Group Sessions?

http://tb4cz3en3e.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Group+Workshops%3A+Saving+Our+Writing+Center+in+Japan&rft.jtitle=Studies+in+Self-Access+Learning+Journal&rft.au=Jim+McKinley&rft.date=2011-12-20&rft.pub=Kanda+University+of+International+Studies&rft.issn=2185-3762&rft.volume=2&rft.issue=4&rft.spage=292&rft.epage=303&rft.externalDBID=DOA&rft.externalDocID=oai_doaj_articles_16cbfc5087aaef10aea332b25700eaca

This is one of the best articles I have read regarding writing centers. Though it takes place in Japan, it has some very good points. There are many students that come to the writing center just looking to correct the grammar of their paper. Many get discouraged that the tutors don’t just edit their papers for them. This in turn means that many students are not satisfied with the writing center. This article mentions attitudes of students towards the writing center, services that are actually provided, ways to promote the writing center and even the idea of some group sessions. The group sessions can be everything from tutorials to workshops for students. This is an interesting option for students especially because so many of the students have the same issues as one another and often tutors feel like their entire day is spent on the same issue. The best point of the article is how to get students to WANT to come into the writing center rather than just coming in for their extra credit. Overall, this is a great article for any tutor to read and does address some very prevalent issues that are felt by all tutor of the writing center.

Union Between the Writing Center and the Library

http://0-www.emeraldinsight.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/journals.htm?issn=0090-7324&volume=40&issue=4&articleid=17063685&show=html

Only a handful of times have I ever thought to refer a student to the library. I chose this article because it talks about collaboration between writing centers and libraries and how they can actually really help each other. The tutors of the writing center are told to teach students and point them in the right direction instead of just doing it for them. The library can greatly help with this principle especially if the student is working on a research paper. What would really be helpful is if the tutors knew more librarians and could call upon these people to tell them what went on during the session and books that may be helpful for the particular student. The article specifically says that the writing center and library have the same goal to assist students and by working together, both become stronger and more accessible to students.

That Darn Chicago Style

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

blog.uvm.edu/intrdisc/files/2012/08/Chicago-Style-Template.doc

So we have all heard of MLA and APA but what about Chicago Style? Many students came into the writing center because they didn’t know how to format their paper in this form. The problem was neither do many tutors. This online guide has a Q&A section as well as how to do a paper in this style so that tutors can more effectively assist students with this format. The second link that is given is a template that can be suggested to students to also help with this style. If students decide to use this however, inform them that they should still double check the format with the tutor before submitting their paper.

Computers and Autism

http://wvuecommerce.wvu.edu/index.cfm?do=product.product&id=8100711841%5F65w&product_id=73

This is a great article about teaching Autistic students to write on a computer. This is a study in which Autistic students were taught to write on a computer instead of paper. The students did much better when they wrote on a computer because certain mistakes were fixed when they would not otherwise have been. They also showed that the computer initially made a difference, but the students kept getting better as they were using the computer. This idea can be used by the tutors of the writing center. By allowing the students to use a computer while they tutor, they may actually get more out of the session.

Overcoming ELL Issues

http://sisaljournal.org/archives/mar11/matsuda_cox/

There are many ELL students that come to the writing center looking for help with their papers. Many of these are difficult to read because of the grammar errors that don’t transcend from their native language to English. This article talks about the common issues found in ELL papers and ways to help these students. It says that reading the article is what the session should focus on, how to read these papers and even gives tips to help these writers as well as the tutors. The authors says that the session should start with a quick read through to see what the main idea of the paper is as well as the organizational method that was used. In many of my ELL sessions I had the student read the paper out loud so that they could hear their own mistakes. The article suggests that the tutor read the paper out loud instead so that the student can hear a native speaker read it. The article also mentions teaching about transitional sentences as they are often missing in ELL papers. The last piece of advice is to stay positive and do not let your reactions to the paper influence the writer! I highly suggest reading the article as there are many more great tips that tutors can use.

The Student-Athlete and You

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v28/28.7.pdf

This article goes on at length about the various responsibilities all students have outside of school. It continues on by using the student athlete as an example, and attacking the stereotype of the "non-writing" athlete. Honestly, I find this a bit heavy handed but the reminder that everyone brings more than just their writing into the center is a good one. We never know what other burdens any of us may have, so chill out and tutor!

The Assumptions of Baby Prof's

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v30/30.7.pdf

A great article about the assumptions that are made about Writing Centers by faculty. In particular how first year professors view writing centers and how to educate them without alienating them.

The author estimates that a large portion of first year students that could use the writing center to great effect never do, due to the assumptions held by faculty. IN short, educate the teachers on what we do, so we can spend more time on the writing with the students.

Sign Language in the Writing center

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v32/32.9.pdf

An interesting approach to sign language using established ESL models. The author has been working within the deaf community for over 20 years and writes from this perspective.  Namely, how to use an interpreter, etiquette, etc.

The only strange part is that a disabilities resource center is barely mentioned at all. despite this, some great strategies.

Gathering a Tutor's Knowledge

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v34/34.2.pdf

This article mirrors what we try to do with the blog, but advocates for the use of podcasts instead. The author makes some very interesting points, but I'm not sure how useful it would be in our particular situation. In any case, it's an interesting idea, and one that I wouldn't mind pursuing as a kind of oral journal of sorts or maybe even mis-adventures from the MSU Writing Center.

Recalibrating the Writing Center

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v37/37.9-10.pdf

As tutors we all try to dispel the myth of the tutor as  proofreader. This article shows many methods for doing so, but on a writing center level. The writing center director references various past issues and strategies for educating students and professors on the mission of the writing center not a supplemental resource, but as a stand alone entity for writers.

Dyslexia and Tutoring

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v21/21-10.pdf

In an earlier post about plagiarism I spoke about flashes of brilliance surrounded by less than amazing writing.  Reading this article reminded me of one case where I was working with a dyslexic student who's writing was a perfect example of this. I at first was convinced it was a case of partial plagiarism, but later discovered that she was dyslexic. After reading this article, I'm more convinced it was the dyslexia, and less that it was plagiarism.

 This article does a great job of explaining dyslexia. The biggest thing I took away, and that tutors should remember, is that those with dyslexia have just difficulty with words and also processing information. This fit the above students paper perfectly. 

"The girl formerly known as shy" by Amy Haught

Amy Haught wrote this article about her experience as a writing tutor. She explains how she was a painfully shy girl that was nervous about becoming a tutor and the potential of working with difficult students. Through writing about her experience as a shy tutor, she aims to encourage other people to become tutors and overcome their shyness.

In the end of her tutoring semester, she expressed how it was one of the best jobs that she had ever had. She described that her shyness level had significantly decreased since she was forced to interact with people that she didn't know on a daily basis. 

I highly recommend reading this article if your an introvert. It's pretty inspiring. I chose it because of how unique the topic seemed but after reading it, I'm sure there are a lot of people it might apply to - especially students who might be interested in an internship as a writing tutor. 

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v28/28.5.pdf (page 8)

"Tutoring and the Zen of car repair" by Thomas J. Grau

*First of all, this article is by Thomas J. Grau from Metropolitan State College of Denver! Cool!

Grau compares the idea that students might come into the writing center expecting to be able to express an area of trouble and then sit back and watch the tutor take control to the way that a son might take advantage of his dad fixing the car. It's a clever analogy and works well. He began his tutoring career by attempting to teach by way of example, but without detailed explanations as to why things were done the way they were. By the end of his experience, he realized that he was being more helpful to students by asking probing questions, referring to books and other sources, giving personal examples, etc. He said that "For me, the struggle lies in knowing the corrective solution, watching the students squirm for options to the mistakes, and, if all fails, allowing the students to make the wrong decisions for their papers. Somehow though, I wish my dad had done this with me." (In which he's referring back to the car analogy).

This article is informative and relatable. It's especially cool that the author is from Metro!

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v22/22-10.pdf (page 14)

Moody tutor: A survival guide

Nicki Ashcroft realized that on days that she's feeling a little bit stressed or subpar, her moodiness can really transfer through to her tutees and negatively impact her sessions. She came up with a few strategies to prevent this on days that she's "moody." 
She claims that students can immediately sense when your heart and mind are not in it and that they're going to respond to it in some way. When she finds herself in that position she begins by reminding herself of the other person in the session. This means that in order to be productive, she needed to remember her responsibilities to the student. Next she would begin to sort through cliches. "Start with "if you smile, it will put you and everyone else in a good mood," so make funny faces at yourself in a mirror; eat chocolate; crack a joke..." She also recommends relaxation by breathing in and out or thinking of the writing center as your getaway place. She says to "just think laid back."

I think we've all had days where we came to the writing center in crummy moods for one reason or another, so I found this article to be relatable and helpful in looking past our "bad days." 

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v26/26.5.pdf (page 9)

"That warm fuzzy feeling" by Indigo Fleming-Powers

Indigo Fleming-Powers continues the quest of defining the benefits that tutors gain from being tutors. She claims that there must be more to gain than the "warm fuzzy feeling that comes with helping others." 
This is what she finds after interviewing her colleagues in the writing center: 


"When I asked, “What are some of the benefits you feel you have acquired from being a writing tutor?” I received answers that coincided with my own and a few that hadn’t occurred to me. On the personal level [some tutors] feel that they have gained knowledge on a diversity of subjects and learned about different cultures. [They] also claims that tutoring “helps interpersonal skills,” which is something I too have observed in myself. In the same vein, [other tutors] state that they have acquired “better communication skills.” [Also that they] have learned “how to relate to people and not step too much on their feelings.” 

In the article, Fleming-Powers further explores the specific answers she received in questioning her colleagues about the gains and benefits of being a tutor. 

Again, this is another article that is really encouraging for tutors to continue being tutors! 

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v25/25.2.pdf (page 12)
  

"Reforming the grammar cop"

In this article by Melinda Nutt, she explores her development as a tutor in terms of using a directed approach versus a nondirected approach. She references Muriel Harris' book, Teaching One-to-One: The Writing Conference, which describes that "in the directed approach, the tutor assumes that the tutee has come for concrete help and advice, and offers specific remedies. In the nondirected approach, the tutor assumes “that most people can help themselves if they are freed from emotional obstacles such as fear of criticism and fear of failure” (70)."

Nutt realized that by using the nondirected method of tutoring, she could better help students grow toward independence while remaining avoiding the role of a "grammar cop" (focusing mostly on lower order concerns).


https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v21/21-3.pdf (page 10)

"Stepping out: From tutoring to business (learning business skills in the writing center)"

This article by Amy Blackmarr is fantastic information about how tutors can benefit from being tutors in other aspects of their careers. 
Blackmarr goes in depth on how tutors can gain the following skills about business: 

(I) Information-gathering (how to get people to talk to you)
(2) Flexible thinking (how to break your attachment to the idea that there is only one way to do something) 

3) Problem solving skills (how to diagnose problems, uncover workable solutions and demonstrate results)
(4) Tolerance (developing your sense of humor)
(5) Composure (how to keep yourself together in an uncomfortable situation)

(6) Teamwork and management skills

(7) Awareness of approach (non- directive or directive)

(8) Better writing and computer skills. 

I found this article to be very encouraging, since I know a lot of the interns might be moving on to other careers. 

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v20/20-1.pdf  (page 9)

A Helpful Grad School Essay Writing Source

"The Grad School Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Getting In and Succeeding, by Richard Jerrard and Margot Jerrard."

Reviewed by Carole S. Appel 

In this really helpful review, Appel explores the never ending questions about how tutors can help tackle graduate school cover letters or essays. Since I've experienced at least two of these in the time that I've worked in the writing center and since I plan to write a few of these myself, I figured this article would provide useful for other tutors as well. 

Appel's review begins with the questions: 
"What do we do about an essay that is original but quirky, that amuses us but may lack the substance the graduate school faculty is seeking? How does a student who dropped out for a few years and resume school in his late twenties account for the gap in his academic chronology? What kind of mental checklist can we use in scanning a draft to see whether it includes the essential information the student should be providing? Where should we start with a student who has not begun to write yet?"

In seeking the answers to these questions, she found that the book, The Grad School Handbook, Richard and Margot Jerrard, provides help. She reviews the book and finds a chapter on the personal essay which provides great advice on writing an essay or cover letter for graduate school applications. 

"The chapter deals with how to explain the occasional poor semester or account for gaps, and it provides examples of both good and bad paragraphs from actual essays, including anonymous quotations from “two whose essays wrecked their chances.”

"Creative problem-solving: Building a bridge between information and art in the writing center at American University"

This article is unique because author, Audra Chantel Fletcher, creatively integrates her dance choreography developmental steps with the way writing can be developed. Since it can oftentimes be difficult for tutors to help bridge the gap between academic information and the creative, more magical process of writing, Fletcher uses what she's learned in dance to provide alternative steps to approach papers: 

"When I encountered its five-step process for creating choreography, I suddenly realized that these steps to creativity in dance could apply to the writing process as well. The five steps are:
1. Decide on a problem to be solved.
2. Have the right kind of prepara- tion.
3. Allow enough time, and work for the discovery of appropriate solutions.
4. Experiment with the use of the different solutions discovered during step three.

5. Decide whether the project needs further work or if it is complete."

Throughout the rest of the article, Fletcher goes further in-depth on how to implement these creative steps. She discusses how the steps can be used to guide students to a more efficient means of language and skill and to bridge that gap between language and art. 

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v28/28.2.pdf (page 6)

"Rifts in Time and Street Cred Via Skullduggery: A Study in (Non)Traditional Peer Tutoring"

In this article, Tremblay explores the effects of having a significant age difference between tutor and tutees:

Studies have shown that “cross-age tutoring, or unmatched age pairs may be more effective than peer tutoring or matched age pairs” (qtd. in Fresko and Chen 125). More specifically, “significant academic gains . . . were observed in tutees who were taught by older tutors” (qtd. in Fogarty and Wang 452). Author Deborah Sheldon theorizes that the reason for this improved chance for success is because “older, more experienced students are more apt to have mastered targeted skills” (35).

Tremblay concoted is own research within peer groups that he led. He tried very hard the first day to establish that each of them were in a "peer" review, meaning that they all held equal contribution to the group. After developing a rapport and sharing equal interests, he said the group successfully remained equal. However, during the next session he had with the same group, it was clear and evident that the students viewed him as the "instructor" or superior of the group: 

"Essentially, the situation was far removed from the idea that “more often than not tutors are valued first for their friendship and concern and then for their teacher-like esteem” (Fogarty and Wang 453)."

By the end of the session, Tremblay decided to tell the other students about his personal stories about how his writing skill has made up for certain deficiencies in other areas of academia ("stories where being a good writer "pulled [his] feet from the academic fire"). By the end of his study, he found that the non-traditional peer tutor (in this case, an older student) might need to make extra efforts in order to find commonalities with the younger students. 


https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v32/32.8.pdf (page 14)

Writing is a game! It's fun!

I enjoyed the article, "Playing Around with Organization" by Jennifer Kimball because she offers really fun advice for tutors to use in inspiring and guiding students with their writing. Kimball encourages tutors to think of new ways for students to view their work, such as games like 20 Questions. This could give writers "a different perspective on their ideas and arguments, and can help writers find a logical organization scheme that considers audience and purpose." 

Kimball goes through a very specific example of "playing" this game with a student in which she had the student explain every rule and step to her writing assignment (like she would before playing a game). She had the student pretend that she (the tutor) was a reader who didn't easily understand the arguments/directions of the "game" and could only follow the specific directions and steps that she was instructed. 
This was a way for the student to not only be better guided in her organization but to also have fun with writing. 

"Tutors can also help writers tackle their assignments by helping them see the writing process itself as a game. Writers may feel that assignment requirements only hinder their ability to construct a meaningful text. However, tutors can help writers see this challenge as a tool for creativity." 

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v32/32.5.pdf (page 14)

"Learning to Listen" by Beth McConnell

In this article, McConnell discusses the importance of being sympathetic to a student's needs and to really listen. She explains how tutors must "listen between the lines" and in order to do so, they must not dominate a session. Tutors should be conscientious and let the student speak more as they listen. The session should be more of a discussion than a lesson. McConnnell suggests asking more open-ended questions rather than asserting your own opinions. She also suggests to first listen to detect the student's insecurities in order to be able to offer better encouragement.

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v23/23.4.pdf (page 10)

Creating a common ground with ESL writers

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v24/24.7.pdf

Working with ELL students in the writing center is very common and can be challenging for both the tutor and the student. This article describes different approaches to take during an ELL session. Sometimes the approach being used is not showing success, so  a role reversal may be in order. This article talks about how to go about that role reversal approach and how to develop topics in a common way that is understandable. When an approach works the session will move along and the time will be well spent.

What do they want? Personal statements, bourbon, and a whole lot of questions

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v23/23.9.pdf

This article discusses how to approach personal statements and how to deal with questions that may come up dealing with "touchy" subject matter. Personal statements are not something commonly thought in depth or great detail. The information within a personal statement can vary from topic to topic depending on the individuals life and background. This article is a great resource because it gives insight into how to help with trustees personal statements and also my own personal statement.

Final Journal Reflection

As the end of the semester drew close the anxiety in the writing center increased tremendously. I was bombarded by so many different questions from students. They ranged from not understanding how to do an annotated bibliography to brainstorming. When it came to the annotated bibliographies the most common problem was they quoted the source in the summary. I explained why they shouldn't use direct quotes in the summary. When it came to students needing help getting their brain working I gave them prompts or slight hints and they would take off from there. I would often reassure them that its just thoughts kinda like brain vomit and it does not have to be perfect its just a matter of getting it on paper. There were also some random problems with grammar which were easily fixed by simply telling them the "rule," giving them an example, fixing one with them in their paper, then allowing them to fix the rest. It has been a great semester. I learned a lot from all of the students along with my fellow tutors.

A guide for writing tutors working with dyslexic students

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v21/21-10.pdf

This article defines dyslexia and how to properly and appropriately help a student with dyslexia. I did not have a student this semester with dyslexia as far as I knew, but I think this is an important thing to read and be aware of because it is always a possibility to get a student with dyslexia. This article could help prepare tutors for such sessions.

Zen and the art of writing tutorial

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v28/28.2.pdf

This article discusses how the tutor has to know themselves before being able to tutor efficiently. The tutor has to have a grasp on how they view writing and all of the parts that in comps the job of a Writing Center tutor. This article would have come in handy when I first started tutoring, but I learned who I was as a tutor to further help students by on the job training like most tutors.

We don’t proofread, so shat do we do? a report on survey results

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v37/37.3-4.pdf

All semester I was approached by students just a handing me their paper in hopes I would proofread it and "fix it" for them. This article discusses what the writing center does and how it is done. It touches on how and when to approach students writing when it comes to grammar and other possible issues throughout their paper. 

 

Building an Appropriate Rapport

"Getting to know You...Building Relationships as a Tutor" by Karen Castellucci

I read this article to learn a few tips on how to make a student comfortable in sessions but what I discovered through Castellucci's article is that an appropriate tutor-student relationship rarely happens in one session.
Tutor-student relationships are more developed and more personal than teacher-student relationships, yet tutor's can't be "buddies" with the tutee, so the rapport has to be in a middle ground. Most students don't realize that the tutor-student relationship is has a collaborative objective.
In Castellucci's primary example, it took her an entire semester for one student to become comfortable with her and to trust her. She accomplished this by probing questions about her writing and by asking personal questions about the student's life. She tried to show that she cared about the student's success. But in the end, the student learned to trust Castellucci through the process of collaboration - that they were both students learning from one another.

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v16/16-1.pdf

Plagiarism and The End of The Semester

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v21/21-6.pdf

As the semester has progressed, the amount of citations within papers has decreased. I'm sure this is due to the time constraints and pressure put on students; at least I hope it is. Whatever the case, a couple of things I've noticed that always seem to raise a red flag for me:

1. The student can't speak about their paper without reading it.

When I notice a student is relying on their paper during brainstorming sessions, I'll ask them to tell me what they want to say without looking at their piece. A couple times this semester, the students knowledge of the subject has seemed to vanish, they don't know anything about the research, and they become frustrated. This is either a sign that they haven't crafted a proper thesis, or perhaps plagerism.

2. The paper contains flashes of incredible writing surrounded by mediocrity.

This one is a bit more tough, but I've seen it twice in the last week. Now, I'm not saying that people can't write this way, but when I see a complex sentence using grammar rules I barely understand in one paragraph, and then the inability to use a comma in the rest of the paper, somethings up.

In both these cases, i never came right out and said what I thought, I instead spoke about citation rules in regards to paraphrasing. In all cases this semester, when I use the word paraphrase instead of plagiarize  the student has been more receptive to properly citing and even admitting that they borrowed from somewhere else. I'm there to help, not accuse them; that's the professors job.