Re: other tutoring

[Barbara Biasiolli <barblac@stmarytx.edu>]

Jeanne et al.
 
I, too, am glad to see this thread about other tutoring.  So far I have
gotten the impression that WC folks wish to avoid the *infiltration* of
their writing centers by other kinds of tutoring.   Having been brought into
a learning center nine years ago to establish a Writing Center, I now would
now not have it any other way.   The thing I love best about coming to work
everyday in the cross-pollination of ideas that goes on between math tutors,
writing tutors, chemistry tutors, accounting tutors etc.

General principles about hiring the right kind of peer tutors, training
tutors to foster independence, emphasizing real learning over just getting a
grade, teaching coping strategies to handle stressed-out students, sharing
techniques for conveying content are just a few of the many concepts that
carry over across disciplines in our center on a daily basis.

What I love best of all, is to see tutors tutoring each other.  Math tutors
go to the Writing Center with their papers, and writing tutors won't sign up
for that last killer math course unless they know that they can get so and
so to help them.  These natural associations provide excellent role models
for students reluctant to ask help.  *Gosh, if even the tutors tutor each
other, then maybe I'm not so dumb after all and I ought to try it."

Some of the perceived perks of becoming a tutor in a center like this are
the friendships that are formed by some the best and brightest students from
multiple disciplines that might not have taken place otherwise.   

Also the financial benefits for a comprehensive center seem better.
Currently, I am finally able to get the secretary I have asked for because
of a grant for math and chemisty  tutoring.  This will now free me up from
lots of administrative tasks and get me back to what a love best, working
with tutors and students, especially the writing tutors.

Of course, the trade-off is the diffusion of my efforts away from just
writing and toward the needs of the many.   There never seems to be enough
time to do things the way I'd like to.  

But all in all, the diversity, the exchange of ideas, the cross-pollination
of learning perspectives, just the traffic flow, I would say, have had more
of positive than negative effect on our Writing Center.

At 05:17 PM 1/7/97 -0600, you wrote:
>Lynell, Jean and friends,
>
>I am delighted to see this thread developing and so ask that the apologies
>and  oops-not-off-list comments be dropped.  The fact that many writing
>center personnel with other tutoring obligations of various kinds are on
>this list is reason enough to continue.
>
>... If the institution supports this kind of instruction, informal though
it may be, then we have an obligation to make sure it is not totally
haphazard.  
>
>There are, as Jean wisely points out, certain principles that apply to any
>kind of tutoring, and we should make an effort to make sure they get
>discussed and considered and applied...  
>
>Friends, don't undervalue this knowledge...
>
>Jeanne Simpson
>csjhs@eiu.edu
>
Barbara Biasiolli (barblac@stmarytx.edu)
Learning Assistance Center
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, TX 78228-8554