My experience as a writing tutor so far this semester has really opened my eyes to how integral strong writing is to my specific area of study. As a Political Science major who has taken many comparative politics and theory classes, the writing assignments are frequent and heavy. They require me to do everything that I have learned to be essential to good writing from my tutoring experience. Almost everything I write for my major is based or reactionary to complex readings and books that I have no choice but to delve deep into in order to be able to say something of substance about them. One of my professors always encourages us to care deeply about what we choose to write about, to engage with the text and to say something new about the topic- something for the reader to really think about as a new idea about the topic. Writing is thinking and learning. It is expanding your mind to see how far it can go with ideas on a topic, and I have tried my best to relay this idea to my tutees.
As for something I wish my tutees would understand about why the role of a writing tutor can be a really important tool for them, I really just want them to be able to see how writing is beneficial to them as a practice. Putting your thoughts into on paper can do so much to show a student what their true understanding of a subject is to them, and by really caring and being thoughtful about the quality of the work and improving that quality- they are challenging themselves and expanding their own mind. By being a writing tutor, I have been exposed to more ideas about how developing writing skills and truly accepting the challenge of writing can supplement knowledge in so many ways. I would encourage my tutees to become a writing tutor so that they may come to the same understanding of the value of being a writing tutor.
Anyone in the education field, particularly in middle and secondary education would greatly benefit from the experience of a Writing Fellow. Many in this major plan to be a teacher, and Writing Fellows works with students one-on-one in a unique way that can aid future teachers in their understanding of the classroom and its relationship with writing. In my experience, this program has helped me refine ways of teaching and thinking about writing from the perspectives of both the students and teachers/professors. Over time, I have found tools and ways to support students in their writing that have generated communication skills transferable to a future career in education.
I would want my tutees to understand that no matter their profession, writing and reading will be an integral part of their education and futures. I know it might be a lot to ask, but I would want them to want to learn these skills even if it seems trivial. With the Writing Fellows Program, they stand to gain more one-on-one support to ensure their learning and development of writing (and reading) skills than classes without a Fellow.
2 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 11: IN-CLASS”
My experience as a writing tutor so far this semester has really opened my eyes to how integral strong writing is to my specific area of study. As a Political Science major who has taken many comparative politics and theory classes, the writing assignments are frequent and heavy. They require me to do everything that I have learned to be essential to good writing from my tutoring experience. Almost everything I write for my major is based or reactionary to complex readings and books that I have no choice but to delve deep into in order to be able to say something of substance about them. One of my professors always encourages us to care deeply about what we choose to write about, to engage with the text and to say something new about the topic- something for the reader to really think about as a new idea about the topic. Writing is thinking and learning. It is expanding your mind to see how far it can go with ideas on a topic, and I have tried my best to relay this idea to my tutees.
As for something I wish my tutees would understand about why the role of a writing tutor can be a really important tool for them, I really just want them to be able to see how writing is beneficial to them as a practice. Putting your thoughts into on paper can do so much to show a student what their true understanding of a subject is to them, and by really caring and being thoughtful about the quality of the work and improving that quality- they are challenging themselves and expanding their own mind. By being a writing tutor, I have been exposed to more ideas about how developing writing skills and truly accepting the challenge of writing can supplement knowledge in so many ways. I would encourage my tutees to become a writing tutor so that they may come to the same understanding of the value of being a writing tutor.
Anyone in the education field, particularly in middle and secondary education would greatly benefit from the experience of a Writing Fellow. Many in this major plan to be a teacher, and Writing Fellows works with students one-on-one in a unique way that can aid future teachers in their understanding of the classroom and its relationship with writing. In my experience, this program has helped me refine ways of teaching and thinking about writing from the perspectives of both the students and teachers/professors. Over time, I have found tools and ways to support students in their writing that have generated communication skills transferable to a future career in education.
I would want my tutees to understand that no matter their profession, writing and reading will be an integral part of their education and futures. I know it might be a lot to ask, but I would want them to want to learn these skills even if it seems trivial. With the Writing Fellows Program, they stand to gain more one-on-one support to ensure their learning and development of writing (and reading) skills than classes without a Fellow.