I'll talk about our first week, though, because our discussion got pretty interesting. Colin was just recently entered into Time Trade and he's pretty eager to start tutoring, but he's barely gotten any students yet. Of course, right after we finished our mentoring hour he got a drop-in, which was pretty exciting! I overheard them from my pod and things seem to be going really well. Sadly, I had to leave for class before their session ended so we didn't get much time to discuss it afterward.
The majority of our mentoring hour was spent talking about his expectations of tutoring. Colin is very motivated to make the minimalist style work for him. After all, it seems minimalist tutoring is (arguably) how students get the most hands-on experience with writing and seem to learn the most. He laid out a couple things that he's trying to do in his sessions so far to help set this mood and contribute to the hands-off tutoring approach. He said he makes a point of not holding a pencil, and tries to use questions and examples to lead his students into discovering their own mistakes. Man, that seemed like such a dream to me!
This is where the interesting part of our discussion came in, because in my experiences with students the past few semesters, I have to be extremely directive (which often goes against my own personal style of tutoring). I find this to be true with drop-ins, one time appointments, and a small handful of my regular students. I have only had about six students (of all types) since I started here who were actually eager to work on their writing with me. They come in with something they want to work on, they correct their own mistakes (with or without me leading and identifying them), and they actively participate with me in a discussion that helps them work through problems or expand their ideas for content.
The rest of the students I've had to work with are significantly less enthusiastic. They want to read through the paper, get my "corrections", and then leave. The majority of them tell me, specifically, that they only want to focus on grammar. I always make sure to spend as much time on grammar as I do on things like content, voice, organization, etc. but so many of them seem very cold to my input on any of those other things. They seem to want me to flat-out tell them what to do, which is the main issue here. I find that when I try to be minimalist with them, they get frustrated and participate significantly less in the session, which just leads to me awkwardly babbling at them for another half an hour.
Colin and I discussed these issues, as well as how important it is to try and adjust your tutoring style for every student's unique needs. I guess that's sort of the conclusion we came to on this issue, that some students learn better when they're instructed, and some learn better when they're gently nudged in the right direction. You really do have to find the correct balance between your own tutoring style and your student's particular learning style.
So what do you guys think? Do you agree/disagree? Can anyone relate to my experiences with apathetic students who come in expecting a teacher instead of a peer tutor, or have I just been getting all the difficult ones? :)
I have had students who come to me and say "I just want you to look over my paper" Generally I say right away "Well I'm hear to collaborate with you to make your paper the best it can be." Sometimes in addition to that I say "Honestly I'm not a copy editor" I usually follow with a laugh and students chuckle as well. It may be kind of harsh to say but students usually get the point.
ReplyDeleteAlso if I have a difficult student I will put as much into the session as they do. If I offer a suggestion and they ignore it or act stand offish I will allow us both to sit in silence for awhile if they don't respond to my prompts. I think deep down students want results from their sessions. Sometimes if they aren't being collaborative and the session isn't going anywhere they may get the hint to start acting a little more interested.
Coco,
ReplyDeleteI really like hearing about all of the different subjects you and Colin covered in your first mentoring session. These concerns Colin brought up remind me of some of my own questions when I first became a tutor. I especially liked the way you supported the idea of the tutor crafting their tutoring method to suit the needs of the student - I think that's something all tutors should strive to do. While I do agree that the Minimalist approach does encourage the student to take ownership of their work in a session I'm not sure it is really the best method for every student. As you mentioned from your own experience, some students simply do not respond to a tutor asking them leading questions, especially when they are burned out or feel completely lost. I remember when I read about the Minimalist approach in the class I decided that I would only tutor writers in that fashion only to quickly learn that that was not possible all the time. I think it is good to encourage the Minimalist approach in order to stimulate participation and student ownership within sessions, but I would never discourage a tutor from using the Directive method when a student needs a push in the right direction.
Regarding apathetic students, I found myself taking one of two approaches. With weekly students who did not want to work I would gradually become more direct and stern with them. When they would say that they didn't bring work for a session I would remind them that they were required to and if necessary I would tell them that I would not give them credit for the session if they did not contribute. In extreme circumstances I would tell them bluntly that this was their responsibility and my job was not to do their homework for them. Sometimes tough love is the only way. I really resisted taking that approach, and rarely needed to, but when I did I often found that students responded positively and proceeding sessions were highly productive. Sometimes becoming more of an authoritarian is necessary to stir motivation in the student. With drop-ins who were not receptive to tutoring I took a similar approach to what Alex mentioned by joking that I was not a copy editor. Weekly sessions with writers are usually required and a stricter approach one week will not sour the semester long relationship, while a one-time appointment who is given even a slightly blunt tone may never return for help. That is what should guide your decision to take on a direct approach like this - if you think it will help the writer and encourage them to return, if not then maybe probing deeper with Minimalist questions is best.
Nice posts both of you.
-Brian
Coco,
ReplyDeleteThis was an excellent post and it's great that Alex R and Brian responded to it with such enthusiasm. Your mentoring of Colin seems to have proceeded in a smooth fashion--motivation is always a good thing for a tutor to have and you should continue to foster this in Colin's tutoring practice. Have you considered if this good experience that Colin is having at the WC is due to his determination to tutor using the minimalist approach almost exclusively? In no way would I advocate that Colin have a miserable experience, but it seems like he is taking the safe way out. In the real WC world it is almost impossible to consistently adhere to a minimalist approach as Brian, Alex, and a whole bunch of writing theorists have pointed out. Yes, "customized sessions" as I like to call them should be provided to each and every student that comes through our doors. Yes, when one approach is not yielding intended results then tutors need to shift modes. I can see where a minimalist approach could benefit of student IF productive work is being done but it could also lead to lax tutoring pracitces. A directive approach is the alternative in such cases, but in my view, being more directive does not necessarily mean that the student relinquishes ownership of the writing.
I would really like to revisit this topic both here on the blog and perhaps at our mentor/mentee meeting--it is certainly deserving of a workshop sometime in the future (next semester?). Minimalist v. Directive theories of tutoring with great frequency become topics of many discussions--both here on the blog, on the orange couch, as well as the work that Brian and I have embarked on this semester for the benefit of the Mentoring Program. Yes, we know these theories are covered extensively in the WCTP class, but perhaps our ongoing interest will connect these theories to practice even more. What do you other mentors think?
Steve