Encouraging dependent writers

Difficult clients exist in every field of work. As a writing center tutor a difficult client is one who is underprepared or simply looking for answers.  In the article “Difficult Clients and Tutor Dependency” Kristin Walker discusses the ways tutors can provide nourishment for writers through collaboration. Walkers states that many students who become dependent of the writing center and its tutors are students who have not been in school for a long time. After a long absence away from academia the students lack confidence and often look for someone to tell them how to be successful. This is obviously problematic because the goal of writing centers is to produce self-sufficient writers. For example last Tuesday I had a student come in who needed help with a resume and my lack immediately available knowledge about resumes ended up being helpful. Together we found the proper resource and used it to refine the resume. When the student asked a question we went to the resource and looked it up and afterword’s we both had a better idea of what a good resume is. I bring up this example because by me not knowing the answers to his questions I taught him how to use the resource.  We both learned. Walker states that the writing center should not attempt to hold the hand of the students through every step of the process, in fact our goal should be to encourage confidence in the students own abilities. Tutors may have to make students aware of the value of what they already know in addition to helping them make new discoveries. For tutors and students alike the process of collaborative learning requires patience.  Some students may resist the process because the pedagogical method of collaborative learning is at opposition with traditional methods.  But if all parties can be patient and encouraging to one another then the process of collaborative learning will be more effective in creating intelligent, independent, free thinking writers.