextual factors – audience, genre, academic field, and whether or not the content will be read or heard by the audience. We know that complex ideas have to be broken down and reiterated during an oral presentation. We know that the style of writing is more informal in a podcast than a formal composition. Yet we also know that the writing process itself applies just as readily to a bulleted list in a presentation slide as it does to an extended paragraph. We know the similarities and differences between “writing” and “writing for speaking”; we just need to explain these to students. In short, the large majority of our skills and approaches as writing consultants are easily transferable.
As far as whether or not we need to learn the technical skills of video-editing, podcasting, and webcasting, it is important to remember the balance between expanding our talents and sticking to the core of our work. If consultants can be involved in writing center media-productions such as promotional or training videos, then great! This provides an opportunity to learn about the nature of media publications while still providing a service to the Writing Center. It also encourages more consultant involvement and leadership. Yet I don’t think acquiring technical knowledge should necessarily be a priority for consultants. Our focus is on clients’ content – their actual writing. This writing may be in the context of a formal composition, business letter, or lab report, or it may be the precursor to a conference presentation or media production. As writing consultants, we’re more than equipped to handle any of these situations, even those that go beyond pen and paper.
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