Writing is so much more than putting words on a page. True writing encompasses such a wide range of actions, from thinking the very first thoughts to placing the very last period. As a tutor, I respect that writing is a process that can benefit from assistance at any step of the way. However, I understand that the writing I help with is not my own, and that the writer must therefore maintain control. I am merely here to provide responses that will make writers think about what they have written and truly engage in their writing. It is my hope that writers leave as better writers with new ideas to consider as they write in the future.
The most important thing to remember as a tutor is that the essay being revised belongs to someone else. Telling writers that parts of their essays need rewording or that an idea is wrong snatches the writing out of their hands and places it into our own. Instead, we must ask the right questions to understand why they made the choices they did. Through our work with The Longman Guide to Peer Tutoring, I have realized that questions are one of the most powerful tools a peer tutor can use. Gillepsie and Lerner emphasize the importance of asking in a way such that writers do not feel as though they must produce the “correct” answer. Asking writers to explain parts of their essay or to tell us why they placed a certain point where they did allows us to help them see the impact their choice has on the writing as a whole. Writing is not an issue of right vs. wrong, but it certainly involves making choices. By helping writers to think critically about the choices they made, we can help them to really own their writing and feel confident in what they have said.
Although the writing always belongs to the writer, if we are confused, certainly we must give feedback. Being a tutor is being a reader with a voice. We must help writers understand how their words may or may not be perceived, and we must help them align their writing with their intended meaning. Offering readerly responses tells writers how we initially understood their writing, and from there we can work with writers to make sure that our interpretation of their writing matches the point they are hoping to make. Readerly responses are a technique that got a lot of attention in Writing 300, as they are an important tool for starting conversations about the writing. Beginning statements with, “As a reader, this is how I understood your paper…” can help writers to see the initial effect their words had, and this can help them determine if they want to make adjustments. When their final draft is read, they will not be present for clarification, which is why we must discuss their ideas to make sure they are getting their point across before we get any further.
Sorting through the ideas of a paper is a critical first step. If the thesis is unclear or the argument does not make sense, sentence structure and punctuation cannot save the essay. Reading North’s “The Idea of a Writing Center” really helped me to see this, and also helped me to see writing centers as more than mere “fix-it” shops. As peer tutors, we encourage writers to grow and think critically about their writing. Focusing on higher-order concerns does just this. I intend to focus primarily on higher-order concerns first, as I believe these things are most important. Higher-order concerns must also come first in the writing process, so mimicking this order in a tutoring session can help to reinforce good writing practice for the writer in the future, outside the center.
By engaging in a discussion about our writers’ ideas, we can help our writers to consider other viewpoints and to evaluate how their arguments stand against others. Inviting students to openly discuss their ideas with us encourages critical thinking and self-evaluation—both incredibly important skills in writing. When we facilitate discussion by posing open-ended questions to our writers, we enable them to delve into their topics and consider all the possibilities. While it is certainly true that many students are expected to hold a firm stance in their papers, encouraging them to see other facets of the argument can strengthen their ideas and the ways in which they are supported. The more we guide writers through this process of idea development, the better they will be able to do this on their own.
Once such higher-order concerns have been given their rightful time, lower-order concerns such as grammar and punctuation may then be given some attention. These issues, when ignored, can harm the author’s credibility and can even hinder the reader’s understanding. While I think it is necessary to address these issues in the later stages of writing, I remain firm that I will never take a red pen to a writer’s essay. Being an editor will not help them learn. Instead of proofreading for students, we need to teach them how to proofread their own papers. This is an idea that Gillepsie and Lerner provide great advice on, reiterating the importance of asking questions to help lead into implementing an error analysis strategy with writers. Asking writers why they made particular grammar or structural choices can help them to see that there may be a more logical alternative. By providing them with tools for assessing their own work—identifying patterns of mistakes and learning the rules to be able to correct them—we set students up for success in the long run, as they will be able to take a more critical look at their future writing.
To ensure that my goal of sending off better writers is met, there are a few things I will do. I will be a facilitator of discussion, encouraging thought deep into writers’ topics. I will ask questions to ensure that writers are committed to their own words, forcing them to maintain ownership of their writing. When I feel that the essay boasts strong ideas, appropriate support, and clear organization, I will work with writers on the lower-order concerns they may have. By respecting every step of the writing process and catering to writers’ needs regarding their current place in the process, I will do what I can to make sure they leave as stronger writers. If writers leave having thought critically about their writing and feeling confident in what they have said, then I have done my job.