Ott tutoring philosophy
As a first-year tutor at Ott Memorial Writing Center I realize that I am continuously learning
about what it means to be a tutor. “What does it mean to be an effective tutor who can give the
best possible suggestions to a writer?” is a question that I believe cannot be given one concrete
answer. Rather, I think that it is something that a tutor must constantly contemplate and work on
continuously. For example, a tutor may believe that they have the greatest possible strategies for
helping a first-year writer with their first paper but while their strategies may be helpful, a tutor
should keep an open mind about different methods of helping a writer. A writer should therefore
be open-minded and flexible when it comes to writing strategies they use.
Not every writer has the same writing style and every writer will not benefit from the same
strategies a tutor will use. I have come to recognize that I cannot assume that even if two writers
have the similar writing assignments, they will not benefit from the same strategies that I use.
One writer may deem it necessary to be given a lot of guidance on how to write a paper while
another writer just needs reassurance in what they have written. Whether I take on a more
directive tutoring strategy or a less directive one with some writers, it is necessary to ask the
writer what they think about a suggestion that I have given them. Being a writing center tutor
does not mean that a writer merely agrees with everything that the writer says because they are
considered the “expert”. It is vital for a tutor to understand that meeting with a writer is a not a
one-sided conversation where they just provide their expertise without taking into consideration
what the writer thinks.
Being a writing center tutor I don’t expect to be an expert in every type of discipline meaning
that I recognize that I don’t know everything there is to know about different types of writing.
This is important to recognize because it means that with the writers that I work with, both the
writer and I can learn from each other. While I may know more about what makes a “good”
paper and can provide my expertise, writers can teach me different ways of thinking about
certain writing. If a writer recognizes that the tutor is not an all-knowing person who will judge
them about their writing, an environment can be created where the writer feels that they can ask
any type of question regarding their work. As I mentioned above, some writers want reassurance
that what they have written is good. I’m beginning to learn that as much as it is important to help
a writer improve their writing, it is also important to shed light on what they have done well.
Writers should feel comfortable when meeting with a writer and recognize that everyone
struggles when it comes to writing, even tutors.
I have come to learn that as much as it necessary to communicate effectively with a writer, it is
also important to be able to discuss writing with other tutors. I often have conversations with
other tutors about strategies that I find helpful or how I may struggle with certain types of
writing. Other tutors can offer their own expertise which allows tutors to learn about different
strategies they might find helpful.
Being a tutor has proven both a challenge and rewarding and in a writing center it is necessary to
maintain good communication with writers and with tutors. I often have to explain to friends
and others that being a writing center tutor is not about writing red marks on someone’s paper
and merely looking at grammar mistakes. While fixing mechanical or grammar errors may help a
writer improve in that area of writing, the tutor is not helping a writer in the long-run. Being a
writing center tutor means that one has to provide all the helpful knowledge they can and
creating a collaborative environment.