Tutoring is dialogue

Since my freshman year at Saint Mary's University, I have had the pleasure of being both a tutee and a tutor at the Writing Center, and through my experiences I have found that the Writing Center is an incredible asset to every student on campus. As both a student who uses the Writing Center and as a tutor in the Writing Center, I see that the Writing Center accommodates students in their writing needs. Whether it is brainstorming topic ideas, developing thesis sentences, paper organization or editing grammatical errors, both the student and the tutor benefit from the tutoring session.

Over the course of the past year, I have developed many skills as a tutor in the Writing Center. I feel that I have grown as a tutor, a writer, and as an individual as a result of my experiences in the Writing Center. Through the year, I have become more receptive to the students' writing needs and concerns. Also, my confidence as a tutor has increased dramatically because I have seen positive results from my efforts as a tutor. My interest in tutoring and my newfound confidence have provided me with a desire to pursue a career in teaching. Additionally, the privilege of working in the Writing Center has increased my own writing abilities. I am more aware of the components that create a strong paper and of the importance of a valid and identifiable thesis. Finally, I have developed many interpersonal skills that have encouraged me to be more outgoing and sociable. Overall, I have found that working as a tutor in the Writing Center has been an incredible experience that has both built my confidence as a tutor, writer, and individual.

Since my freshman year, I have seen the Writing Center evolve in very positive ways. It seems that more and more students use the Writing Center and consider it a valuable asset. Additionally, I believe more teachers are advocating that their students use the Writing Center. In the future, I believe the Writing Center and the tutors will extend their reach and knowledge to more students every year, and new additions, like the Writing Center website, will continue to benefit an already incredible asset to Saint Mary's University student body.

Working as a writing tutor for the past two semesters has been excellent. When I was hired, I doubted my qualifications. I do not study writing or English; science is my field of study, and, beyond that, I am not eligible for Work Study, the preferred method of payment for tutors in my position. Despite these trivial drawbacks, there have been no complaints concerning my competence, and I enjoy what I do very much.

I would not say that I am a talented writer, but I believe I am capable of helping students who have strengths in other areas. Although I do not applaud my own work, I do enjoy writing as a hobby, as something that produces tangible results with the constant capacity for improvement.

As I continue into my senior year, studying biology with an emphasis on veterinary medicine, I am grateful for my position at the Writing Center. The improvement in my writing over the past two semesters is nothing short of remarkable. The benefits of better writing reach not only those involved with the publications of our society, but our entire culture. Writing is one of the indulgences that has no limit for its use. We should write whatever we feel; we should read all that we can.

After reading a semester's worth of papers from whoever felt the need to stop by, the random subjects that I am continually allowed to study alongside fellow students never ceases to intrigue. I take pleasure learning where the other students of Saint Mary's University invest their time. I also take pleasure in meeting with peers. The people I meet within the Writing Center are all fellow students at SMU, but despite our small enrollment, many are new faces for me. Being a writing tutor has opened many doors previously unseen. I have met a surprising number of new people, I have learned about everything from business ethics to psychology to theatre productions, and, above all, my writing has improved as a mere byproduct of these interactions.

Writing is an activity that I have always enjoyed. There are few opportunities in life when you are as free as when a clean sheet of paper is below your pen. We all feel an inherent need to communicate; why not make it timeless? Put it in writing.

When I was offered a position in the Writing center, I was very nervous. I wasn't sure if I would have the time, or want to make the time, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to actually help anyone. With Peggy Johnson's encouragement I took the position, and I have found it to be a great experience.

I started working in the Writing Center the fall of my senior year, and the hours I spent there were helpful for me, and I think even helpful for others. I was able to put my knowledge of the English language into action at the Writing Center, which was a neat experience for me. I believe that not only did those who signed up for the sessions learn a thing or two, but so did I. I became a more confidant writer and a more confidant teacher because I was learning more and more from each experience.

When no one was signed up or dropped in for an appointment, the Writing Center provided a quiet study area for me to get things done. And with all the writing resources around, I never had a writing question left unanswered.

Overall, my experience of working in the Writing Center was wonderful. My hours were manageable and Peggy could be flexible; I was able to put my knowledge to use as well as learn from each session. It was a nice balance between serving others and improving myself and was an experience that I will always see as one of growth on my part.

When I was first asked to be a tutor in the Writing Center, I remember feeling slightly shocked. I had spent numerous hours in the Writing Center last year as a tutee; I was certain I could not possibly be an adequate tutor. I felt my punctuation skills left much to be desired, and I was not sure my verbal communication skills rated much higher. Despite these concerns, I found myself intrigued by the offer-and interested enough to accept it.

I waited with trepidation for my first appointment with a student and could never tell if I was more relieved or disappointed that the calendar was empty when I arrived. Having to actually work with students was not my biggest fear; I was afraid I would send someone away from the Writing Center feeling discouraged, and I worried that I could possibly ruin her or his entire outlook on writing.

I eventually discovered that the knowledge I had of what it was like to experience a tutorial from the "other side" was one of my main assets. A writing style is an extremely individual component of one's being, and exposing this personal style to another party's critique can leave a person feeling vulnerable and easily hurt. I try to keep that concept at the forefront of my mind during tutorials in order to ensure that I show respect-and never derision-for whatever work students bring with them. I try to never dictate rules to a student but instead try to make the tutorial an interactive discussion of her or his work between us.

It is through establishing this interaction that I feel a true connection can occur between the student and myself. This connection necessitates going beyond the words and punctuation marks on the paper to the student's ideas and beliefs. As a tutee, as long as I felt the tutor saw value in what I was writing and, as a consequence, value in working with me on the paper, I felt I had gained something from the session.

With time and experience it has become easier to gauge a student's attitude toward a session and whether or not she or he is sincerely seeking help and a kind of connection that goes beyond the half-hour session or merely searching for someone to proofread a paper. The hardest sessions to work through are those in which a student evidences little care for the suggestions I make or the quality of the paper. I find it difficult to exert my best effort when it is apparent the student has little desire to be in the Writing Center. At the same time, though, I'm uncertain whether these are the students with which I should be trying my hardest to make a connection. This conflict is only part of the tutoring that still leaves me uncertain.

My favorite tutoring sessions are those with students who have a genuine interest in improving their writing and who engage in conversations about their writing with me. It has been interesting to observe other people's thought processes and help them discover ways to translate those thoughts onto paper. The comment I often hear is "I know what I'm trying to say." Through working together with the students, we can discover how to make others realize what they are trying to say.

I always feel as though a genuine connection has been made after such sessions as these. A sense of trust and comfort begins to develop (especially with those students who I have worked with numerous times). This atmosphere of trust and comfort is vital to the Wri