Strategies for addressing problems with assignment questions

What do you do when you run into assignmnet questions that you just can't figure out?

In my experience, this scenario often makes for quite an awkward session. I typically start by quietly puzzling out the assignment question, indicating my confusion to see whether the student has found the instructor to be any clearer in class discussions. If the student doesn't have a clearer idea of what his or her task is, I proceed by hedging my suggestions because of my uncertainty about the required task and reiterating encouragements that the student ask for clarification. I try to do all of this while trying to remain completely respectful of the assignment, the instructor, and the course.

After sessions like this, I typically walk away with concerns about the usefulness of my suggestions and what the student will say to the instructor about what I might have accidentally verbalized about the horrifying assignment question.

In cases where assignments are vaguely worded or even contradictory, or when the required task seems to be too ambitious for the stipulated page length and project guidlines, how do we provide feedback?

How do we avoid critiquing the assignment or questioning its usefulness?

How do we remain completely respectful of the assignment, the instructor, and the course?

Ever had a bad tutoring experience?

I came across this blog recounting one tutor's nightmare session. Be prepared to be horrified...

http://www.ulc.psu.edu/Dangling_Modifier/Articles/oldArticles/Fall-2005_web_Article5.htm

A small tale

It should be of no surprise to anyone who's been on the Laurier campus for the past couple of weeks that I'm coming down with a cold, since it seems to be making the rounds early this year. I've had a sore throat all weekend, which decided to upgrade to a hacking cough right in the middle of a drop-in session with the last student of the night tonight.

So there I am, attempting to talk about academic style, unable to get breaths - never mind words - in between uncontrollable coughs, tearing up from the tickle in my throat and completely interrupting the flow of tutoring.

Much to the student's credit, he graciously excused me for a couple moments to get up and walk about, so I wouldn't spew disease all over his assignment.

I think that, as far as interruptions to tutoring go, having a tickle in your throat/uncontrollable coughing fit is one of the worst, since you're quite literally unable to excuse yourself. However, contrary to my fears, the world didn't end; I got over the cough, came and sat back down, and we went through a couple more points before I wrapped the session up and we closed the Centre down for the night.

Have any of you had instances where something has interrupted your session? What was it, and how did you deal with it? This instance has made me curious.

What are/were your initial anxieties about tutoring?

When I began as an undergraduate tutor at the Writing Centre in my third year at Laurier, my biggest anxiety was being taken seriously as an authority by my peers.

I was all too aware that I still looked like I belonged in high school, and I feared that students, especially upper-year students, would either doubt my advice or take an oppositional approach to the conversation as a result.

I was surprised that few students showed overt signs of questioning my right to be in the tutor's chair. Typically, students who make appointments are genuinely interested in any advice you can offer. Now, there were a handful of students who were reluctant to accept any constructive criticism of their work (and we should probably discuss strategies for approaching these situations in another blog post), but this resistance didn't seem to be related to how small I was or how young I looked; writing is intensely personal, and some writers are extremely sensitive to any reader response.

I learned fairly quickly that my professionalism during a session was helping me to step into that authoritative role. Appearing calm and in command of the session was key. Starting with the necessary paper work and then laying out how the session is going to run will help students see your connection to the Writing Centre as a professional institution as well as the fact that you're working according to a conscious methodology.

As I gained experience working with peers, my ability to garner respect grew more intuitive. I started feeling out how much I could commiserate with students during a session, throwing in personal anecdotes about my own struggles with assignments. (Keep in mind that it's very important not to commiserate about experiences with or opinions of professors)

I don't think I did ever encounter a student who overtly questioned my age and experience level, but in case anyone did my back-up plan was to make reference to my position as a third-year student as well as the selection and interview process for the Writing Centre tutors and, finally, to note the extensive training that we tutors are so lucky to receive. I might have also mentioned the experience that comes from having read so many student papers in the Writing Centre. I never had to test this response, so I'm not sure how well it would have gone over.

I encounter a shocked "You're so young!" reaction way more often now that I'm teaching undergraduate courses. My course is distance education, so my students never see my face unless they make an appointment to meet with me during my office hours. No matter how professionally I dress for these appointments, the students' reaction is inevitably one of shock. I find myself bracing for this response each time I'm waiting for a student to show up...

I respond to this reaction by calmly and modestly refering to my years of experience as a teacher of academic writing as well as the fact that I study the teaching of academic writing in my PhD work. Typically, once I begin discussing their paper or addressing their concerns, the students seem more at ease with my abilities.

Still, I wish, although it's horrible to say, that I could age a bit faster.

What are/were your anxieties about tutoring?

CCCC Blog: Conversations on Diversity

This blog might be of interest to us: http://cccc-blog.blogspot.com/

- Steph

Summer jobs

I'm curious; what's everyone doing for the summer? Are you staying in Waterloo, or are you going elsewhere? Have you got a job yet, or is that something you're still looking for? Is there anything awesome that you're going to do over the summer?

I myself am staying in Waterloo; I haven't gotten a job yet, but I'm working on it: I want to try and get something that really relates to my experience at Laurier as a writing tutor. My summer's not the most exciting, as I'm pretty much planning on staying here and deciding where I want to go for my Masters (and what kind of Masters I even want to be doing!). Being at the writing centre has really made me want to focus on going into the world of publishing, so I'm currently researching that.

How about everyone else?

;

Interesting discussion of the semicolon and its merits (or lack thereof):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/04/france.britishidentity/print