While consulting, it is important to remember that the client’s attention and responsiveness during the consultation is first and foremost- if a client is not interacting with a consultant, then there is no way of telling whether or not they are learning anything from their writing consultation. After observing myself as a consultant, I notice that clients expect me as the consultant to “fix” their writing, and will sit back and wait for me to say something to them about their paper. It is important to remind them that they are equally able to stop me while reading aloud and discuss any problem areas that they hear, or questions that they think of during the consultation.

I also noticed that some clients, especially during longer consultations, would grow distracted when going through their paper begins to feel repetitive. Sometimes these clients will pull out their phone and check it during the consultation, at which point I have to stop and wait for them to finish what they are doing because I know that they are not actively engaged in what I am trying to help them with. Obviously this is frustrating as a consultant because it feels as if the client thinks that I am simply here to function as a Band-Aid for their writing, rather as a tool to help them grow as a writer. During moments like these, I have noticed that when I stop reading and wait for them to finish, the client does usually get embarrassed because they realize what they are doing is somewhat rude and makes me feel as if they are treating my job like a waste of their time.

One way I found to engage clients when they do not bring two copies of their paper (or do not follow along on the second copy) is to put the paper between us and have them follow my pen. This also positions both of us close together so that our body language keeps us open to communication. It is better when I am sitting next to the client, rather than facing them across the table where they cannot actively read their paper along with me. This way, the client feels that they are being included in the consultation and can see their mistakes (in case they are a visual learner, rather than auditory). I have also noted in previous consultations that this method has helped because often clients will jump ahead in the paper and find future grammar mistakes that they have already made and quickly correct them, demonstrating that they have absorbed what I’ve tried to teach them.