3 points

"We must make students aware of other points of view that my be 'disturbing' to them and my 'distress' them; and we should, if we believe an individual case warrants it, overstep the boundaries and be subjective-without being judgmental-in expressing these views."

The first time I came across this passage in The St. Martin's Sourcebook, I highlighted it and wrote "YES!!!!" in big bold letters at the bottom of the page because it summed up so idealy the mindset that every teacher or tudor that was ever worth a damn. The other day, I was reading up on Torture Porn (a new subgenre of horror, not the actual porn itself), and came across an article Stephen King had written in defense of the genre. His defense was that the genre at least confronted and disturbed it audience, leaving a lasting impression long after the movie was over. And honestly, whether we are writers, teacher, tudors etc.; getting someone to think about something they have just been exposed to should always be our paramount goal. Because unless you are completely brain dead, once an image or idea is in your mind, you're going to analyze it. And honestly, nothing burrows into your brain better than something that really disturbs you.

The problem with having that mindset as an educator is that the system, especially here at Clemson, is designed to completely eradicate any independent thought or rebellion (whether it be cultural or intellectual) before it starts. As Lewis Black says in Accepted, "all college is doing is creating buyers and sellers, BUYERS and SELLERS!!!" Already there have been instances in the semester where I've caught myself trying to help a student get a better grade on his or her paper than help them become a better writer or student. I feel like the educational system in this country is so terribly efficient at rooting out independent thought that the consequence of expressing oneself freely is nearly a complete ostracization from academic society.

I have come to the conclusion that the only way to implement this tutoring philosophy is to do it how undercover cops infiltrate the mafia: do some heinous shit that you're not proud of to get street cred, but keep in mind the ultimate goal. Then when you're in, bring it tumbling down. I had a great history teacher my senior year of high school who was a radical during the 60s and 70s, and that was pretty much how he didit. In no simple terms he told me that he swallowed his pride and did what he was told to as a teacher, then once he received tenure, sought out to do as much damage as possible.

"The tutor's voice is only one of many the writer will hear, and the tutor and writer are colearners who collaborate to negotiate meanings and construct knowledge."

Today, a couple of English 103 students came into our class with papers to workshop. I thought the best course of action would to have mediated a peer-editing workshop that allowed each student to comment on each other's papers. That way, each one would get 4 different perspectives, instead of just one. Plus, I think peer editing is great for most freshman because not only do they learn to identify a specific audience for their paper, they are also confronted with multiple perspectives (some of which may be radically different than their own). Plus, when you're a wide-eyed 18 year old fresh out of the conformity factory, it's great to get some feedback and a pat on the back from someone who's in the same position you are. I guess what I'm saying is, is that I'd much rather be a facilitator, rather than some scary authoritarian grad student. I don't want students conforming to any kind of structure or ideology, even my own (deep down though, I'll admit it would be nice). Conducting peer-editing groups is definately a project I would like to spearhead during my time here at Clemson.

"Show them how to channel the confidence they possess in other areas of their life and apply it to writing problems."

Dr. Ramirez, on our first meeting, told me that tutoring is essentially coaching in that tutors don't necessarily provide knowledge, but build confidence. There's no better way to build confidence than by linking a subject that a student has a deficiency in with something he or she is highly-skilled in. Like John mentioned in a much earlier post, using what our students are passionate about as a way to improve their writing skills is an excellent idea. I can think of no better way for students to become better writers quicker than incorporating their life experiences into their writing.