Reading Blog 4

Chapter 4

    Chapter 4 of the Bedford guide guides the reader in how to navigate working with different types of students. The chapter emphasizes that the differences between students don’t indicate a difference in writing quality but rather a difference in the way a student may approach writing.

    One part of the chapter that stood out to me was the description of the different types of learning styles/strategies, auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. These descriptions made me think of the way that I like to go about both learning and teaching. During my time in-person at the writing center, I found it helpful to have the writing in front of me and the tutor to be next to me and be able to point out exactly where work is needed. It also made me think about how I assist my own friends when I help them with papers, as I like to have their writing in front of them as I show them where revision is needed.

    One question I have is how a tutor might gauge the effectiveness of their strategies during a meeting? Should they hope that the reader speaks up about what is effective or should they ask them directly as the meeting goes along?

Chapter 7

    Chapter 7 of the Bedford guide introduces the types of situations a tutor might encounter and how to navigate them. The guide outlines the do’s and don’ts for each situation, ranging from a last-minute paper to an antagonistic or inappropriate student.

    One section of this chapter that I found notable was the section concerning an antagonistic student, who is unhappy with the assignment given and takes out his frustration on the tutor. Admittedly, the first two times that I have made writing center appointments were not of my own volition but rather due to a class requirement. It made me wonder about how frequent it is for a student to attend a tutoring session not because they want to but because it is required by the professor. I think that a situation where a student does not want to be there might be more difficult to navigate than a student who chooses to be there but is frustrated with the paper.

    My question, then, is how might a tutor reinforce the idea that a tutoring session will be beneficial for them without detracting from the primary purpose of the session?