My Tutoring Experience

Throughout the course of the semester, I feel as if I really grew as not only a tutor, but also a writer. At the beginning of the semester, I was questioning if tutoring was truly for me because I was completely doubting myself and my capabilities as a writer. However, I wanted to continue pursuing this because I felt that if I failed at tutoring, I was not sure how I was going to be a teacher, possibly even an English teacher! I am extremely thankful for the support I received from my fellow tutors, as well as my instructor because they believed in me when I did not. My struggles as a tutor also helped me grow because I was able to empathize more with my writers when they felt incapable. The relationships I built with my writers allowed me

I noticed how much easier it was to work with a writer when I had already built a relationship with him or her. In “The Power of Common Interest for Motivating Writers: A Case Study,” it stressed the significance of focusing on “long-term tutoring relationship, suggesting importance of meeting over time and helping writers and tutors build on the one-time session” (DeCheck, 2012, p. 340). I also enjoyed serving as a mentor to the writers since they were all freshmen and I could share my experiences with them. I established when to wear each “hat” through these

Most of my writers were motivated by extrinsic motivation. The only thing that would truly encourage them to get their work done was knowing that it was due that week. I think this was partially because they were still learning the college concept of “time.” That is, even though it is due tomorrow, that does not mean you should do it tomorrow! I also noticed that amotivation affected some writer’s ability to complete assignments. They would get easily discouraged by a page length, or additional requirement, or simply the fact that they lacked self-efficacy due to their prior education level. In these situations, a solid relationship was so beneficial because I would have a better understanding of how to encourage my writers. Kennedy established this in her appointment with Ad and Kaj. She exemplified motivation by sharing her own opinions, that way she was just as much a part of the group as the others. By allowing herself to be vulnerable, Ad and Kaj were more comfortable doing the same.

I also began to look deeper into how my language and attitude can affect writers in their motivation and general perception of writing. For example, I became more aware of my privilege when learning about my writers’ upbringing in the education system. I quickly realized how fortunate I was to have such great English teachers in junior high and high school because they prepared me for college, unlike some of my