When I originally envisioned working in the Writing and Media Lab, I saw myself as an empathetic individual who enjoyed revising the papers of my fellow peers that were struggling with the art of articulating their ideas in an effective manner. Now after reading North’s The Idea of a Writing Center and Rafoth’s A Tutor’s Guide: Helping Writers One on One, I realize I came into this job with the wrong mindset. I did not know that there was so much significance behind a job that took place in a remote part of the Furman library basement. It made me realize that my job as being a consultant in the Writing and Media Lab is to “produce better writers, not better writing” (North, 438). With this new frame of mind, I want to be a consultant, not a tutor, who is determined enough to help people with their problems during the writing process. Even if I am unfamiliar with the subject, I will try different tactics and persevere until I can tell that the individual feels more confident about their writing abilities.
After reading The Idea of a Writing Center, I found that there is a difference between being a writing consultant and a tutor. A tutor is an individual who is paid to help a client with a particular course they are struggling in. They do not get to be a part of the student’s working process because tutors are paid to help the student see an error made in a particular problem and fix it. However, Writing and Media Lab consultants “are not here to serve, supplement, back up, complement, reinforce, or otherwise be defined by an external curriculum. We are here to talk to writers” (North, 440). As North elegantly phrased it, consultants are actually a part of the writing process; we not only correct problems but also make sure to explain why so the client understands how to improve their future papers. By having an actual conversation with the client and asking them how they can improve a particular part of their assignment, we, as consultants, keep them engaged in their own work. In my opinion, that is crucial to learning how they can improve their own style of writing.
By reading these articles, my main concern is crossing the line that leads to me getting over-involved in a session. I empathize with upset writers because I did not become a good writer until my senior year of high school. I understand the frustration a writer can experience with an assignment. Now, I realize that “[f]or a tutoring session to be productive, it is essential that the writer does the bulk of the work and learns something that can be used in future writing projects” (Rafoth, 9). I believe that I can keep the writer I am consulting with engaged by asking them questions about certain parts of their paper that they can improve on and by listening more so I can provide constructive criticism based on their concerns and my observations. If I begin to think that I am taking over the session, then I will make an effort to put the focus back onto the client. Although I have not had a consultation yet, I believe that Rafoth is right, that “[e]xperience teaches tutors that it is possible to recover from line crossings and to move on” (Rafoth, 13).
My personality is one where I want to help everyone to the best of my ability, but after reading these articles I am becoming more confident in conquering the unknown and accepting the fact that no one can know everything. The truth is that writing consultants “help students from all majors and disciplines learn to write” (Rafoth, 85). And by watching my fellow more experienced consultants, I see that they do their best, even if they do not know what to do, to help the client with their writing assignments. As an observer of many consultants determination to help, I discovered that the client will not be mad with you if you do not know what to do. The clients are just grateful that you are there to help them. I think that if you “[t]ry to understand the paper as best you can, be frank about your limitations, and build on ideas the writer brings up in your conversation” (Rafoth, 89), then both the consultant and the client will be equally happy and productive during the session time.
I know if I were a client, I would want a consultant who is inquisitive and hands on. I liked how my fellow consultants read my paper aloud and asked me questions about every paragraph. It really made me think about my writing and the message that I wanted to convey. In between discussing the main ideas, I liked how we talked about sentence structure because even though my sentences were not bad the consultant saw how to improve them. By the time the consultant and I finished reading and discussing my paper, I left with a renewed confidence in my writing abilities and with a paper I am proud to call my own. This is the feeling I want to give to my future clients. I believe that anyone can improve their writing abilities, and “[i]f and when [the clients] are ready, [I] will be here” (North, 440) to give them the help they seek.
Work References
North, Stephen M. “The Idea of a Writing Center.” College English 46.5 (1984): 433. Web.
Rafoth, Bennett A. “2 & 10.” A Tutor’s Guide: Helping Writers One on One. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 2000. N. pag. Print.