Tutoring is a collaborative learning experience in which the
tutor and tutee gain additional experience in writing and communicating clear
and concise ideas. It involves the delicate balance between being friendly and
being careful not to cross the line of becoming a therapist. Ironically,
writing is an emotional experience and at times, tutors have to thread a very
thin line between tutor and therapist when dealing with the emotional state of
the tutee. Also, it is important to be cognizant of the cultural influences
that shape an individual’s interpersonal behaviors during a tutoring session.
Furthermore, tutoring helps a writer become more fluent in their writing
abilities and aids a tutor in effectively detailing writing strategies and in
developing new ones. Tutoring students can be a stressful yet rewarding
experience. At LaGuardia, a community college that boasts the most diverse
student population in the world, there is an added dimension to tutoring students.
Not only is it important to give students assistance with their paper but it is
important to be sensitive to cultural differences and mindful of a student’s
reasons for choosing to come to LaGuardia. The interactions a tutor has with a
particular student may be extremely influential to their academic success and
should be taken seriously.
Throughout the semester our professor Dr. Rogers- Cooper
prepared us to become effective tutors. As a class, our writing was held to a
high standard and we were required to critique the work of English 101 students
and taught to give each student sound advice with concrete examples to aid
students in their editing process. While the workload was challenging, it was
also humbling. Being pushed to my
literary limit gave me insight into the mind of a student struggling to clearly
communicate their thoughts on paper. There were several instances where I
struggled to complete an assignment unsure if my work would meet the standard
of writing that was required of me. As I prepared to tutor students, my own
experiences of self- doubt influenced my approach during the tutoring sessions.
I was able to give students encouragement and more importantly, academic
independence as I gave them tools to help themselves during those times when
they may have felt inadequate.
As part of the Seminar in Teaching Writing course
curriculum, we were given the task of tutoring English 99 students as they
prepared for the very important CATW examination. For many of the students in
this course, the CATW is the symbolic key to their educational and career
goals. Without a passing grade on this examination, they will be prevented from
obtaining the college degree. With this amount of pressure on the students, it
is understandable that many of them would have high emotions as they are
theoretically writing for their academic lives. The students enrolled in this
remedial course, must pass this examination to determine their readiness for
college level English courses. Under normal circumstances, the process of
writing can be an emotional experience in which an author exposes their inner
most thoughts, deepest emotions and most personal experiences. When a writer
entrusts a tutor with their work, the tutor is given a unique opportunity to
aid a writer in expressing themselves with the clearest voice possible.
Throughout my training as a tutor, I learned of the
emotional element in the writing process and its importance in being an
effective tutor. Sandra Perl, a professor at Lehman College, outlined the ideas
of ‘felt sense’ and “recursiveness’ in her article entitled, “Understanding
Composing.” In addition, the course text Tutoring
Writing by Donald A. Mc Andrew and Thomas J. Reigstad discuss the
importance of maintaining a collaborative learning relationship during the
tutoring process. In reading the Kozol article, “The Savage Inequalities of the
Public School System in New York”, the importance of quality education is
discussed. An adequate education gives individuals the ability to think independently,
using the tools they have learned to their advantage. Being a good tutor is
providing students with the necessary tools to be successful in writing and on
a broader scope, in life.
When we entered the English 99 class for the first time, I
felt so overwhelmed and nervous. Many thoughts ran through my head but the main
one that kept playing over and over was if I would be good enough. As soon as I
sat down with the first student, my nervousness subsided as we introduced
ourselves and I told him why I was in his class. Soon after the introduction,
we began to discuss the assignment which was a blog about “The Dangers of
Reality Television”, an essay written by Timothy Sexton. The essay was about
reality television and the dangers that it may cause. After reading the student's
blog, I was relieved because he had a great understanding of the essay and
formulated good ideas. The student discussed his belief that reality television
has ruined the idea of working hard for a living and the youth of America now
believe that starring on a reality show is the answer to a successful future.
He stated that education was no longer important and it was causing the
destruction of American culture. As I read the piece, I was able to interpret
the “felt sense” the topic evoked in the student. Sondra Perl describes felt
sense as “the images, words, ideas and vague fuzzy feelings that are anchored
in the writer’s body” (Perl 365). Perl asserts that these feelings are natural
and are a product of an active and sensing mind and body. While the tutee did a
good job revealing his thoughts about the piece, he had some structural issues
that needed to be corrected to make his piece better. We worked together to
find the main ideas that he wanted to discuss based on what he had already
written. I had him write down the top three ideas that he wanted to discuss
then we printed the blog and I told him to go through his work and underline
and highlight the sentences that go with each main idea. McAndrew and Reigstad
describe this technique as “coloring” (McAndrew and Reigstad 51). Just when I thought I was in a good position
to relax, I was summoned to assist two additional students. I got nervous all
over again. I had to use my time- management skills to give both students equal
time as well as the correct advice to assist them in correcting their blogs on
the same article as the prior student. When working with these students, they
both had similar issues in their writing. They had difficulty writing a concise
summary that gave the reader a full understanding of the piece. In both
instances, the student only had three vague sentences. To assist the students
in writing more comprehensive summaries, I asked them to re-read the prompt and
identify three main ideas from the piece. After both students completed that
task, I instructed them to paraphrase the main idea of each topic into a
complete sentence. This exercise helped the student develop a clear summary of
the work. As I tutored the students, I made sure to relate any tools used to
the CATW reminding the students that they could use these same techniques
during their examination to organize and paraphrase.
I had the opportunity to work with the same students during
all of the tutoring sessions in the English 99 class. During the third session,
the students had gotten back a practice CATW essay on Fast Food and the effects
it has on young people's health. The prompt discussed Fast Food and how
advertising affects children, especially their health. The article highlighted
the fact that children are being diagnosed with adult disease like diabetes and
heart disease. After reading the CATW prompt and the student's essay, it was
evidence that the student had good ideas and a clear understanding but needs
help developing and formulating the overall structure of her written work. To
help her develop her ideas, I used the focused free writing technique that is
demonstrated in Tutoring Writing (McAndrew
and Reigstad 46). I asked her to describe what she would like to say in the
essay without worrying about grammatical errors or spelling. As she began to
write, she was able to come up with additional ideas that could be used in her
essay. The student had many good points in her essay, however, they were
unorganized. Using my version of the coloring technique that I renamed
numbering we went through her entire essay and numbered key points that were
related. The tutee explained that she found that technique particularly useful
and would continue to use it. It aided her in improving on the one area she was
lacking adequate skills. It was rewarding to know that a technique I showed the
tutee aided in making her a stronger writer.
At the inception of the tutoring process, I thought it was merely a
process of correcting student’s work. I now have a profound respect for the art
of tutoring, as it provides students with tools that will propel them in the
classroom as well as in their lives. If a student is given the proper skills,
they will be able to express their felt sense accurately and gain access to
opportunities that may have been previously closed because of the lack of
education. In the Kozol article he discussed the vast inequalities in the
public school system and emphasized the importance of value and competition.
Here at LaGuardia, students from varying backgrounds assemble at this
institution to gain their value. In a sense, while tutoring we are providing
students with that validation they may have lacked prior to admission at
LaGuardia. In order to compete in a world where the significance of a human
life is determined by what they can provide, it is an incredible opportunity to
be able to stimulate the academic economy through a simple tutoring session.
With my help, the students I tutor can compete in the world and find their
place in the career of their choosing. Thus, the same tutoring session that
validates the tutee also validates the tutor as I have purpose through my
interaction with each student.
