Tutor Training--case studies

[Christine Cozzens <FAIRVIEW@worldnet.att.net>]

The centerpiece of our training program at Agnes Scott is discussion at 
our weekly staff meetings of recent or ongoing cases.  Nothing is more 
important--I think--than this piece of the training picture.  When a 
tutor describes a recent experience, she may hear from other tutors 
who've had similar experiences or who've tutored the same person, and 
even in articulating the case, she often achieves insights she didn't 
have before.  From these weekly talks, we also get a feel for what 
experts we might want to have come and talk to the staff--faculty 
members who are assigning writing that works or doesn't, staff members 
such as counselors or study specialists, and so on.  

Another essential feature of training tutors is that I require that all 
tutors go to other tutors for tutoring--seems like a simle thing, but 
you know how ggod writers--even tutors, sometimes--think they don't need 
help.  They love this requirement because they learn a lot about other 
tutoring styles and about what it's like to be the vulnerable one.  The 
books and exercises are fine, but I am a firm believer in hands-on 
training, especially for writing, because everything about writing is 
easier in the abstract than when you actually sit down and do it.