My paper

Nicholas J Vasilo
Research Paper
Peer Tutoring
HOT TOPIC: OFF TOPIC
INTRODUCTION
Tutoring sessions can be rough. We’ve all needed help and had to be tutored in something at some point or another – it’s an unavoidable truth of learning. Tutoring, by nature, is different from teaching, as it does (or at least should) not be the same type of learning experience you receive in a classroom. Tutoring is a one on one style session where the tutor takes on the role of advisory, rather than teacher, attempting to help assist the student in finding a way to strengthen their work. This style is important to a writing center, more than most disciplines, as writing centers have no strict right or wrong, but rather the varying differences inherent to writing, such as style, content, assignment, audience, etc. There is no formula to writing, like there is to finding the length of the third side of a triangle. Since the structure of a tutoring session in a writing center must be different than a math tutoring session by the nature of the subject, it follows then, that it requires a large amount of talking. But what to talk about?
While classes, even at the college level, often involve a large amount of conversation including input from the students, it is still mainly a one sided conversation, bound to a specific topic of discussion. But, even at the college level, these classes are usually filled with no less than ten students. This experience is different from a tutoring session by its very nature. Given an hour and a subject, students and tutors need to share a dialogue, (hopefully) a majority pertaining to the assignment at hand. But all work and no play makes Jack a dull tutor. An hour of one assignment becomes boring and draining. Oftentimes, the tutor-student relationship can be difficult to establish and to get communication going. A necessary element of tutor sessions, then, to alleviate the monotony of a single topic stretched far longer than it can go, is off topic conversation. A simple “Hello” or “Where are you from?” can make all the difference between feeling tension and being at ease with a tutor. A strong dialogue back and forth can often aide a tutor in conveying necessary information to a student, allow them to bond, easing the session, or even help them to establish an ongoing relationship for comfortable sessions down the road. Jerome Rabow, in his book “Tutoring Matters,” states that in situations where there is a race, gender, class, or background difference, some off topic conversation or small talk can help get the dialogue going and make the communications between the two people more efficient. At a university like Kean University, located in central New Jersey, a student is likely to see a great deal of diversity, especially with the tutoring staff looking like something akin to the Rainbow Coalition. In situations like this, the use of off topic conversation could be the life saver the tutor needs to break down the door and reach the student. Of course, there can be too much of a good thing.
Like any remedy to a situation, there is such a thing as too much off topic conversation. It can begin to detract from the session, cause a loss of focus, or worse – cause a transformation from a tutoring session to a jovial hangout where nothing gets accomplished and a student walks out of the writing center, maybe even with a friend, but with nothing to show for their class. Bridgeport University even goes as far as to recommend as little discussion to be off topic as possible, if there is any at all. It is important then, to strike the right balance between the two. In this study, I examine the amount of time spent on off-topic conversation, in relation to how it affects the student’s outcome, in terms of how much they feel they’ve learned and are taking away with them.
Sadly, such an important topic has not received nearly the attention it should have, except, it seems as a side note in other studies. Emily Plummer talks about how important small talk is, though she does so with respect to ESL learners. Robert Newkirk establishes that off topic conversation is a necessary component, though his is in reference to be more in reference to “the first five minute” of a session, in regards to setting up a model of a tutoring session. Jerome Rabow establishes, once again, that some amount of off topic conversation is necessary, however his is in the context of diversity. For such a necessary component, there seems to be so little to go on, yet Bridgeport University has enough information to say there that should be little to no discussion not germane to the assignment in the course of a session. Without a wealth of research done on the topic, it is important to search the answers to this major question we face in the writing center.
METHODS
In order to gather the information to answer the questions, I took detailed notes on my laptop, sitting beside the students, trying to affect the session as little as possible. Since I was looking for reaction, I paid very close attention to the physical giveaways that indicate response on both the student and tutor’s part, such as eye contact, body language, and of course their amount of off topic conversation. Post session, I gave out questionnaires to each student and tutor, asking questions like “Did you find the session helpful?” “How much time do you think you spent on off topic conversation?” “Did you feel comfortable with the tutor?” etc.* The sessions themselves took place in either the writing center at the Center for Academic Success at Kean or in a classroom in the same building, lasting between 30-60 minutes.
Also important to note is we cannot find out ultimately how well the tutoring session worked out, whether or not the student actually incorporated the things they learned in their session. We can only judge by what they say at the end of the sessions, and go by the information we are able to determine from the session itself. It is important to remember, then, that we are not judging the success of the session in terms of how much their grade improves or how much new material they feel they’ve learned, but what they are taking from their session, gauged along with how much conversation was on topic verses off topic during the course of the session.
DATA
Since Rose and Unity had been best friends for years, they had an established relationship. Their dialogue was fluid and easy. Oftentimes, in Rose’s paper (which was about life experiences), Unity checked to see if the paper was referring to someone or something she already knew about. It made it difficult to read their actions as a reflection on their level of comfort in terms of how much time was spent discussing on topic verses off topic because they knew each other so well. When Rose would read something, even if Unity’s reaction was negative, as it came from a friend, it never seemed to bother Rose that much. She occasionally closed off her body language in response to a negative criticism, but Rose never really lost her composure of became upset. Unity suggested cutting large parts from the paper, none of which Rose took poorly, as she agreed. Due to their close relationship, they had a good connection, and tended to think similarly. This simpatico made their session a poor example of how to judge the way students in a tutoring session respond to, well, anything. Afterwards, upon speaking to both of them on how well they felt the session went, they both responded very positively, and laughed about how well they get along. While a large part of the time was spent reading the paper and deciding on edits, many times their conversation went very off topic. This included Rose asking Unity to go with her to the gym or to go into New York City that night to go out. Their off topic conversations weren’t lengthy, but they tended to be so off topic, there was no correlation between the paper and where the conversation wound up. Rose and Unity would then have trouble getting back to the topic at hand for a moment, trailing off in small talk, before saying something like “We need to discuss this,” in reference to the paper.
Upon the conclusion of the session, I asked them how much time they felt they spent on topic vs. off topic, or if they would change the ratios, they replied they weren’t really aware of how much time they’d spent between the two conversations, and that to them, they were just talking. Their amount of time spent on off topic conversation didn’t color their session as much as their pre-established relationship did, though the conversation did detract from how much of the paper they got through and how in depth they covered it. The paper seemed secondary to their friendly conversation, based on their responses to the session in the post-session questionaire, I was led to believe Rose had already made a lot of decisions on her paper, and where it was going, before coming to the session, to which Unity only seemed to make minor adjustments that Rose didn’t already agree with.
In great contrast to Rose and Unity’s session was a session between two complete strangers, Lyta and Daniel. Lyta was a Costa Rican immigrant, who was an ELL student, and needed help with a paper. Lyta was very behind for where most college students are, and as such, had difficulty grasping a lot of the concepts used in writing. Daniel, the tutor, did his best to explain the basic fundamentals of writing, and used a website to aid him, though Lyta had great difficulty still. Daniel asked questions in reference to the assignment itself, in an attempt help Lyta shape her paper. She shared a deeply personal memory of her abusive, alcoholic father but said that she wasn’t sure she was prepared to share that information in the paper. Throughout the session, Daniel shared none of his own experiences, and Lyta was not forthcoming either, with Lyta’s three children not coming up in conversation until towards the end of the session, despite the fact that the paper was about how she was raised and how she raises her children.
A major issue for this session was the lack of small talk, or even simple getting-to-know-you conversation. Plummer stated that small talk is necessary to make a session work, because it eases the session, where they can often be stressful and upsetting. Newkirk also states that small talk is a necessary component of a session as it gives the student an idea of what a session is, as well as gives the student confidence in the session. In a situation in like this one, where the student has issues with the language itself, and isn’t clear on what the point of a session is, not breaking down that initial wall causes difficulty in communicating. Daniel often wound up editing the paper himself, and suggesting lines to Lyta to put in, but Lyta couldn’t even understand why she was including them. In this situation, things began to take a turn for the worse with Lyta winding up in tears because she could not understand the information she was being presented with. The tutor had to make a large number of suggestions and edits to Lyta’s paper, leaving her feeling useless and confused, possibly partially due to the fact that Daniel had not established the proper environment for their tutoring session. Plummer makes this point:
“Moreover, in the case of ESL students, small talk can be utilized as a means of assessing language proficiency, adjusting to accent and usage differences, and perhaps even learning something new about another culture.”
The paper goes on to further say:
“The best way to make ESL learners feel more comfortable is to talk to them… Within minutes, both you and the learner will be more relaxed….Idle talk will also give you an idea of how well the learner can speak English, and it will give you time to adjust to his or her accent while he or she adjusts to yours.”
This lack of small talk could explain the issues Lyta and Daniel faced. Daniel did not take the time to attempt to make Lyta more comfortable, establish a human connection, or worse, attempt to figure out what she expected from tutoring, starting them at a disadvantage five minutes of talking about the weather could have avoided.
Fittingly enough, a third session struck a balance between the previous two sessions. Nuala and Hob sat down to a session that again, requires a little background, like Rose and Unity did. Nuala and Hob know each other from a class they have together, though despite the fact the class was nearing the completion of its third month, the two had never actually had a conversation. The session began, as many do, by Nuala explaining the assignment to Hob, who asked for more explicit details, including the actual assignment sheet from the professor. The two started the conversation very straight forwardly, and did not veer off topic. Hob asked standard questions about the teacher’s feedback and what Nuala hopes to get out of it. They started their session closed off, sitting apart from each other, Nuala reading the paper, Hob listening attentively. But in the course of discussing the paper (which dealt with Nuala’ mom), Hob offered that her mom reminded him of his own. At this point, Hob seemed to loosen up, though Nuala did not. Nuala continued to read her paper and make any changes that Hob suggested. However, there came a moment where the situation changed.
During the course of reading the paper, Nuala recalled a painful story from her childhood, which Hob further inquired about. Nuala answered Hob’s questions, but at this point, loosened up, saying she didn’t mind sharing it with him. But from here, Nuala stayed relaxed, and her body language opened up. For the rest of the paper, Nuala and Hob kept an open dialogue, straying off course to discuss wrestling, holidays, and other anecdotes. Thanks to the openness Nuala displayed, the rest of the session flowed well. Hob showed an interest in what Nuala had to say, in regards to both on topic and off topic discussion, encouraging her to keep talking. In my post session questioning to Nuala, she told me she felt like the session had been a huge success, giving her a strong sense of what to do on her paper. She also told me that she felt as though they’d spent exactly enough time both on and off topic to ensure a terrific session. She felt encouraged by Hob and the fact that he showed interest in her life and the stories behind the paper. This session fully reinforces Newkirk’s theory on the need for a dialogue between students and tutors (teachers): “When we push students to speak…when we don’t rush in to fill silences, we may be able to transform the rules of studenthood.”
An additional session with Nuala revealed, though, that she does not require off topic conversation to get a lot out of her tutoring session. Nuala was tutored by Thessaly, a professor of hers, who was volunteering her time down at the writing center. The session lasted the same length of time Nuala’s session with Hob did, had as complex an assignment, but for whatever reason (possibly due to the pre-existing relationship the student shared with the tutor), they did not veer off topic for more than just a few moments. They remained on course the entire session, trading points about the paper. Nuala relayed what the professor was looking for and Thessaly did her best to respond appropriately. While this drive to stay on topic may come from the fact that Thessaly is used to keeping on one topic in her classroom setting, the fact remains that they covered the paper almost exclusively. Upon the completion of the session, when Nuala was asked, she responded that she felt that she got a lot out of the session and that she had a stronger grasp on the paper.
CONCLUSION
So, where is the line? It’s hard to make a definite statement about all cases, even at Kean University. For some students, such as Rose and Unity, they seemed to thrive on not discussing the work, but rather oscillating back and forth between topics, though this may have worked for them because Rose had a strong sense of what to do in the first place. Daniel and Lyta had no dialogue outside of their paper, and their session ended by Lyta leaving upset, with no clue what to do on her paper. Nuala and Hob found a balance, and both feel as though the session was a success, but the question remains how much more they could have accomplished if they had not changed topics so readily and frequently. For Nuala and Thessaly, though they did not veer off topic more than a few moments (if that), despite having a similar relationship (in terms of how much personal interaction they’d had prior to their session), they were able to conduct a successful session with much less off topic conversation.
It can then be concluded that not only is there no fixed ratio between on topic and off topic conversation, but that the amount of time spent on each is not determined by a single factor like the student. It’s a bigger picture, fitting in tutor, student, assignment, and any other number of variables. What if the student and the tutor were to discover they went to the same summer camp? While normally, that student and that tutor may not spend much time engaging in off topic discussion, upon finding a mutually shared experience, they may indulge themselves. The only certain conclusions we can draw from this is that while no off topic conversation hurts some, helps others, and too much can even do damage, the amount of off topic conversation, for better or worse, unavoidably affects the session.
*A special thanks to Kevin A Risse and Camille TooCoolForALastName for their help.

Revised Reseach Plan

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
To describe how the amount of time spent on off-topic conversation affects the student’s outcome in terms of how much they feel they’ve learned/are taking away with them.
DETAILED STATEMENT OF MY RESEARCH QUESTION
How does the amount of time spent on personal information affect the session?How do students feel about the amount of time spent on each aspect?
LIST OF THE INFORMATION I NEED TO GATHER
I will need students who don’t know their tutors, who do know their tutors, and a minute by minute breakdown of what they discuss (track personal conversation vs. on-topic conversation)
PLANS FOR GATHERING YOUR INFORMATION
I will need to give them evaluation forms after the sessions to find out if they feel they’ve learned nothing/something/a lot, etc. I need to be sure to find out how often they’ve met, for how long, and try to ascertain how well they know each other from their conversation. In doing my minutes of the session, I need to be very certain about looking for eye contact, off-topic conversation, ability to talking easily with each other, etc. I will also add questions to the post session questionnaire, including: “Have you worked with this tutor before? If so, how many times?”“How much time do you feel you spent on topic, discussing your paper, vs. how much time you spent discussing other topics (in minutes)?”“Would you have preferred more or less time on topic vs. off-topic discussion, how much, and why?”
PRELIMINARY LIST OF SOURCES
Bridgeport University Tutoring Guidelines
http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/5072.asp
Their rules for tutoring specifically says to speak as little as possible off topic, emphasizing the word “brief” as the guideline for how much time should be spent talking personal, not school assignment related
Tutoring Matters
http://books.google.com/books?id=wI4qh-eteQ4C&pg=RA1-PA126&dq=tutoring+personal+conversation#PRA1-PA127,M1
Book says that opening up a conversation, especially when there is a race, gender, class, or background difference can help get the dialogue going and make the communications between the two people more efficient.
Building Successful Student-Tutor Relationships
http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/practices/17487
Site says that by establishing a relationship, students and tutors are more effective.
“The Effects of Motivation and Anxiety on Students’ Use of Instructor Comments”
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/19/69/31.pdf
This site draws a comparison between student anxiety and outcome of tutoring session. By drawing a comparison, using the above link and this one, I will attempt to draw a conclusion saying students whose apprehension was assuaged by a stronger tutor-student relationship are likely to do better.
*LONGMAN – Murphy article, about Freud in the writing center.
*First 5 minutes

My (first draft) Research Proposal

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
How much time in a tutoring session is beneficial/appropriate/helpful to the student’s outcome in terms of how much they feel they’ve learned/are a taking away with them?
DETAILED STATEMENT OF MY RESEARCH QUESTION
I hope to discover how much time in each session should be dedicated to the topic vs. how much should be dedicated to the student/tutor relationship being cultivated/developed. I want to discover how important a personal, comfortable relationship is to the learning experience, to an extent, how the student/tutor relationship differs from the student/teacher relationship. I want to also find how much the students feel would benefit them, and if they feel the amount they are getting is adequate.
LIST OF THE INFORMATION I NEED TO GATHER/PLANS FOR GATHERING YOUR INFORMATION
I will need students who don’t know their tutors, who do know their tutors, and a minute by minute breakdown of what they discuss. I will need to give them evaluation forms after the sessions to find out if they feel they’ve learned nothing/something/a lot, etc. I need to be sure to find out how often they’ve met, for how long, and try to ascertain how well they know each other from their conversation. In doing my minutes of the session, I need to be very certain about looking for eye contact, off-topic conversation, ability to talking easily with each other, etc. I will also add questions to the post session questionnaire, including: “How much time do you feel you spent on topic, discussing your paper, vs. how much time you spent discussing other topics (in minutes)?”“Would you have preferred more or less time on topic vs. off-topic discussion, how much, and why?”
PRELIMINARY LIST OF SOURCES
Bridgeport University Tutoring Guidelines
http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/5072.asp
Their rules for tutoring specifically says to speak as little as possible off topic, emphasizing the word “brief” as the guideline for how much time should be spent talking personal, not school assignment related
Tutoring Matters
http://books.google.com/books?id=wI4qh-eteQ4C&pg=RA1-PA126&dq=tutoring+personal+conversation#PRA1-PA127,M1
Book says that opening up a conversation, especially when there is a race, gender, class, or background difference can help get the dialogue going and make the communications between the two people more efficient.
Building Successful Student-Tutor Relationships
http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/practices/17487
Site says that by establishing a relationship, students and tutors are more effective.
“The Effects of Motivation and Anxiety on Students’ Use of Instructor Comments”
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/19/69/31.pdf
This site draws a comparison between student anxiety and outcome of tutoring session. By drawing a comparison, using the above link and this one, I will attempt to draw a conclusion saying students whose apprehension was assuaged by a stronger tutor-student relationship are likely to do better.

My research question!

(1)
Gewertz – Harvard Gazette study – This study found that with special needs students, including blind students, they benefited from spending time just talking – that it created a more comfortable atmosphere for the students.
PSU study – this study found that by giving students the time to just talk about things, such as what they did the night before, they’re more ready to talk about other things. Additionally, they also talk about relating to the tutee using “I” statements, which makes them feel they’re not in this alone.
Bridgeport University – their rules for tutoring specifically says to speak as little as possible off topic, emphasizing the word “brief” as the guideline for how much time should be spent talking personal, not school assignment related
Tutoring Matter – book – says that opening up a conversation, especially when there is a race, gender, class, or background difference can help get the dialogue going and make the communications between the two people more efficient.
I would like to sit down and talk to you about finding sources. I know you said that there are a ton of sources and papers already written on my topic, yet I found none. The library at Kean did not seem to have any either. Additionally, the papers on tutoring theory I did find online were not available to view for free to see if the information I needed was in them, but rather had to be purchased. Please advise.
(2)
How much personal talk time is helpful? How much is harmful?
Do similarities in background help?
How much is based on tutor/tutee personality?
What is the variation (10-15-20 minutes) that still yields beneficial results?
How important is the existing tutor/tutee relationship, not just in regard to knowing how the tutor/tutee operates/teaches/learns, but in terms of personal investment.
Examining the bold questions (which tie into each other) a step further –
Does opening a friendly dialogue really help the student to learn more?
How well does a student need to know a tutor to learn better?
How personal should the relationship be?
How okay are tangents?
Who should open the dialogue/lines of communication?
Is there a “too comfortable” where the conversation loses sight of the purpose and becomes all personal?
How will these finding affect how we tutor? How long we schedule a session? Would there be an introductory session before any tutoring?
(3)
I will need students who don’t know their tutors, who do know their tutors, and a minute by minute breakdown of what they discuss. I will need to give them evaluation forms after the sessions to find out if they feel they’ve learned nothing/something/a lot, etc.

Writing Center assumptions

Students want to be there.

They are looking for help because they need it.

Students are open to suggestions.

They won't be difficult, but rather interested in what you have to say.

They will want to punch me if I use minimalist tutoring.

They will be full-time college students with part time jobs with a certain amount of time to dedicate to the class/assignment.

Guys will be more likely to get annoyed and walk out, whereas women will strive to fix it.

They will have the book, paper, notes, assignment sheet, etc.

They don't all share my world veiw - students will all be very different.

Everyone has my economic/social/geographic background.

BLOG 10

I would probably want to look into the usage of an hour, which sounds weird, I know.

I feel that if you spend the whole hour just working on the paper, you're not getting to know the student. I would want to see how a student improves related to how much personal time you spend getting to know them, how if you spend 15 minutes personal/45 minutes personal, 20 personal/40 paper, 30/30, 59/01, etc. There's my question.

-Nick

BLOG 9

Minimalist tutoring is a tricky deal. It's hard to know if it's really a good thing, or just an annoying thing. In some cases, it's the right thing - it helps the student find the answer in themself - but there are instances where people don't have the material needed to begin with - if the person has to do an analysis and doesn't know what an analysis is, just questioning them won't help them finish their paper, it'll just help you get punched in the face. However, if it seems like the student is on the right path, just don't seem to have it focused yet, minimalist tutoring could very well be the necessary approach.

I think minimalist tutoring will be a weapon in my learning arsenal, but I don't believe it's gonna be my go-to. There are a lot of ways to help students get to the answers they need, so I don't believe there is a hardcore need to limit myself to one. I know Dr. Chandler indicated that we will use minimalist tutoring a lot, but I feel like I'll either come to find that to be true on my own, or I'll develop my own style.

-Nick

BLOG 8

My checklist:

Check my stereotypes at the door - if they happen to fall into them, that's fine, but don't go into it thinking that.
Remember that each person went to a different school, had a different set of teachers, and has a different brain - which all affect their learning.
See the student in action before judging their ability - no skin color, age, or personality type determines intelligence - only their ability does - and even then, ability does not go as far as to say what you'll get from them - drive is majorly important.

I'm sorry this is a short blog. I wish I had more to say on the topic than I do. :( I'll think more on it and add it to a later post. Sometimes I find it hard to write on a topic because it just, I don't know, it doesn't flow. As I think on it over the weekened, hopefully, it'll come together. That'll be an aspect of my tutoring I'll have to work on. There'll be times I don't feel like writing, or maybe understand the material particularly well (which is particularly unmotivating for me), but I'll still have to - I'll have to push myself as hard as I can. I won't have a choice in my career of TV/comic writer - it's not a luxury I'll have - so best I learn how now....and just skimp on a blog that I will catch up on later. Really sorry if this is letting anyone down. I know how many million read my blogs and how much they look forward to it. That's the problem with being a world famous bloggerist. You begin to have a fanbase, one that is so damanding, who just attack you over it. When I got started with my first blog, for Creative Non-Fiction, little did I know the celebrity I would become.

Before I knew it, it'd be a whirlwind of a semester - parties, concerts, benefits for babies born with (insert limb here), the White Party on Fire Island - and from then I knew I was changed. I won Best Blog by a Leading Blogist at the Bloggy Awards (I know, I know, I promsed I wasn't going to bring it up, but I couldn't help it - it means a lot to me). As my blogs progressed (last semester's award winning piece on Queen Shaxis of the Neurpton Galaxy), I just fell further and further into it. That was nothing compared to when Blogbra Walters and I sat down for our blogterview, which was truly the highlight of my blogeerer, and I knew I'd made it.

So I'm sure my fans look forward to reading my blog as much as I look forward to writing it. Final words of wisdom? Always wear clean underwear and never be racist in a tutoring center.
-Nick

BLOG 7

The most important feature of effective tutoring definitely has to be adaptability.

You need to be able to conform and adapt to the assignment, the student, etc. It's unbelievable the differences in the students in this class alone. We all have different experiences, frames of reference, etc, and we all excel at different things. Well, except me and Kevin. We're the same person.

The ability to figure out what a student needs and to adjust your tutoring style is so essential to the ability to give them the information they need. In order to get that kind of adaptability, one must be well versed in different areas and forms of writing. One thing I'd like to work on is my knowledge of the different types of assignments students may come in with, which is turning out to be a major part of this class (a good thing for my tutoring experience, a bad thing for my sanity). I hope to continue to grow as a tutor and learn more, that will allow me to help any student who comes into the center looking for guidance.

-Nick

10/01/08 Class notes. CRAZY intense. Wow. READ THESE FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT. Hell, these verge on taking minutes.

Name author, title of article in quotations
All subsequent references using last names
First sentnece, make a general statement of the over-all focus of the article
Summarize the basic information in the paper shortly, but then go into one specific area

ANALYZE ESSAY
Example using structure

Identify essays, author in the first sentence
Analyze style
State conclusion in the opening paragraph
(For North, show that while North's essays come to different conclusions and seem very different, in fact, when you
analyze the style, they have the same structure.)
In the body, identify parts and relationships (one then the other).
Final paragraph restates the conclusions

BREAK INTO PARTS
EXAMINE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PARTS
STATE HOW THE ESSAY WORKS
---------------------------------------
Critical analysis = examines assumptions
Literary analysis = examine plot, theme, etc

You can analyze anything in an essay, really.
EXAMPLES:
(1)
tutor/student relationship
writing centers/administration
tutors/teachers
(2)
how writing centers are misunderstood
ways they are misunderstood

BICYCLE EXAMPLE:
The parts of the bike: Handle bars, the chains, the gears, the wheels, the seat
The relationship: The handlebars connect to the body of the bike, allowing you to steer the wheels, which connects to the chain, which makes the bike move.
How the bike works:
You pedal the bike to make it go forward and steer.

IMPORTANT:
Must remember an analysis must be relevant to overall focus of essay

COMMON PROBLEMS:
Didn't know the definition of analysis
Which type of analysis
Trying to narrow down to one focus (applying definition of analysis to essay ((what are parts in an essay? relationships? what do they do?)))
Encouraging students to trust themselves (go with your hunches)
Finding evidence to support your theory

COMMON ISSUES WITH GENERAL TUTORINGS:
Second language issues
Reading issues/strategies
Genre/convention issues (the teacher is looking for information in specific areas)
(common essays: summarizing, responding, analyzing, arguments/persuation, research essay)

NOTE TAKING DURING SESSIONS - NOTES
You are not responsible for their progression - they are. Your job is to be a sounding board. Your responsibility is to explain how writing works. There are some conventions that you just have to outright tell them.
First thing: must make sure the student is okay with you taking notes (as the observer), also do not write down their names due to the NIH training
Things to notice to analyze:
Student reaction (body language, what they say, what they apply) - what counts as evidence of these reactions - head nodding, moves closer, frowns, etc
What the tutor does, says, etc.
Note how often the tutor speaks, etc. What methods brought out more effective responses.
Notice comfortability - enviornement, prescence/affect of other people, etc.
How much off-topic conversation came up (some is necessary, too much can wreck a session)
Their gestures, tone of voice (pitch, speed, roughness, volume)
Your notes will be all physical and audible observations, the kind of things you can count - you're just putting down facts, what has ACTUALLY happened.
Happy/sad/good session/frustration - that kind of stuff goes in your impressions/interpretation at the end.

ASSIGNMENTS DUE FOR MONDAY:
Blog 7 - Although you didn't have an experience, write about the most important features are of effective tutoring - domain knowledge, personal manner, etc, and what would you like to work on improving in your session - also, what more do you want from Dr. Chandler?

Revise North (and for some of us, revise Lunsford summary/response).

Tutoring Different People - gay purple book
Minimalist Tutoring pg 219 - big annoying book

BLOG 6

Writing center philosophy. My new enemy. I thought we were coming to end on you. But no. Now you're more complicated. And you're multifaceted. And layered. You are a cruel mistress writing center philosophy. And I love you.

I believe the entirity of the learning experience is based in student centered learning. If it was only possible to set each student in school with one teacher for an hour at a time, we would have an army of brilliant writers (hopefully). I feel as though that is completely unrealistic though. However, that in mind, writing centers are able to give students that chance. I would love it if every writing center appointment was a mandatory two appointments, one so the tutor and student could get familiar with each other and another and another to work. On second thought, three appoints. A first meeting, a second appointment to develop the material, and a third, final appointment to go over what they've written at home. I am very Garrett.

As I'm not actually going to be teaching full time, I can devote that kind of time, as long as the student can make the time to do it. If not, I'll have to bend a bit, and in that regard, I'd go for a Burkean Parlor/Garrett hybrid. I am going to have to post more on this as it is really difficult to focus on one idea. I hope this class helps me to better understand how to teach people in a way that is realistic to reach them.

-Nick

BLOG 5

Kevin and I missed the class where we held mock tutoring session on the drafts of Lunsford. So, we decided to hold our own mock tutoring session, in which he tutored me on my draft.

When it started, I showed Kevin my draft and told him what I was worried about. While I read Lunsford a few times, I honestly don't feel like I had a strong enough response to it to formulate a response paper. To get us started, not that there was a lot of awkward, but he used a free talking to get the assignment flowing. He, luckily enough, having known the text, was able to add and ask about it. However, I didn't think to take the book out but Kevin reminded me that when going over a paper, especially one where I wasn't sure of the assignment or content, without a book, is nearly insane.

Through free talking, Kevin was able to get me to say more about how I feel on the topic, which he made me write down. After fifteen minutes of talking about the topic, looking down at my page, I had a ton of things I hadn't added into my paper. He took a look at my grammar, which is usually helacious to be honest, he circled my errors (as I told him I could print out another copy). He had me fix the errors (most of which I make because I'm rushing to get out all of my ideas, which seem to come so quickly I cannot slow down enough to get them all out) but he wouldn't outright tell me what I had to do to fix them.

After 45 minutes of sort of talking out the paper, I began shooting past him ideas of where I could insert the additional ideas so that they would make sense, but he reminded me just inserting additional information doesn't increase a paper's quality - only makes it longer. I took a look, and with the last 10 minutes or so we attempted to figure out how to restructure parts of the paper to include the new material.

REVIEW:
Kevin was helpful, but never led, which is very interesting, especially considering how close we are. I was able to still make my own material, without him inserting his own agenda. He very much kept me feeling comfortable and producing work of my own voice. It made me feel better knowing he wasn't trying to lead me to what he wanted to write. It was a good experience which helped me to turn out more, stronger, and better material based on what I already throught.

BLOG 4

My tutoring experience Steph:

Steph continually encouraged me to think about personal experiences I could liken my essay to, which really helped me develop an angle. That's something I'll definitely be planning on using when I tutor students. By having me think about personal experiences, I was able to get into the paper much easier. She was very supportive and tried not to give me answers/her ideas, but kept asking questions that forced me to come up with my own ideas, which made the whole experience much easier. She talked to me like a student would talk to another, not like someone who is my age, making me feel like she was on my side, not talking down to me. That's a tactic that put me at ease, as someone who hates being tutored and would rather learn on my own.

Stephanie also kept telling me to write things down, understanding that even a really brilliant idea can be fleeting and you don't want to lose anything. She was friendly and smiled,
and even told her own personal anecdotes, again reminding me she's been where I've been. She told me her weaknesses and strengths and said "Let's try to use that combination together to make this paper great." By using "we" and "us" she made me feel like I wasn't on my own, that I had help with the assignment, which I has having trouble with if I came to someone for help.

I would definitely try to use these techniques in my own tutoring sessions. She put me at ease with the assignment and got things out of me that I'm going to use in my paper. The best part is I don't feel like she led me at all. She may have guided me to answers I already had, but she didn't force her idea on my paper on me. I definitely appreciated that kind of guidance, as opposed to co-writing.
-Nick

Class notes 09/22/08

conversation - used to determine assignment, class, etc, following it with what they need to do with the paper, try to establish their understanding of the paper.
free writingwriter's alertness
Collaboration = good idea -> but has problems Collaboration masquerades as democracy -> points of conflict with collaboration Definition of collaboration Advantages of collaboration (+ why it works) Collaboration in the writing center = hard. / and to be careful - 3 models for writing center -> story of how she changed her mind -free writing -conversation

WRITING CENTER WITH STEPHANIE
Personal experience (my collaborative process with the D.A.) as it relates to the textTouch subject rather than grab it.Callabo = yes/no
Intro - discuss Lunsford says good/bad. I say Lunsford smart.
Bad - collaboration can inhibit personal veiw and voice
Good - collaboration can be helpful.
Closing - collaboration doesn't work for everyone.
Remember to keep it responsorial - state clearly my opinion.

Steph was encouraging, but not leading. Didn't give any of her ideas for the paper.

BLOG #3

Garret or Stock? Who will win? You decide on tonight's WRITING CENTER PHILOSOPHY IDOL FINALE!

Really, though. I don't think either one can truly be "the single learning process" anyone uses. For Garret to be accurate, all people must learn all things at the same pace. By having division of learning levels (from honors to resource room), the government is saying that they understand that all people do not learn the exact same, and in fact, knowledge is not a pen.

Realistically, though, there does need to be some kind of standard by which we measure knowledge. While it would be awesome for everyone to learn uniquely and specialized to their needs and personality, we do not have the resources, economic or man-powerwise, to give each and every student their own unique learning experience. There exist issue with both.

Personally, I straddle the middle on the issue. I can't fully give my all to either side - I do believe one is more right than the other (knowledge is not a pen, but something earned differently by each person), but realistically, we need to have some standard by which we measure learning - some constant we can use as a general guide for most cases. I respect and understand that we each learning individually, but we don't each have brains that are set up infinite numbers of different ways - we have commonality to some extent. It's that commonality that allows most of our students to fill 102 to 104 classes in high school, with a few falling to either side of that general middle who do recieve special learning enviornments. I'm proud to say that I have been taught by smart enough and good enough teachers to understand that it takes both concepts to truly teach someone and I will be glad try to apply both to my upcoming experiences in the writing center.

-Nick

Classnotes 9/17

MODEL TUTORING SESSION
THINGS TO LOOK FOR:
Descriptive, rather than interpretive notes.
Body language
Questions/responses in conversation
Quote if necessary
Context /setting
Description of subjects
What changes/they do to their assignments
STEPH VS CHANDLER – THE GOLD TUTORING BELT – FIGHT ON!
Began with starting by asking about the assignment (the class, the the actual assignment, the story)
Double checked her understanding of the assignment.
Asked to see the book
Asked what the student expected to gain from this.
Asked the student what she thought the book was trying to say
Repeated again what she thought the student was trying to say.
She then encouraged the student to write down what she interpreted the subject of the paper to be, and wrote it down herself.
Chandler keeps asking to find out what she’s trying to say, avoiding questions that are too leading.
Stephanie seems to be acknowledging and nodding a lot.
Laughter indicating the situation is comfortable.
Chandler is being encouraging when appropriate (commenting on her understanding of essay writing)
They have gone back into the book, Chandler asking what Stephanie thought was important about the essay. They then found common interests in the work – they continue to talk about big points in the work.
Chandler continued to write down notes, matching Stephanie’s notes.
Chandler asked if her understanding was accurate again, to which Steph replied “Um, that’s where I got confused.”
They both read over the work looking for a mutual point they can understand.
Sort of feel that Chandler is asking a leading question in an effort to get to a point that it seems like Steph is trying to get to, but doesn’t necessarily understand yet. They take notes on the new point they’ve found. Chandler commends her on her point and compliments her word usage.
Chandler broke the fourth wall.
She continued to ask questions about where she should go with her essay, leading them both back to writing.
Stephanie seemed confused, sort of pondering.
Chandler sort of leads her somewhere, but then gets back to an earlier point Stephanie has made.
She asks Stephanie a major question in terms of the paper itself, to which Stephanie replies. She tells her about her experience. She sounds like she understand the point, and is gesturing comfortably with her hands.
Chandler asks a question about is she saying good collaboration vs bad collaboration. She asks it again when she doesn’t get a response.
Stephanie replies the way it seems Chandler wants. Chandler asks for proof and supporting evidence in the article, which Stephanie is able to provide, using quotes from the text.
When prompted, Stephanie responded to a leading question with an unsure “probably.”
Chandler asks what Stephanie feels is useful or good.
Chandler asks a leading question, which is in fairness built on information Stephanie gave, and Stephanie responded with “sort of.”
And then Chandler broke the fourth wall. Again.
Stephanie just continued to make her point, fulfilling the requirements of the essay.
She then did her Matthew McConnaughey impression.
They go back to the original focus.
By this point, Stephanie has a half of page of notes. As Chandler talks, Stephanie continues to look at her book, as if she’s looking for the answers she needs in the book.
Chandler uses “we”, followed by giving her interpretation, punctuating it with “I may be wrong.”
AND YET AGAIN, MORE FOURTH WALL. Oh wait, she’s now directly addressing the audience. Oooh, meta.
Ending it with asking if she’d like another session, any other questions, etc.
20 minutes
Chandler, much like She-Hulk, broke the fourth wall a ton. On the whole, Chandler had an idea of what she wanted to hear/see happen, so she tried to lead Stephanie there.
Need to be encouraging, opening up at the beginning, and summing up.
Don’t be a cheerleader. A pluses not pom poms.

Blog 1

I am a rewriter. Most of my writing seems to be rewriting my earlier work. To see that academics think that method of constantly fixing is okay by them, well, that makes me feel ooey gooey inside.

I don't agree, really, that there are 3 forms of tutoring and 3 forms of tutoring alone. There are such subtle variations I don't really feel that the two extremes really ever occurs anymore. It seems like all classes involve some amount of discussion or reaction. And really, any teacher who sticks to teacher-centered writing seems to me to be a little behind the times and not at all interested solely in the benefit of the student as much as solely interested in having a job with tenure when no one can fire them, short of a human kiln.

I look forward to getting to a point where I more lean towards student-centered writing, rather than so in the middle, as I'd like to help the student learn to bring out what's inside of themselves more than just what I think they have inside.

-Nicholas

9/10/08 Class Notes

BOARD SHARED LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
Clarify what's expected
support practice
feedback and encouragement
validated learner's learning strategies
give information learner didn't have
helped identify strategies
connected to learner's interests and abilities
coach acknowledges that learner is in charge
model patterns
walk learner through things
support with info abouy conventions
help identify focus and organization
okay to be casting around
connecting to the students strength
limiting/focusing areas of attention
being aware of/responding to learner's emotions
help with the chaos

CHAPTER INCLUDED:
Review of research (emperical research - studies based on observation and experiences)
Not nearly enough studies
We will be focusing on qualitative studies

Page 9 oddly matches our board list of necessary features in tutoring

METALANGUAGE-
"meta" - over, the next level up
so, metalanguage is the language used to talk about language, ie: learning the different special terms involved with writing and response
(writing down goals, ideas before getting to the draft, brainstorming, outlining)

Tutoring works for students of all ages, helps with attitudes towards literature, self esteem, etc.

TUTORING DON'T'S
add your own stuff
give false praise
just detect errors
act like a therapist
take ownership
have all the answers
respond too late


FOR NEXT CLASS FOR NEXT CLASS FOR NEXT CLASS FOR NEXT CLASS
*pages 21-30 in the tiny purple book, respond to reading (any sort of response, but do include the class stuff)