Center for Teaching and Learning
TL 207: Approaches to Peer Writing Support
Fall 2014
Instructors:
Sylvia Whitman
Peter Redding
Phone: 703-284-6478
Phone: 703-284-5967
Emails:
sylvia.whitman@marymount.edu
predding@marymount.edu
Office: Rowley G105C
Office: Rowley G105G
Office hours: We’re here Mon-Fri; drop by whenever our doors are open.
Course website/blog site: commons.marymount.edu/turtletalk/
Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.
~E.L. Doctorow
I. Broad Purpose of the Course
All writers need readers. Preparing you for your work as a peer writing consultant at Marymount’s Teaching
and Learning Center, this pass/fail course aims to hone your ability to talk with student writers about their work
in progress. It overlaps with TL 205, for academic content tutors, and covers topics required by the College
Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) International Tutor Training Program. Once CRLA has certified our
center, you can earn Level 1 CRLA certification by completing this course and tutoring for 25 hours.
II. Course Objectives
We challenge you to
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
consider the differences between writing consulting and teaching
understand the Marymount context—our center, our students, our courses
develop a code of ethics
practice communication skills, such as active listening and paraphrasing
become familiar with different learning styles and learning difficulties
assess your own strengths and weaknesses as a writer and reader
explore writing strategies to share with peers
reflect on your work as a writing consultant
III. Teaching Method and Class Philosophy
Expect to think and move and collaborate! This course involves discussion, hands-on activities, role-plays,
group work, and blogging.
Our job is to create an inviting environment for learning. We want you to feel safe asking questions and taking
risks. Your job is to come to class with homework done, brain on, and electronics off.
TL 207 syllabus—Approaches to Peer Writing Support
IV. Course Requirements and Grading Policy
This is a pass/fail course.
To pass, you must attend all the sessions listed below and complete the assignments, including
posting to our combined class blog. A typical blog post runs about 150 words. We will provide
more detailed prompts.
1. ~12 hours of training before classes start (Tuesday, 8/19, and Thursday, 8/21)
2. 5 hours of training throughout the fall (probably Wednesdays 9/3, 9/17, 10/8, 10/22, and 11/13, time
TBD)
3. 1 hour of observation (in October)—and feel free to do more on “downtime”
V. Class Schedule—assignments and activities subject to change
Date
Day 1
Tuesday
8/19/14
Topic
Assignment due before class
9-10am
Ice breaker 1
Definition of tutoring and tutor responsibilities
Marymount/CTL context
CRLA certification
Read Jeff Brooks, “Minimalist
Tutoring: Making the Student Do
All the Work.”
10:15-11am
Ethics and philosophy of the tutor program
Beginning and ending a tutor session
Setting goals
11-noon
Mindfulness
Active listening and paraphrasing
Use of probing questions
Scripts
12-1:15pm
Photos
Lunch in cafeteria
1:15pm-2:30pm
Learning styles—diverse learners: VARK, students w/LDs
Cultural awareness
2:30-3:30pm
(breakout session for writing consultants)
Tutoring in specific skill/subject areas
Writing process
Revision toolbox
Read Irene Clark and David
Healy, “Are Writing Centers
Ethical?”
Take the VARK learning styles
inventory.
(Bring results to class.)
Browse Turtle Talk, our class and
community blog. You are officially
an editor.
Browse the Purdue Online
Writing Lab (OWL). Make sure to
look at the site map.
Find an online resource that
would be useful to you as a
student writer. Post on our class
blog on the “Links for Writers”
page.
3:30-4pm
Reflect and review—PowerPoint challenge
2
TL 207 syllabus—Approaches to Peer Writing Support
Date
Wednesday
8/20/14
Day 2
Thursday
8/21/14
Topic
Assignment due before class
LEADERSHIP DAY ACTIVITIES (undergrads)
Go!
Starts 8-9 am Ballston, food provided, including fancy dinner
9-10:30am
Icebreaker 2
Referral skills—online and campus resources
Study skills—reading thinkalouds
Study skills—time management & Operation Fast Start
10:45-11:30am
(breakout session for writing consultants)
Tutoring in specific skill/subject areas
Grammar
11:30am-12:30pm
Role modeling
Logistics of being a CTL tutor
Communication skills—session notes and tutoring language
Practice sessions—writing and problem solving
12:30-1:30pm
Browse your writing consultant
handbook.
Take the Metacognitive
Awareness of Reading Strategies
Inventory (MARSI).
(Bring results to class.)
Read Alice L. Trupe, “Organizing
Ideas,” and Beth Rapp Young,
“Can You Proofread This?” in
Rafoth, ed., A Tutor’s Guide
(available in CTL).
Write a two paragraph personal
statement introducing yourself to
your tutor peers. Cut and paste it
onto your page in Turtle Talk.
Lunch in cafeteria
1:30-2pm
Starfish scheduling in computer lab Rowley G221
2-3pm
(breakout session: writing consultants)
Tutoring in specific skill/subject areas
Managing expectations
Crossing disciplinary boundaries
Citation & plagiarism
Blog #1 on Turtle Talk (due
Sunday, 8/24): Discuss one
consulting strategy from our
“crash training” that you think will
be useful. Tag: consulting
strategy.
3-3:15pm
Tutoring dos and don’ts—the tutoring environment
3:15-4pm
Reflect and review—Jeopardy!
3:45-4:30pm
Tea and cookies with veteran tutors
Meeting 1
9/3/14
4-5pm
(breakout session: writing consultants)
Tutoring in specific skill/subject areas
EN 101, EN 102, and WI with composition director Bess Fox
Blog #2: What were the highs
and lows of your freshman writing
class(es)? Tag: freshman writing
3
TL 207 syllabus—Approaches to Peer Writing Support
Date
Topic
Meeting 2
9/17/14
Assignment due before class
Time TBD
Handling difficult students
Read Muriel Harris, “Talk to Me:
Engaging Reluctant Writers,” in
Rafoth, ed., A Tutor’s Guide.
Blog #3: Everyone has fears as
they start this job. What are
some of yours? Tag: fears
Meeting 3
10/8/14
Time TBD
(breakout session: writing consultants)
Tutoring in specific skill/subject areas
Multilingual writers
Read Carol Severino’s “Crossing
Cultures with International ESL
Writers” or Jennifer Ritter’s
“Recent Developments in
Assisting ESL Writers,” in Rafoth,
ed., A Tutor’s Guide.
Blog #4: Agree with or dispute
one point in the article you read.
Comment on at least three blog
posts (we’ll give you names to
make sure that everyone gets
feedback). Tag: ESL writers
Observation
no later than
Oct. 15
Meeting 4
10/22/14
Exact time subject to schedule--1 hour
(writing consultants)
Observe a writing session, HB pg. 45-46
After the observation:
Time TBD
Professional development—certificates, conferences, jobs
Read Ben Rafoth, “Helping
Writers to Think Analytically,” in
Rafoth, ed., A Tutor’s Guide.
Meeting 5
11/12/14
Time TBD
before
Thanksgiving
You’ll be busy as a writing consultant!
Blog #5: Describe the strong
points of the session and one
thing the consultant might have
done differently. Tag: observation
Blog #6: What have you learned
about yourself as a writer/writing
consultant this semester? Tag:
self-discovery
VI. Required Reading
Jeff Brooks, “Minimalist Tutoring: Making the Student Do All the Work,” Writing Lab Newsletter 15, no. 6
(1991): 1-4. Available at http://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v15/15-6.pdf.
Irene Clark and David Healy, “Are Writing Centers Ethical?” WPA [Writing Program Administration] 20, no. 1-2
(1996): 32-48. Available at http://eng1020.pbworks.com/f/Clark_Healy.pdf.
4
TL 207 syllabus—Approaches to Peer Writing Support
selections from Ben Rafoth, ed., A Tutor’s Guide: Helping Writers One to One, 2nd edition (Boynton Cook,
2000/2005). ISBN 978-0-86709-495-4
 Copies (1st and 2nd edition) are in the tutor workroom; page #’s may differ in the 1st edition.
Marymount Writing Consultant Handbook
 We’ll give this to you on the first day of class.
VII. Assignments
Readings
Personal statement
Blog & Comments (6 required posts + 3 comments—unlimited optional ones, which you may do on downtime)
Audience: The CTL tutoring community
Purpose: To share questions, ideas, thoughts, and suggestions.
Format: About 150 words, posted on Turtle Talk. We’ll give you prompts. You may write conversationally, but
impress your readers by avoiding text talk (URGR8) and proofreading for correct grammar and mechanics.
Observations
Please observe an experienced writing consultant in action sometime before the middle of October. You have
a blog prompt. Do not include any names of student writers.
MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY HONOR PLEDGE
As a member of the Marymount University community, I agree to uphold the principles of honor set forth by this
community, to defend these principles against abuse or misuse, and to abide by the regulations of the
University.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT
Please discuss with us any special challenges or needs at the beginning of the semester. If you need disability
accommodations, get a Faculty Contact Sheet (FCS) from the Access Services office, 703-284-1615, Main
Campus, Rowley G105.
ACCESS TO STUDENT WORK
If we give a talk or publish a paper about this class, we might share your work—but only if you agree. We’ll
pass out a consent form. Giving or denying us permission will have no effect on your grade.
5