Level 2 Writing Workshop

Becoming an Effective Writing TutorLEVEL 2

ABRIDGED VERSION OF THE TASK: A GUIDE FOR TUTORS IN THE RUTGERS WRITING CENTER

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Respond to the needs of your “client”

Listen and pay close attention

Look at all supporting materials they have brought (assignment question, their draft, or previous papers with professor’s comments).

The Ten Commandments of Tutoring

1) Be positive and do no harm.

Don’t make fun or be overly critical.

Realize baggage student might be carrying from high school experiences. Some teachers use the red pen all over the paper, while others were not rigorous enough and created a false sense of self-esteem.

2) Be friendly but don’t “socialize”.

They need your help because you have more advanced skills in this area. They don’t need your friendship.

3) Cut the talking and get them writing.

The more a tutor talks, the less the student writes (and they will try to keep you talking!).

The Ten Commandments of Tutoring If the student has made no progress on writing their ideas down, discussion fades. They need to leave with some tangible results and goals for the next session: notes and pre-writing that THEY have developed by working closely with a few short passages or areas of the text, some substantial revisions to one or more paragraphs, or at least, written notes about the direction of the paper.

4)Think long term and don’t let “paper panic” shape the session.

Don’t them get sidetracked by grades but rather progress. Emphasize looking at professor’s comments and how to address those comments in the next paper.

If student is panicking, re-focus on getting something done.

The Ten Commandments of Tutoring

5) Keep the tasks authentic – there are no “generic” tasks.

Every student has weaknesses and strengths, so your approach shouldn’t be a cookie-cutter approach. Identify what is most useful for them and their style, not necessarily some formulaic writing process.

You can identify where to focus by looking at professor’s comments, student self-assessment, and your assessment of the writing itself. Always read what the student has written so far.

6) Don’t try to address everything – think “triage”.

“Where is the bleeding most severe?” (especially with papers with multiple problems)

7) Supplement and don’t supplant the professor.

For the most part, your work should complement class, not replicate. There will be times when you might need to remediate. Professors focus on the whole class; you get to customize.

The Ten Commandments of Tutoring You can really use teachable moments, so you can break down each moment as much as your student needs.

Encourage your student to see the professor during his/her office hours and to use the writing center on campus, also.

Maintain your role as a tutor, not the professor. Don’t challenge the instructor’s methods or authority.

8) Be their coach, not their savior.

Sometimes, you are disappointed when the student doesn’t do well, but the paper is the student’s responsibility, not yours.

Don’t encourage dependence. Make sure they do some writing on their own time, not just when they are with you.

The Ten Commandments of Tutoring

9) Start with ideas, then work on form.

Don’t waste a lot of time with the thesis statement. “A ‘thesis statement’ is rarely a starting place for writing. [It] is simply the formal presentation of the writer’s ideas – and those ideas can only emerge through the writing process” (10).

Sometimes, the first thing we notice is organization and the need to clean a paper up, but the problems could be conceptual.

10) Teach the writer, not the writing.

Your focus should be on building a better writer, not creating the perfect paper.

Practices Have students assess their own strengths and weaknesses.

Help them to be a little more cognitively aware of their own writing.

Discuss these points and they can strengthen the weak points and include more of the strong points.

This all can be accomplished by having the students go through previous papers, paying attention to any feedback the teacher has written.

The better you get to know your students and their writing style, the more you can improve upon recurrent problems.

Practices Make Lists.

For students who do not enjoy writing, making lists might help facilitate ideas. You can then use the lists as a start-up task as a check list.

Lists can encompass the following areas:

- What they have discussed with their professors

- What has been discussed in class and how it can apply to their paper

- The weakest or strongest parts of their papers

- Specific areas they would like to work on during the session

- Questions about the material they would to answer by the end of the session (18).

Practices

A student who hasn’t read the reading or doesn’t understand it enough will not be able to write a decent paper. Have students look at the title and subheadings. Skim the beginning and the end of the reading. Here are some questions to ask to encourage the students to think more deeply about the reading: Why did the author choose this title? Why does the author choose these examples? What ideas or words are repeated throughout the essay? Why would the author include so much description or imagery? What is the author’s tone?

If students refer back to the text, have them highlight that area. Probe further if you feel the student hasn’t answered sufficiently.

Practices Forcing students to refer back to the text is important because:

it reinforces the author’s ideas; it provides a clear opportunity for you to ask them to expand on those ideas with their own input; and it allows a tutor who is unfamiliar with the text to see exactly what is being analyzed and how,

preventing students from accidentally misinterpreting the text (20).

Breaking down the text - ask students to find a paragraph they think is important but didn’t understand. Have them read it sentence by sentence in order to summarize. Have them connect the hard paragraph to the easier paragraphs they have read and understood.

Practices Attributing Quotes

Often, a student will struggle with an idea the author presents and his/her position on that idea.

Questions to ask the student:

Who said it? To whom? Under what circumstance?

Does the author challenge, agree with, or modify the idea?

How does it relate to the author’s position?

How does it relate to Author B’s position?

How does it relate to your position (20)?

Practices Relating passages

Sometimes students understand parts of a reading but don’t understand how these ideas fit together. Pick a few pages of the reading and have your students write a one-sentence summary of each paragraph. Then ask them to write a sentence to go between each summary sentence, explaining how they fit together. This could also be used when a student has to compare two essays (21).

Charting Main Ideas

Have students connect separate paragraphs to the title. They are now looking at the argument of the paper without knowing it. After they outline the connections, have them write them down. Then choose ideas to discuss and ask how they relate (What would author B say about author A’s idea? Why?).

Connection Tasks Clarifying Connections

Sometimes students will pick two quotes and get the connection but not know how to articulate that connection on paper. Have the student write the two quotes on separate pieces of paper, then ask them why they want to put these two quotes together. Have them write a few sentences answering why, then have them use what they wrote to establish connections between the quotes. Show the students that the “why” needs to be written about, not the authors themselves or the quotes they selected. This is also a good way to address topic sentences (22).

Connection Tasks Free-writing with Structure

Put limits on what they can write about. Have them pick out a quote or idea and start writing why they think it’s important. Then have them do that from another paragraph or a second text. Then have them free write on the connection between the two. If they can’t connect the two, have them pick out another quote or idea and repeat.

Drawing concept maps

This is especially good for visual learners. Have student pick a theme from the reading and then have them branch off with other connected ideas from the reading or their own ideas. If they have to connect to another text, have them do the same with the other text and then look for connections.

You can also use key words from the assignment prompt as the starting point (23).

Connection Tasks Creating Construction Columns

Have students divide a blank sheet of paper into two or three columns, each column for a different author. Then have them pull important quotes from each author’s text and write them in the column. Then have them look for connections between any quotes. Develop a chain of quotes. This quote from column A goes with this quote from column B, which goes with this quote from column C. You want them to develop a “single, unified theme,” which is the groundwork for their thesis (23).

You can then have them write a sentence the “goes between” every quote, describing the type of relationship exist between them.

If they have trouble with the quotes, just have them start with ideas, and the go back to the texts to locate quotes that support the ideas.

Quotation Tasks Some students know how to analyze and interpret quotes but others do not.

Quoting by Example

Again, the best way to evaluate a student’s use of quotes is to look at previous papers with the professor’s comments. Have the student look at how he/she used the quote, and come up with a “good” method. Have him/her come up with reasons this method works.

Quotation Tasks Justifying Your Quotes

Have student pick a few important quotes and then have them answer the following questions for each quote:

1) What does the author mean?

2) What are the implications of what the author has written? (How does it help develop his or her thesis?)

3) How does the quote connect to the other text(s) you are discussing?

4) How does the quote connect to your position?

Again, if your student hasn’t gotten to the point of selecting appropriate quotes, have them start connecting ideas and then select quotes to support those ideas.

Connection Tasks Describe the difference between “Fact Quotes” and “Idea Quotes”

Sometimes, a paragraph is simple because the quotes the student uses are just a statement of fact. Explain the difference between a “fact quote” and an “idea quote”. Idea quotes can be expanded, analyzed and related to another idea (25).

Outline Tasks Outlines are great for students with organizational challenges.

Essay Organizer

This focuses on the order, purpose, and length of ideas instead of ideas themselves. So, they can complete this if they only have some parts of the essay figured out.

1. Topic sentence goes here

2. Transition from topic sentence to set up first quote. This will probably be about three sentences.

3. Quote A

4. Some analysis. Probably 2 sentences on the quote then one sentence transition into next quote

Outline Tasks 5. Quote B

6. Some analysis where I connect the two quotes. Maybe 3 sentences?

7. Transition into the next idea (26)

When you provide this framework, it allows students to start anywhere.

Outline Tasks Post-Draft (or Reverse Outline)

Ask students to write a brief outline of their paper after they are written. This will give them a snapshot of their picture and help them to see if they have covered all areas and everything is in the correct order.

Suggestions:

Write down your thesis statement. Then copy, in order, as if continuing a paragraph, the topic sentence of every body paragraph, and end with a one-sentence summary of your conclusion. If there are any gaps, the paper needs some fixing.

Outline Tasks The Magic Paragraph Formula

Some students struggle with paragraph structure, so here is a basic shell that hopefully most of your writers will move beyond:

Sentence one: A topic sentence that makes an original claim.

Sentence two: Introduction of Quote one (from Author A) by pointing to main you want your reader to notice or providing background necessary to understand the quote.

Sentence three: Quote one integrated smoothly into your own sentence.

Sentence four: Interpret or analyze the first quote.

Sentence five: A sentence that explains the relationship of the idea from the first author to the idea from the second author. It is a bridge, transition, or connection between quote 1 and 2.

Outline Tasks Sentence six: Introduce the second quote (from Author B) by pointing to the main idea you want your reader to notice or providing background necessary to understand the quote.

Sentence seven: Quote 2, incorporated smoothly into your own sentence.

Sentence eight: Interpretation or analysis of the 2nd quote

Sentence nine: An original claim or idea about the insight you’ve gained from working the two quotes together.

Topic Sentence Tasks Sometimes students do not use topic sentences and this will definitely affect the structure of the paper. Often, papers are more confusing when topic sentences are not used properly.

Topic Sentences = Main Idea

Have a student go through their paper and write down the main idea of each paragraph. If they cannot do this, try having them read the paragraph over again, and then ask why they chose to include those connections in their papers, or how the relate to the thesis statement. Their answers should eventually turn into topic sentences (28).

Topic Sentence Tasks Dressing Up Your Topic Sentences

Some students don’t know how to write appropriately for college papers. They might short, choppy sentences or write a sentence that seems to never end. Topic sentences are a great place to help students improve their style. Have students write two variations of the topic sentence, and ask them to choose which one they think is best. Then, challenge them to write an even better one.

Thesis Tasks “Solving the Thesis” to find “Real” Answers

Break the assignment question down into “real problems”, making it more approachable for some students. You can ask questions like, “What is the real problem here when we look at these two essays (or this essay); what real life problem does this assignment want me to solve?”

Articulating Thesis Statements Before, During, After

Very rarely does a student write a perfect thesis on the first try. So, break it down in stages. Have the respond to the assignment question immediately before writing the essay. Let them know this “pre-thesis” doesn’t have to be perfect, but make sure you tell them to write a complete sentence. From there, he/she can start working on his outline, a body paragraph, or quote selection (30).

Thesis Tasks After your student completes a part of the essay, ask them to write the thesis again, without looking. He/she might be able to articulate a clearer thesis now.

The “post-thesis” or “final thesis” is a re-writing of the thesis with the pre-and mid-thesis in mind. Again, this should help clear up any confusion with the thesis (30).

Finding a Thesis in the Conclusion

Sometimes the best thesis is hidden in the conclusion. Have students look at the conclusion to see if they can find a sentence that would make a better thesis statement.

Thesis Tasks The Anti-Thesis Route

Sometimes, students have a difficult time expressing what they are arguing, so ask them to write out what they are not arguing. Once they have put a list together of what they’re not arguing, ask them why they are not arguing these ideas.

This might also help them come up with supporting ideas for their thesis statement. These ideas won’t be perfect and will need some work, but this method will help generate ideas.

Tasks to Avoid Summary In high school, students often execute a lot of summary writing, so it is a hard tactic to have them abandon. They can do a little summary, but most students use summarizing as a crutch.

Using Open-Ended Questions

Have students answer the “why?” and “how” questions, rather than the other 4 W’s. They usually can’t write about “why” and “how” briefly. These usually require expanded answers.

Doing the Balancing Act

For visual learners, us color to differentiate between the separate areas of a paragraph can be extremely helpful. Have students color everything pertaining to author A (or idea A), yellow, everything pertaining to author B blue and everything original green. Are there chunks of solid color, or a nice swirly rainbow? The yellow and blue should appear more than the green and there should be a nice swirl of colors.

Tasks to Avoid Summary This can also be sued to distinguish summary from quote analysis. In each paragraph, have students highlight every quote in yellow. Then, have them highlight every line of interpretation or analysis in pink. Is there at least 2-3 times more pink than yellow (32)?

Separating the Necessary from the Summary

Students don’t always understand to cut down on the summarizing, so have them highlight all of the summary in the paper. Then go through and ask exactly how and why those sentences are related to the main idea.

Paper-Strengthening Tasks These are tips for working with decent writers- how to help them turn a good paper into great paper.

Anticipating Counter Arguments

In a great paper, students anticipate the disagreements with their claims and acknowledge them in their papers. Have your student write down any possible counter arguments to their thesis statements. Then, have them write out rebuttals to these counter arguments. Tell them to include these arguments in their paper.

Making Transitions

Sometimes, a student has produced a draft and has paired quotes, but the connections exist only in his/her mind, not in the actual paper. When this happens, ask students to write a sentence or two about the quotes in each paragraph telling why they put those two quotes together and what they wanted those quotes to help them accomplish in their paragraphs (34).

Paper-Strengthening Tasks You can do the same exercise to help with transitions, which are often trouble spots. If the word “transition” is causing problems for your student, explain them as connections between paragraphs, just like connections between the quotes. Have them then execute this task between paragraphs, but rather than connecting the authors’ ideas, they are connecting their own (34).

Eliminating Repetition

Sometimes students repeat their thesis statement over and over. Have them highlight every sentence they think is a connection to the thesis statement. Then ask them to rewrite each sentence in other terms. How similar are those revisions to the thesis? Trash those repetitions , and then help your student find a happy medium between repletion and connection (34).

Paper-Strengthening Tasks Thinking Back to Class Discussion

Ask students some of the following questions:

What passages were discussed in class that you didn’t include in your paper? Could they be important?

How might those passages challenge, support, or extend your thesis?

Are there quotes you considered but rejected because you didn’t understand them?

Make sure they know that anything they add must relate back to the thesis. Go back to the assignment question or prompt. Are there questions there on which they could expound?

Grammar Tasks Grammar can be a challenge since you are not allowed to go through and mark up their paper. That is not your purpose, but helping them to become a better writer is.

Creating a Grammar Checklist

You can use professor’s comments on previous papers to develop a grammar check list. You can also pick patterns of errors and teach the rule behind it, and then add that to their check list. Once you explain the rule, have them write a sentence explaining the connection between the mistake and the rule.

You can ask them what mistakes they think they make the most and then have them check their papers for those mistakes.

Listening to Your Paper

Have the students read their papers out loud to try to hear their mistakes. If this doesn’t work, try reading their paper out loud to them and see if they hear their mistakes.

Tasks Using Teacher Materials Teachers can be a great resource. Try to encourage your student to go take advantage of the professor’s office hours.

Deconstructing the Assignment Question

Sometimes the students need the same type of reading support for the question as they do the text. Guide them in deconstructing it. Help break down the relationships among its parts. What’s the point? Have them define any words they do not already know, answer any supplementary questions, or rewrite the assignment in their own words so that they understand it.

Charting the Supplementary Questions

Have students develop a 3-column chart of responses to supplementary questions. Each column would have a question. You could set it up so that they are asking themselves what each author might say and what they would say. Then they could write sentences explaining the relationship between the columns.

Grammar Tasks Going on a Grammar Hunt

If students think their paper is perfect, but yet you can see plenty of errors, circle a paragraph, count the number of errors that you can find, and write the total in the margin. Ask them to find the errors. Your numbers will probably never match, but they will get used to proofreading their paper.