It's hard to say what exactly my weakness is in tutoring, considering that I have barely tutored anyone at all. Ali, however, seemed to find one pretty easily the other day while I was tutoring an ESL student. Basically, I have a hard time connecting to the student, and an even harder time explaining certain concepts in easy-to-understand terms. Not surprising, since I encountered the same problem in coaching.
After my family moved down here in 2002, I earned extra cash during the summer by coaching at Carolina Panthers Youth Camps. The camps were for mainly 13 and 14 year old players who were making the transition from Pop Warner to high school football. That transition is tough for a lot of young offensive linemen, since Pop Warner coaches are neighborhood dads that pass on their own antiquated approach to blocking (a lot of the kids I coached were completely baffled that a lineman is supposed to block with his hands, not his forearms). I had high hopes for my group of kids, and I had this grandiose impression that I would, in just one session, get them to completely discard their old blocking techniques.
Well, imagine that happening, only the complete opposite.
Completley overeager, I took the field for our first session and blerted out a bunch of technical terms I learned at Marshall that these kids had probably never heard in their life. They just stared at me blankly. I had to explain everything to them, and after only one 30 minute session, I was only just beginning to get them used to the idea of a pass set.
Now, I don't know if you guys have spent a lot of time around a bunch of athletes, but they tend to be a little crass (but then again, so are 13 year old boys), and well, I learned by observing other coaches that that vulgarity is actually put to good use. For example, an easy way to convey to a kid what they're supposed to look like in pass set is to tell them to imagine "a bear shitting in the woods." A good way form them to learn hand-placement is to tell them to imagine "giving the defender a titty twister."
I guess I've prattled on and on here, but let me just part from you with this final thought. While I was sitting there trying to explain to this ESL student why he should not use colloquialisms or parentheticals in certain sentences, I kept reaching back into my mind trying to find my own bear-shitting metaphor.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
On Weaknesses.
A few months into my stint as a journalist, I got sent to cover breaking news in a nearby town. A worker installing a new billboard had gotten too close to a power line and had gotten hurt. I arrived on scene, got some really good interviews, and then returned to the office to type up my story.
Before then, I had written some really good articles that had brought comments from the community, and, more importantly, my editors. The story I was working on that day seemed easy in comparison. I had an emotional eyewitness statement. The story was going to be at the top of tomorrow’s front page, but it probably only took me 30 minutes to write. Those were the best kind of stories.
“A man was electrocuted Tuesday afternoon,” the story began. “He received first and second degree burns and was airlifted to a nearby hospital.” It, along with a photo of the harrowing ordeal, appeared on newsstands the next day.
That next morning, I got an email from my editor. It was a forwarded message from a colleague at the paper’s big-city company headquarters. “Check the definition of ‘electrocuted,’ the message said.
My editor felt bad for not catching it, and I felt even worse for writing it in the first place. I chose “electrocuted” because it was a more powerful word, I thought, than “shocked.” I didn’t stop to think that the words had different meanings.
After the initial embarrassment subsided, I decided I would ask more questions – of editors, coworkers, anyone. I would also attend as many training sessions as I could. Those training sessions are often boring, and 90% of the material covered may be stuff you already know. But that other 10% is what’s going to turn you into a better writer.
As tutors, we need to be aware of our weaknesses. We need to know when we should ask for help. If we do, eventually, those weaknesses will disappear. Sure, they’ll be replaced with other weak points we never knew we had. But that’s what learning and tutoring is all about. Likewise, we need to be able to recognize when others (tutees and colleagues) are asking for help.
David Halberstam was a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist who covered the Vietnam War, and later sports, politics and business. He died earlier this year in a car accident. A quote of his was pinned over my desk, and it became ingrained in my mind. I think it applies to tutoring as well as journalism.
“I had made myself into a professional,” Halberstam said in 2005, “and had done it, in no small part, not so much by trying to reinforce my strengths as most people do, but by trying to eliminate my weaknesses.”
Before then, I had written some really good articles that had brought comments from the community, and, more importantly, my editors. The story I was working on that day seemed easy in comparison. I had an emotional eyewitness statement. The story was going to be at the top of tomorrow’s front page, but it probably only took me 30 minutes to write. Those were the best kind of stories.
“A man was electrocuted Tuesday afternoon,” the story began. “He received first and second degree burns and was airlifted to a nearby hospital.” It, along with a photo of the harrowing ordeal, appeared on newsstands the next day.
That next morning, I got an email from my editor. It was a forwarded message from a colleague at the paper’s big-city company headquarters. “Check the definition of ‘electrocuted,’ the message said.
My editor felt bad for not catching it, and I felt even worse for writing it in the first place. I chose “electrocuted” because it was a more powerful word, I thought, than “shocked.” I didn’t stop to think that the words had different meanings.
After the initial embarrassment subsided, I decided I would ask more questions – of editors, coworkers, anyone. I would also attend as many training sessions as I could. Those training sessions are often boring, and 90% of the material covered may be stuff you already know. But that other 10% is what’s going to turn you into a better writer.
As tutors, we need to be aware of our weaknesses. We need to know when we should ask for help. If we do, eventually, those weaknesses will disappear. Sure, they’ll be replaced with other weak points we never knew we had. But that’s what learning and tutoring is all about. Likewise, we need to be able to recognize when others (tutees and colleagues) are asking for help.
David Halberstam was a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist who covered the Vietnam War, and later sports, politics and business. He died earlier this year in a car accident. A quote of his was pinned over my desk, and it became ingrained in my mind. I think it applies to tutoring as well as journalism.
“I had made myself into a professional,” Halberstam said in 2005, “and had done it, in no small part, not so much by trying to reinforce my strengths as most people do, but by trying to eliminate my weaknesses.”
Monday, September 10, 2007
Strengths, and a plan.
After nearly a week’s worth of hours at the Writing Center, I finally had my first tutee today.
Manesh (I think) brought in his 100+ page doctoral dissertation on methods of providing renewable energy to utility companies (I think). The combination of Manesh’s native tongue and the dense tech-speak of the dissertation made me want to jump out of the nearest window – at first.
After the initial shock of the thickness (both literally and figuratively) of the dissertation in front of me, I calmed down and hunkered down. We went line by line, page by page, reading aloud and suggesting changes of troublesome phrases. Even if we weren’t suggesting changes, the slow reading would have been necessary for me to understand the complexity of the text.
It’s a daunting feeling – knowing that the person sitting beside you is smarter than you. Frightening, too, is the feeling that there’s really nowhere to begin – that your tutee’s mistakes in articles and prepositions are always going to be troublesome for someone like him, a nonnative speaker.
But Manesh caught on fast…he began to notice improper articles and bad (or nonexistent) prepositions before I could ask him about them. He started to smile and, after I told him we should stop for today, said he’d be back tomorrow.
I guess the experience above is an example of my strengths. The task felt impossible at first, but by just doing it, just starting it, it seemed to get easier. I suppose I could have told him, “Everything looks fine,” and sent him on his way, but that’s not what we, as tutors, are here for. Sometimes, it’s going to be almost as hard for us to tutor as it might be for the tutees to accept that they may need help.
Starting that dialogue with your tutee can be the hardest part. Once you’ve made that connection, it gets easier.
Like Ali said below, recognizing tutees’ strengths is an important part of any writing center plan. Not only will this make the tutee realize he or she isn’t doing everything wrong, it will help build your relationship with the tutee as well.
Another characteristic of a good writing tutor is the ability to know when you don’t know. For example, today, Manesh had used the word “optimum,” and I thought he should have used “optimal.” I wasn’t sure why his word was wrong, so we went to dictionary.com – together – and read the definitions. One is much more common as an adjective, so we both agreed it was the best choice. By opening that initial dialogue and building that connection, the tutee won’t see you as an infallible dictator. They won’t loathe you for your mistakes. They won't secretly hope for your downfall. Work with your tutee, not on them.
In short, a simple writing center plan (with much room for elaboration) is this: Start the dialogue, recognize a tutee’s strengths, and know when you, as a tutor, need to look elsewhere for answers.
Manesh (I think) brought in his 100+ page doctoral dissertation on methods of providing renewable energy to utility companies (I think). The combination of Manesh’s native tongue and the dense tech-speak of the dissertation made me want to jump out of the nearest window – at first.
After the initial shock of the thickness (both literally and figuratively) of the dissertation in front of me, I calmed down and hunkered down. We went line by line, page by page, reading aloud and suggesting changes of troublesome phrases. Even if we weren’t suggesting changes, the slow reading would have been necessary for me to understand the complexity of the text.
It’s a daunting feeling – knowing that the person sitting beside you is smarter than you. Frightening, too, is the feeling that there’s really nowhere to begin – that your tutee’s mistakes in articles and prepositions are always going to be troublesome for someone like him, a nonnative speaker.
But Manesh caught on fast…he began to notice improper articles and bad (or nonexistent) prepositions before I could ask him about them. He started to smile and, after I told him we should stop for today, said he’d be back tomorrow.
I guess the experience above is an example of my strengths. The task felt impossible at first, but by just doing it, just starting it, it seemed to get easier. I suppose I could have told him, “Everything looks fine,” and sent him on his way, but that’s not what we, as tutors, are here for. Sometimes, it’s going to be almost as hard for us to tutor as it might be for the tutees to accept that they may need help.
Starting that dialogue with your tutee can be the hardest part. Once you’ve made that connection, it gets easier.
Like Ali said below, recognizing tutees’ strengths is an important part of any writing center plan. Not only will this make the tutee realize he or she isn’t doing everything wrong, it will help build your relationship with the tutee as well.
Another characteristic of a good writing tutor is the ability to know when you don’t know. For example, today, Manesh had used the word “optimum,” and I thought he should have used “optimal.” I wasn’t sure why his word was wrong, so we went to dictionary.com – together – and read the definitions. One is much more common as an adjective, so we both agreed it was the best choice. By opening that initial dialogue and building that connection, the tutee won’t see you as an infallible dictator. They won’t loathe you for your mistakes. They won't secretly hope for your downfall. Work with your tutee, not on them.
In short, a simple writing center plan (with much room for elaboration) is this: Start the dialogue, recognize a tutee’s strengths, and know when you, as a tutor, need to look elsewhere for answers.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
My weaknesses and experience with tutoring
My academic weakness comes in the form of math. Now, I never had a true problem with math, and to be completely honest, I always excelled in it, but it usually took a great deal of work on my part to do well in it because I wanted to understand every aspect.
When I started taking more advanced math classes, I began to realize that in order to fully comprehend what I was doing and why, I needed help outside of the classroom. In high school, this led me to my math teachers, but in college, I turned to the math tutoring center to work one-on-one with a math major. I honestly only ever needed to go one time (mainly because I took the easiest math classes Penn State offered), but I do remember the tutor being very helpful.
I think the most influential part of that tutoring session was when the tutor had to take a minute to relearn/review what I was asking him to help me with. What I was studying was pretty rudimentary in the math world, and the tutor having to review this basic math showed me that even teachers forget things (easy things even) and that it's okay to let down your guard when you truly don't know something. In the end, I was very glad that the tutor was honest with me about not knowing what I was doing because, after he reviewed it, he was better able to truly teach me.
I think this idea is particularly crucial for us as writing tutors. When we don't know something or don't know how to explain something, we need to be honest with our tutees about our lack of knowledge and then take the time to discover the answer with the tutee. It's much better for us to admit our shortcomings and search for the answer than it is for us to deceive a tutee into believing everything we say.
When I started taking more advanced math classes, I began to realize that in order to fully comprehend what I was doing and why, I needed help outside of the classroom. In high school, this led me to my math teachers, but in college, I turned to the math tutoring center to work one-on-one with a math major. I honestly only ever needed to go one time (mainly because I took the easiest math classes Penn State offered), but I do remember the tutor being very helpful.
I think the most influential part of that tutoring session was when the tutor had to take a minute to relearn/review what I was asking him to help me with. What I was studying was pretty rudimentary in the math world, and the tutor having to review this basic math showed me that even teachers forget things (easy things even) and that it's okay to let down your guard when you truly don't know something. In the end, I was very glad that the tutor was honest with me about not knowing what I was doing because, after he reviewed it, he was better able to truly teach me.
I think this idea is particularly crucial for us as writing tutors. When we don't know something or don't know how to explain something, we need to be honest with our tutees about our lack of knowledge and then take the time to discover the answer with the tutee. It's much better for us to admit our shortcomings and search for the answer than it is for us to deceive a tutee into believing everything we say.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Strengths as a Tutor and Plan
As I have said before, I have tutored before at Penn State, so I am pretty aware of my strengths and weaknesses as a tutor. I think one of my biggest strengths is my ability to make people feel comfortable, which is very important in the writing center. My philosophy about the writing center is based on the tutee feeling comfortable enough to talk openly about his/her paper, while being responsive to suggestions. Making him/her feel comfortable through conversation or humor sets up this comfortable atmosphere.
Another important strength that I have is my subject knowledge. Through my many undergraduate classes and activities, I have learned a great deal about writing, grammar, and editing, all of which I can use when tutoring. If tutees don't understand when to use a comma, I can teach them how, which makes me feel like I am helping them not only improve the papers they bring to the writing center, but also their ability to write as a whole.
My approach to tutoring, as I briefly mentioned above, is centered on a comfortable learning atmosphere. I never want the tutees to feel uncomfortable, pressured, or incompetent; I want them to feel good about what they have written and confident that they can learn to write better. In each session, I will listen to what the tutee feels he/she needs to work on and give my honest opinion about how to fix such issues. However, at the same time, I will be sure to tell the tutee what he/she is doing right because I think too many times, tutors in writing centers forget to tell the writer what his/her strengths are and often focus solely on weaknesses. Overall, I want tutees to learn that writing can be fun and useful, when they learn the proper steps to take.
Another important strength that I have is my subject knowledge. Through my many undergraduate classes and activities, I have learned a great deal about writing, grammar, and editing, all of which I can use when tutoring. If tutees don't understand when to use a comma, I can teach them how, which makes me feel like I am helping them not only improve the papers they bring to the writing center, but also their ability to write as a whole.
My approach to tutoring, as I briefly mentioned above, is centered on a comfortable learning atmosphere. I never want the tutees to feel uncomfortable, pressured, or incompetent; I want them to feel good about what they have written and confident that they can learn to write better. In each session, I will listen to what the tutee feels he/she needs to work on and give my honest opinion about how to fix such issues. However, at the same time, I will be sure to tell the tutee what he/she is doing right because I think too many times, tutors in writing centers forget to tell the writer what his/her strengths are and often focus solely on weaknesses. Overall, I want tutees to learn that writing can be fun and useful, when they learn the proper steps to take.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Ember's Post
Hi Everybody!
I've read over your posts and realized that I'm still not entirely clear on what it is that we're mapping. Is it the goals of tutoring, or is it the student's journey (in which case an individual map for each student seems most appropriate)? Or, is it my personal journey? I know we discussed this in class, and maybe it's because it's two thirty in the morning, but I cannot remember.
The map could be a lot of things. Personally, I'm trying to put myself in the students' shoes. What would grab my attention? A countdown to the end of the semester! I was thinking of maybe a downhill slope with a little Alpine man headed downhill (think Price is Right), and the goal is vacation. Or, the map could take the form of a quest or a mission, in which the students must complete a series of tasks to collect points and prizes, to avoid being shot, etc.
See you in class Tuesday! (Helpful hint: turn off Auto Text if you write your postings beforehand in Word. This prevents what happened to John's post, no offense John, just trying to help.)
I've read over your posts and realized that I'm still not entirely clear on what it is that we're mapping. Is it the goals of tutoring, or is it the student's journey (in which case an individual map for each student seems most appropriate)? Or, is it my personal journey? I know we discussed this in class, and maybe it's because it's two thirty in the morning, but I cannot remember.
The map could be a lot of things. Personally, I'm trying to put myself in the students' shoes. What would grab my attention? A countdown to the end of the semester! I was thinking of maybe a downhill slope with a little Alpine man headed downhill (think Price is Right), and the goal is vacation. Or, the map could take the form of a quest or a mission, in which the students must complete a series of tasks to collect points and prizes, to avoid being shot, etc.
See you in class Tuesday! (Helpful hint: turn off Auto Text if you write your postings beforehand in Word. This prevents what happened to John's post, no offense John, just trying to help.)
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Elaboration on ideas
Having thought more about my portfolio, I am stuck between two ideas--the elephants and the clothes. I am not sure which one will work better because they would both be pretty fun to do. However, at the same time, I am finding it slightly difficult to determine how to thread my reflections and assignments into the portfolio. Each of these ideas is ideal for a writing center website, but I am not sure they are ideal for a portfolio. So if anyone has any ideas about that, I would love to hear them.
My thoughts are as follows. If I do the elephant theme, then I will link the major assignments/lessons to a certain elephant. Then, I can link the smaller reflections/assignments to things in the background, for example decorative flowers or trees. If I do the clothes option, then I will do pretty much the same thing. The major assignments would be attached to the more important pieces of clothing, whereas the smaller assignments will be attached to smaller articles of clothing or accessories.
I do realize that these two options are a little difficult, but I am trying to be original. The whole idea of a journey would work quite well, but what I got from Dr. Fishman is that a lot of people have done that before, and I want to be a little different. If you have any ideas on how to help me, please let me know.
My thoughts are as follows. If I do the elephant theme, then I will link the major assignments/lessons to a certain elephant. Then, I can link the smaller reflections/assignments to things in the background, for example decorative flowers or trees. If I do the clothes option, then I will do pretty much the same thing. The major assignments would be attached to the more important pieces of clothing, whereas the smaller assignments will be attached to smaller articles of clothing or accessories.
I do realize that these two options are a little difficult, but I am trying to be original. The whole idea of a journey would work quite well, but what I got from Dr. Fishman is that a lot of people have done that before, and I want to be a little different. If you have any ideas on how to help me, please let me know.
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