This week’s readings focused on the role of the tutor as a collaborative partner and the ways in which a tutor can develop his/her communication skills and ability to help a writer better their writing skills.
In class, last week, we discussed different methods of dealing with difficult or challenging students. Discuss ways in which you can create a collaborative environment with a difficult student. How would your methods change if you were working with a student that didn’t want to be there in contrast to a student that had difficulty understanding (ESL, learning disability)? Keep in mind Freire’s "problem-posing method" and discuss how this collaborative environment would allow both the tutor and writer to become more creative and cognitive. Do you think it’s important for the tutor to learn just as much as the writer? If so, why? Try to incorporate your recent experiences in the Writer Center as either a tutor or observer.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
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Why am I always the first poster? lol, sorry.
ReplyDeleteOkay!
In my interpretation, collaboration in the writing center is quite like a mirror (clever allusion to Friere here). We can change his long alphabetical list to something more student-tutor relative, though...
a. The student talks and the tutor listens and absorbs their ideas, and then the tutor asks questions and provides clarity to issues (such as organization, proper thesis statements, etc) as the student listens and absorbs this new knowledge.
b. the student sets the agenda for the paper and the tutor sticks to it, unless the tutor finds a greater issue with the paper and then the student follows suit...
c,d,etc.
now, for difficult students this is obviously a bit different. I think how to create a collaborative environment with a difficult student is to establish a neutral, common ground at the beginning so the session stays focused and informative for both parties.
a. The tutor listens to the student's frustrations and concerns, and attempts to create a neutral ground (either emotionally, on the basis that nobody's paper is perfect) for positive improvement in the session.
b. If it's an ESL student, the tutor rigidly outlines the agenda for the meeting to ensure that proofreading is not the only thing that will be occurring-- this is to avoid the student's potential misunderstanding that the tutor is attacking their paper, and so they realize that there is a structure beyond the grammatical order of their sentences... they can come back for another session if there isn't enough time. (Unless their paper is virtually flawless, I'm sure you see what I'm getting at here.)
It is extremely important for the tutor to learn as much as the writer-- maybe not in terms of grammar, but they'll certainly learn how to better and more smoothly conduct a session with difficult students. When there is collaboration, there is creative (bouncing ideas off each other) and cognitive (learning new organizational structures) thinking that will eventually lead to something being taken away at the end of the session. Positive habits that we learn in these sessions will eventually make us better social speakers, better writers, and better logical thinkers.
You must get yourself in the groove of collaboration, because that other person makes the thinking to build learning off of possible!
In one of my recent tutoring sessions, my student and I were having lightbulbs going off all over the place about her paper-- we got into (relevant) intense metaphors about light and darkness and good and evil (of course, this was mostly my "and?" "yes?" prodding and her elaborating) and her paper was logically strengthened because of it. I walked away from the session learning that a) I had to keep the student under control in her thoughts (we ran about 10 minutes over) and b) that recommending organization methods (the web! the list!) really do work for students who have a lot of ideas that they can't just seem to connect. I'm sure the girl walked away with a better comprehension of her movie scene analysis, and she even picked up some knowledge about possessive apostrophe placement...
For students who simply do not want to be at the tutoring session, I think a solid approach would be to have these students focus on completing the assignment and earning their grade just as they would in any other class. This helps to establish the neutral ground that Hannah mentioned, which I agree is crucial to ensuring that a comfortable atmosphere is maintained during the session. I would encourage the writer by telling him or her that the tutoring session is always beneficial because it helps accomplish those goals of finishing the assignment and earning his or her grade. The student could aim for these neutral goals even without feeling particularly enthusiastic about writing.
ReplyDeleteDuring this session, I would probe the student with questions about how he or she relates to the text or situation that is being written about. If the student is not enthusiastic about the assignment, it is likely that the student did not enjoy the readings for the assignment; therefore, it would be appropriate and even useful to ask the student questions about why he or she did not enjoy the readings and what parts of the text led to this reaction. I would assure the writer that it is never wrong to disagree with a text or even feel annoyed by what the text is communicating. I would let the writer know that sometimes, this reaction actually results in a stronger argument in the paper. Asking questions about why the student reacted as he or she did to the text also allows the tutor and writer to be cognitive and creative. As the student responds, the tutor can get a feel for what kind of mentality the student has taken on as a result of the text. This creative exploration will allow the student to search for the reasons behind his or her reactions, and in doing so, analyze the text and strengthen the argument of the paper.
When working with ESL students, some will be more comfortable with the language than others, so taking into account where the student is with respect to speaking English is an important part of knowing how to help the student for the remainder of the session. By asking questions of the ESL student and seeking understanding of the student’s challenges with the language, the tutor is avoiding the “narrative” mode of teaching in favor of the “cognitive” mode. That is, being narrative by simply reciting the typical ways of approaching grammar and organization does not function in the case of an ESL tutoring session; the tutor must use creative questions and explanations that are specific to the student, who is unfamiliar with such rules. These methods fit in with Freire’s “problem-posing method” because they do not give all authority to writer or tutor, but rather, require a constant conversation between the two in order to accomplish any goals in a session. For example, I worked with an ESL student who had trouble with very lengthy sentences and jumbled ideas. After I pointed out this pattern at the beginning of the session, the student was later able to locate without guidance sentences that were overly wordy. In that case, neither tutor nor writer was in authoritative mode; instead, both collaborated to make progress in the session.
It is crucial for the tutor to learn along with the writer, not only to apply these newfound skills to future tutoring sessions but also for the tutor to gain a new outlook on his or her own writing. Being able to look at one’s own writing in a different way simultaneously allows one to understand variety in the writing processes of others. I am certainly learning from each of my sessions and constantly thinking of different ways to apply what I have learned to each new tutoring session. It is important to learn from each student about types of writing issues that can occur, different ways of learning, effective ways of revising, and different approaches to topics; the more the tutor learns, the more knowledge and help he or she can give to writers in future sessions.
In regards to Karena's comment, I would first like to add that I have not yet had a session with an unwilling/uninterested student, so what I am saying could be total speculation, but here it goes, anyway.
ReplyDeleteBased on my past experiences with assignments that I simply did not want to do, I would have to say that I might feel a bit annoyed if I went to a tutor and they asked me about my relation to the text. First of all, I would only be willing to do the bare minimum to complete the assignment and get an A, and secondly, I probably don't like the assignment anyway because I DON'T feel like I relate to the text. I feel that perhaps asking a student how they relate to the text/essay in the type of session that Karena is referring to may not be the most strategic way to get a session going effectively. On the contrary, I think that pointing out the facts of the situation is probably the best way to get the student engaged in a mutually collaborative session. What I mean by this is simply presenting to the student that a) regardless of whether you relate to the text/feel ANYTHING AT ALL for the text, the assignment has to get done, and b) that as a tutor, you are here simply to help accomplish this. I think having this sort of approach in a session in which a student does not particularly want to be at the WC creates an environment completely grounded in reason. I mean, you can't really argue with the facts, right? Once a student realizes that, regardless of whether they like the assignment or not, it HAS to get done, they can't really resist you as a tutor much anymore. I do realize that this whole philosophy of helping your student do the bare minimum to get a good grade does go against the philosophy and idea of a WC, BUT in these sorts of cases, I am not sure that asking your student to relate to the text and think about it critically (more than they absolutely need to in order to complete the assignment) will create a comfortable environment and successful session. Please forgive me for the obnoxiously long sentence.
However, with ESL students, I would take a completely different approach. From my experience so far in the WC, I have realized two things about ESL students: first, that they mostly require help with grammar and not necessarily essay structure/organization, and second, that they are not very responsive to "grammar lessons." Thus, my most effective strategy so far--as I shared in last week's discussion--has been to go through sentence by sentence, reading aloud for the student while he/she listens to what sounds wrong. Most of the time, they realize what sounds wrong and fix it, but when it comes to explaining WHY it's wrong, I tend to lose their interest and attention. This is upsetting, I know, because as a new tutor, it makes me feel a little used (I'll get over it, don't worry), BUT I have noticed that ESL students seem to recognize patterns in terms of the grammatical mistakes they make. Thus, I think one thing that the tutor can do in order to further "educate" the student, if you must, is to take note of perhaps three to five patterns they noticed. Then, at the end of the session, you could tell your student that these are the things you noticed that they were doing, and perhaps next time when they write their essay, they should keep these things in mind. I don't know if this strategy works yet or not, because I just did this today, but I feel like by doing this, I was making sure that the student still had control of his writing, which as we have discussed in past classes, is extremely important.
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ReplyDeleteFrom this week’s readings, especially Freire’s “Banking” Concept of Education, I feel empowered as a tutor and writer. If the reading is broken down into simpler terms one would understand he is encouraging collaboration in education. We, as tutors and students, are aware of the benefits of collaboration. I could not imagine not collaborating with a student, which brings me to the next topic.
ReplyDeleteAs far as “my methods” are concerned, I feel that I have yet to truly develop any. For that reason I am hypothetically speaking about the scenarios presented above. If I was faced with a student who did not want to be at the WC, I would want to know why. I am a very outspoken and curious person, who respects the honesty of others. I would outright question the writer’s distaste and hostility, to a point that would probably piss them off. I know that this does not seem productive, but I feel that it is the only true way to discover their intentions. If they truly are not feeling it, well then I would make the suggestion that they seek help elsewhere. Even so, I would jump in to make an attempt to assist them with whatever they brought to my attention. Now, in regards to my own personal difficulty understanding, like when working with an ESL student, I would consider my virtues. Patience is of the utmost importance and I have no problem pushing through. The problem being is one) ESL students are stubborn, considering they face difficulty with certain aspects of the English language, and two) time is not stopping on account of a disabled student. Like suggested in the Chapter 13 reading, it might be best to allot more time for these students, or move to a more secluded area. I think I would become more personable in these situations, just because it’s important to ensure the writer does not feel threatened. In both instances I feel that I am collaborating with the student. For the student who does not want to utilize the WC, I am collaborating with the student to understand the reason behind their hesitation. With an ESL student, I am collaborating with them to better suit their needs. I do not think in any situation I would claim authority over the writer and “deposit” my own thoughts into their work/reason.
The “problem-posing method” introduced by Freire is a lot like the questioning method that is reiterated in almost every reading we are assigned. When there is no direct action being taken by the tutor to control the situation, instead we are acting indirectly, both persons benefit from the session. This collaboration enables the tutor to lead the writer to better understanding themselves, instead of being taught. On the flip side, as the tutor and writer review different aspects, the tutor is able to reflect and consider their own writing. Both parties therefore are capable of benefiting from the collaborative session. Like I have said previously in many discussions, conversation is the key. Even in most daily situations, conversations are collaborations, both emotionally and mentally.
Just recently being faced with my first tutoring sessions, I do think that it is important for the tutor to learn just as much as the writer. Just because all these students are coming to us for writing assistance, it does not mean they are all the same. I was faced with many ESL students my first day, each one varied in their needs. I assumed each one would want to focus on grammar, instead I found out that they had their own individual worries. As I read along with the student or questioned to better understand the pieces they brought to me, I see the importance of taking away something from each session. I feel that a reflection after a session is appropriate, so that I can better understand what to improve next time. I also think that if faced with a reoccurring student, one who favors your help, learning from their style and personality can maximize their writing potential each session.
Though I have only tutored two students so far, the sessions and the “collaboration”/problem-posing involved in them progressed so very differently that I feel inclined to write about the experiences here.
ReplyDeleteIn my first session I had a very timid ESL student who needed help with a fairly long essay (around 5 pages). I did my best to establish a friendly atmosphere as quickly as possible, and though she was obviously very nervous, I managed to get the writer to describe her essay and read it out loud to me. There were, as I expected, extensive grammatical errors, but I talked with the writer and we decided to focus on the “big picture stuff”. It was a long session and I had to devote a decent amount of it trying my best to keep the writer thinking about how best to structure her thesis and conclusion (I didn't, after all, want to speak too much or fall into what Freire calls the “banking method”). Though we ran a few minutes over, by the end I felt as though I had done at least a decent job of helping the writer, and I think she left satisfied.
My second session was a complete 180. Whereas before I had to actively question, prod, and challenge the writer, in this session the student came knowing EXACTLY what he wanted. It was a nice change, to be sure, but there were times during the session when I questioned if I was actually helping him. As Chris saw and later pointed out to me (she was observing me and it was terrifying), he essentially used me as a mirror or wall, throwing his ideas at me and letting them bounce back. I seemingly served no purpose but to reinforce the corrections and modifications to his paper he had already laid out in his mind and decided to make. Effectively creating a “collaboration” between us and utilizing Freire's problem-posing method was very difficult in this situation, perhaps even more so than in my session with the ESL student. I did manage to get him to read his essay out loud, and I did manage to voice some of my own ideas, but the writer's eagerness and preparation was somewhat difficult to work with (though that sounds strange to admit).
In the end, I suppose what I am attempting to say is that I've found “collaboration” and Freire's “problem-posing method” to be somewhat abstract and difficult concepts. As we have already discussed, there isn't one “right” way to go about a tutoring session, and ultimately the path our appointments take are up to the writer and their personalities. I think both Pritha and Karena make good points in their proposals of how to deal with difficult writers, and really I think whatever method we embrace (establishing a common ground or simply explaining to the writer that they'll have to allow collaboration to take place in order for the session to work and for them to get a better grade (though those are only two possible options)) depends almost exclusively on the tutee and what they are willing to do.
As far as learning goes, while I'm not entirely sure the tutor can expect to learn in the same manner as the writer will, we will certainly still come away from our sessions have gained /something/. Whether that be an understanding of how to better organize our tutoring sessions in the future, a stronger grasp on grammar/essay structure, or perhaps merely a better understanding of the varying personalities of other people, we will certainly, I think, come away having learned something. Maybe that in itself is the key to collaboration.
All the above point out extremely well developed problem solving methods to the problems we may encounter. The most basic of the basic ways, I think, would be just to use the problem probing questions such as, "What do you think here?" or "What were trying to imply here?" Just so that we aren't using OUR interpretations of the paper as much as we should. Because if they can't even explain their own interpretations, then there's the problem right there. With ESL students, it can always be a different ball game, but having them verbalize is always engaging and can give you an understanding of who they are without judging their papers alone. Each time we sit down with a student, it's all about developing immediate chemistry with them, that common ground, and out of our communicative instincts, we develop trust by just being people-people. Reinforcing what the student already knows is basically what I was getting at here, with how Adam described it, we only serve as their plate to pour out thoughts and to reassure where they need it.
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting to see the range of responses to these blog posts. In my few tutoring sessions, I didn't experience anyone hostile to the idea of coming to the writing center, so creating a setting for collaboration was fairly easy. I just asked simply questions like, "What would you like to focus on?" and "What is most important for you to fix?" The issue arose from a different source, though--although I felt like I was asking the right questions, (or attempting to at least), two of the three people I worked with seemed to be looking to me for answers, as if I already had a set one in mind. I felt like I was talking too much at points (Freire's banking method, red flag) and that I wasn't really helping the writer learn anything new.
ReplyDeleteI think in my approach to resistant students in the writing center, I would probably take the path that Pritha describes. Not to say that Karena's method is wrong, but the bare bones about it are that Karena seems like a MUCH more amiable person than me and that method, in my manner, would come off as condescending. If someone really didn't want to be at the WC I'd try to be as blunt and straightforward as possible and remind them that whether they stayed for their tutoring session or not, they were still going to have to complete the assignment. I think this is also a way to connect to students and remind them that even we have assignments we loathe doing or even thinking about, but at the end of the day, we really have no choice.
I am still wary about how I am going to dive into ESL sessions, My first one did not go great. As much as I tried non-directive questioning and trying to steer the conversation towards "higher-order" concerns, it just wasn't working because the writer was so fixated with grammar. So finally I kind of gave in and I read the whole paper aloud to him, hoping that he would catch some of his grammar mistakes on his own, but he was way too unconfident in his writing skills and kept looking to me for answers. I felt like I dominated the entire session. I hope next time I can use some of the methods Amanda mentioned in my session--showing them where a problem is, but not what it is, etc--and hopefully it's more successful.
I'm still struggling to apply all the lessons we've been learning, observing, and reading about. Freire's chapter was really inspiring and I think he detailed the problem-posing method really eloquently, but my issue is that I can retain the information to a certain extent in my mind but often blank during the tutoring session. I'm actually looking forward to my review with Chris so I can get some tips or guidance, or something. Throw me a bone here.
My methods with a difficult or uncooperative student, at least based on what I’ve read and experienced firsthand, would be informed by the particular person and assignment. Ideally, I would coax the writer into telling me the reasons for his anger or anxiety, attempt to diffuse it (somewhat at least), and then shift his focus to the task at hand. I consider myself a fairly professional and patient dude; however, like everyone else I have a threshold for disrespect. So, unless the writer is completely recalcitrant––there’s an S.A.T. word for you!––I would do my best to keep him around and work with him. The best route from this point would be to convey that we are on the same team and the same level as peers: coming into the appointment, I might not be trapped by “banking education”-thinking, but the writer may still be.
ReplyDeleteHere, the “problem-posing” method is definitely applicable, since it operates on the premise of discussion and feedback. An uncooperative writer will probably have little desire to be “taught” or talked down to, even if they will acknowledge they need help. So I would ask several open-ended questions, and have the writer ask me questions as well, all the while maintaining a helpful––not instructional––attitude and staying away from what Freire calls “alienating intellectualism.” After all, what does it matter to the writing center if I have mad skills if I cannot communicate them effectively to others? This isn’t a poetry contest.
In the case of an ESL student or LD student, the same idea of peer-ness is key. However, especially for an ESL student, I do have to explain things a bit more. Does this mean I have to fall into the teacher v. student dichotomy? Not at all. What I have to make sure of is that the writer understands what they are communicating, and can walk away with at least a little more confidence. Yet it is still his paper and his ideas. I am his partner in creativity, not his instructor of what is right and wrong.
As to the question of learning: I absolutely think it’s important for the tutor to learn just as much as the writer. Now whether or not the respective amounts of learning are actually quantifiable is not the point here. What matters is our mentality––if we as tutors go into each situation, with an open mind and a hope of learning from the paper and the writer (whether it be about that person, his culture, his topic, or any of his writing weaknesses or strengths) and apply that to our own writing and worldview, I think we can be “revolutionary.”
These last couple appointments I’ve had, I have really strived to step back and listen. It's been cool to see what happens––the last writer I helped really took my questions and feedback and ran with them in her paper. All I did was bring a couple things to her attention. I figure that most of the writers that come to the Think Tank have been in lecture or class all day, being talked at or preached to. But when they come to us, we need to listen and then team up with them. That’s what I would want as a writer.