Tutoring Strategies

There were several days, in which I did not have a writer come in. One of those days, I decided to hop on the computer and search tutoring strategies. Of course, I have learned many strategies throughout English 222, but it is always nice to be open to other techniques. However, most of the strategies that I found were similar to the ones we discussed in class. For example, a tutor should be careful on how they approach a writer’s assignment because there could be consequences. For one, the writer can get intimidated and not come back to the writing center. The tutor should be able to establish that mistakes are alright and that they are there to help and not judge. Another important technique that I really take into consideration is when responding to a writer’s work. The tutor needs to be honest when responding and not exaggerating in their response. However, the tutor should also be careful when telling a writer that something is wrong. I always like to say, “ Not quite, but you’re on the right track.” Then, explain to writer why it is wrong and help them improve. There is also another string attached when explaining that something is wrong. The tutor should not over-explain on one particular thing. The session’s focus should be on the student’s thoughts and explanations. Also, the writer should be able to think independently. Writers need to understand that tutors do not know everything. Rather, the tutor needs to use dialogue that helps the writer think own on their own so they can own their paper. Lastly, tutors need to know that it is okay to say no if they do not know an answer to a question. There needs to confidence and trust on both ends in order for a session to work. These are just several techniques to remember!