A Tutor's Guide

by Rafoth, Ben

• ISBN13: 9780867095876
• ISBN10: 0867095873
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-05
• Publisher: BOYNTON

Summary

The first edition of A Tutor's Guide helped tutors across the country connect composition theory to the everyday events in their tutoring sessions. This second edition moves further into the practical realities of today's writing centers, taking a closer look at the most important issues facing writing tutors and the students who confer with them.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	ix
Setting the Agenda for the Next Thirty Minutes	1	(8)
William J. Macauley Jr.
Making a plan helps to keep the writer's priorities in focus---but how do you know when to stick with the plan and when to scrap it?
What Line? I Didn't See Any Line	9	(8)
Molly Wingate
Being helpful can become too much of a good thing when tutors cross the line and take over the session. There are signs to watch for and ways to pull back.
(Non)Meeting of the Minds: A Study in Frustration	17	(6)
Nicole Kraemer Munday
Where did this session go wrong? Read this tutoring session closely for insights into the dynamics of a session gone awry.
Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers	23	(11)
Muriel Harris
When a writer won't talk, it's hard to make anything work. Experienced tutors understand this reluctance and how to overcome it.
Tutoring in Emotionally Charged Sessions	34	(7)
Corinne Agostinelli
Helena Poch
Elizabeth Santoro
No tutor can be completely prepared for emotional sessions, but you can learn to deal with them by first acknowledging the emotion and then forging ahead.
Crossing Cultures with International ESL Writers: The Tutor as Contact Zone Contact Person	41	(13)
Carol Severino
Tutors need to learn from international students in order to help them, and international students need to learn from tutors in order to become better writers in English. Making contact is where it all begins.
Recent Developments in Assisting ESL Writers	54	(9)
Jennifer J. Ritter
The nondirective approach works with ESL writers too, but differently. Here are some ideas about negotiating meaning and form.
Shifting Gears: Business and Technical Writing	63	(11)
Carol Briam
How do you help writers prepare for the workplace? First let go of preconceived notions you may have about this topic, and then get ready to unlearn some of what you have been taught about writing.
Is There a Creative Writer in the House? Tutoring to Enhance Creativity and Engagement	74	(11)
Wendy Bishop
All writing needs a creative dimension, even if someone is not a creative writer. Go ahead, break some rules.
A Balancing Act of Efficiency and Exploration: Tutoring Writers in Advanced Classes	85	(13)
Pavel Zemliansky
An important goal of the writing center is to help students in advanced classes balance their desire for efficiency with learning and exploration. A tutor's role in achieving this goal is to encourage reflection and active questioning.
Organizing Ideas: Focus Is the Key	98	(9)
Alice L. Trupe
Organization is more about flexibility than structure. You can help writers make order out of chaos by seeing there's more than one way to arrange ideas.
Helping Writers to Write Analytically	107	(8)
Ben Rafoth
Getting a perspective is a good place to start an analysis. Also, try to expand ideas, and bring in backup singers.
Tutoring in Unfamiliar Subjects	115	(6)
Alexis Greiner
You've just been handed a paper applying quantum physics to the protein RNA synthetase, and while you may be smart, you're no physicist. Here are some ideas to get you through a session like this.
Developing Genre Discourse: Graduate Student Writing	121	(8)
Carol Ellis
Graduate student writing is high stakes. From here to a career. Step into a graduate writing center for awhile, and you'll know you're not in Kansas anymore.
Protocols and Process in Online Tutoring	129	(11)
George Cooper
Kara Bui
Linda Riker
Online tutoring is quick and convenient, but is it collaborative? These authors suggest ways to make it so.
Can You Proofread This?	140	(19)
Beth Rapp Young
What's so hard about proofreading? Spotting errors isn't as simple as it seams.
Using Others' Words: Quoting, Summarizing, and Documenting Sources	159	(8)
Mary Mortimore Dossin
Technology has made plagiarism easy, but tutors can steer students away from it by showing curiosity and enthusiasm for the writer's ideas.
Contributors	167	(4)
Index	171