383 and 103 finally meet...

I felt that this was a good writing session. I tried to remember all the do’s and don’ts during the session with N. I experienced true acting out what one learns that day since my session with N was in the same afternoon I had my 383 class. The class had discussed what kinds of words and things the tutor should correct when tutoring and one of the things discussed was contractions. In the session, I noticed a minute error on the writer’s part where he put ‘can not’ as two separate words and the funny thing is when I pointed out the mistake he immediately set out to correct it incorrectly putting a contraction in place of the two words. He had misunderstood my correction thinking I approved of contractions. We cleared up the misunderstanding but boy, did I feel the power of a tutor at that moment! Our session was a good 25 minutes and it surprised me that we were able to fill up that time correcting his paper. I don’t think I was as assertive or helped him correct everything possible but I left the session having the sense that I got him to think a little more and emitted a sense of open endedness so he would have to fill in the blanks himself. I’m supposed to meet with him again on Saturday. Although I had felt that nervousness of whether I would be able to help him. I try to stay positive and hope that he’s getting real help from me and not just being nice.

shadowing writing fellow

*note: This reflective post about my first writing fellow session is not meant to be a bashing blog about M (the writing tutor) but more of a praise unto myself for being able to point out the tutor's mistakes. You see, this is proof I have read and understood the readings about how to be an effective tutor.

I find the room tiny and claustrophobic. However I manage to forget my discomfort when M and writer enter because I am suddenly very excited about facing a real live session. The writer is an international student who has come to have her first introductory paragraph checked out for CORE. It is about half a page and she asks M if there is anything to change. Lo, and behold I manage to hold in my exclaim of aghast when M proceeds to sit and read the paragraph, in dead silence! Both the writer and I look around the room avoiding eye contact, admiring posters and drum fingers while M reads and reads.

Finally, M points out what can be fixed and changed...the writer nods and asks questions...M responds in a polite and well-mannered way...that's when I noticed the paper is entirely in M's territory with pencil in hand. That's a no-no, I say to myself.

M tries to include me in the tutorial by asking me to read and ask if there is anything to be changed. Cringing I realize there will be another long period of no sound while I read silently to myself... I can't even focus on the writers' words because they're both waiting for me to finish and so I do and meekly hand the paper back with a lame, "yea...it's good". M says that the paragraph is on a good start and the two exchange some more ideas...

I learned quite a lot in my first session, because of both M's rights and wrongs. I also have a better understanding of how important communication is between the tutor and writer. Although I've read it repeatedly in our readings in St.Martin's and Bedford about communication, it was even better seeing live interaction. It may seem like the tutor was doing everything wrong; in fact, the tutor was pretty effective. I specifically point out M's mistakes because I didn't realize tutors still make them post-apprenticeship. This has put a lot of the pressure off of me since I don't feel as if I need to be a perfect tutor in every session.

how exciting.

i'm officially an apPrentice.