ASC 287: Writing Center Assistant Training

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ASC 287 Writing Center Assistant Training

• The 12-Step Tutor Cycle
• Beginning Steps (Steps 1-4)

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Step 1 Greeting and Climate Setting

• Purpose Set up the session for success
• Methods
• Warm, genuine greeting
• Chair and table arrangement
• Eye contact
• Positive body language and verbal choices
• Keep your hands off the clients work!

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Step 2 Identification of Task

• Purpose Determine the reason for the visit
• Methods
• Ask! (kindly, indirectly if necessary How is
  your essay coming along?)
• Follow-up questions
• Narrow general statements into specific items
• Determine what he/she already knows about the
  task
• Pause, restate, empathizeprompts him/her to
  specify further and gives him/her a chance to
  agree or disagree

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Step 2 (continued)

• Dont accept I want you to proofread/edit my
  paper
• We dont do that! You shouldnt provide that
  service to anyone! That should not be any
  clients task for the tutorial!
• More on this later . . .

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Step 3 Breaking the Task into Parts

• Purpose Determine how much can be accomplished
  in one session and how much time to spend on each
  part
• Methods
• Restate
• So, youve got to write a thesis statement and
  add an introduction and a conclusion?
• Prompt
• Do you think we can do that in the time we
  have?
• Which of those three is most important to you?
  Where should we start in case we run out of time?

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Step 4 Identifying Thought Processes that
Underlie the Task

• Purpose Help the client learn how to approach
  this type of task next time
• Methods
• Ask what he/she knows about how to do it (the
  writing strategy or technique involved)
• Make course materials (textbook, handouts,
  workbooks, lecture notes, etc.) the source of
  information, rather than you! Ask client to
  refer to themhelp him/her get information for
  himself/herself

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Step 4 (continued)

• Summary of this step
• What is the process for doing this type of task,
  and where is the process explained?
• How can you apply this when the client asks
  merely for proofreading/editing?
• What can you do when the client has no course
  materials?

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Summary

• What message has been in the footer of each
  slide?
• How does it relate to
• Your keeping your hands off the clients work?
• Your asking the client to identify the tasks in
  the agenda?
• Your referring to course materials rather than
  simply providing information yourself?
• Your refusing to serve as a proofreading/editing
  service?

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Summary (continued)

• To what extent have you applied these four steps
  in the tutorials youve already conducted?
• How difficult will it be to implement them in
  future tutorials?
• What is your reaction to this Writing Center
  call to action?
• Improve the writer, not the writers text.

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ASC 287 Writing Center Assistant Training

• The 12-Step Tutor Cycle
• Task Steps (Steps 5-8)

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Step 5 Setting an Agenda for the Session

• Purpose Accomplish the task efficiently in the
  time available
• Methods
• Give client a hand in shaping agenda (e.g.,
  Well, we have 25 minutes how shall we use
  them?)
• Be explicit about how long to spend on what
• Be flexible if you need less or more time on a
  particular item

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Step 6 Addressing the Task

• Purpose Conduct the business of tutoring
• Method
• Ask questions
• Actively listen
• Help client find information in course materials
  (rather than from you)
• Explain occasionally to keep tutorial moving along

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Step 7 Client Summary of Content

• Purpose Determine resultswhat/how much of the
  content client understands
• Method
• Look/listen for the light bulb effect (e.g.,
  Oh, I get it now!)
• Ask client to explain what he/she now understands
  from the tutorial
• Evaluate accuracy of clients summary
• Review areas of misunderstanding or shallow
  understanding
• Prompt him/her
• Redirect him/her to course materials

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Step 8 Client Summary of Underlying Process

• Purpose Determine resultswhat/how much of the
  process client understands
• Method
• Ask client to explain the process (e.g., If a
  friend asked you how to write this paper, what
  would you say? or How will you prewrite for a
  similar paper in the future?)
• Evaluate accuracy of clients summary
• Review areas of misunderstanding or shallow
  understanding
• Prompt him/her
• Redirect him/her to course materials

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Summary

• Why is Do you understand? not a good way to
  determine what/how much the client now
  understands?
• How much time should you spend silently reading
  during Step 6?
• Why is Step 8 (Client Summary of Underlying
  Process) so important? Consider the message in
  the footer of each slide.

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ASC 287 Writing Center Assistant Training

• The 12-Step Tutor Cycle
• Closing Steps (Steps 9-12)

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Step 9 Confirmation

• Purpose Congratulate client on his/her new
  understanding
• Method
• Reinforce specific accomplishments (not Good
  job! but Good job improving the flow of the
  paragraph by adding transitional phrases.)
• Direct comments at the clients work, not at the
  client

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Step 10 What Next?

• Purpose Help client connect the tutorial to the
  progress of the course itselfsee the big
  picture
• Method
• Ask client to articulate this connection
• Well, where do you go from here in this course?
• What will you do next, and how will what weve
  done help you?

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Step 11 Arranging and Planning the Next Session

• Purpose There are three
• Take care of scheduling next appointment while
  client is already here
• Promote consistency in tutoring to maximize the
  clients gains
• Help client anticipate upcoming learning
• Method
• Ask, What would you like to work on next week?
• Set up a time and date for next appointment

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Step 12 Closing and Goodbye

• Purpose End tutorial session on a positive note
• Method
• Sincere goodbye
• Thanks to the client (e.g., Thanks for being so
  well prepared)
• Positive body language and verbal messages

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Summary

• Evaluating is like perfume a little goes a long
  way, and its best to apply it in key spots.
• How can too much praise be overwhelming for a
  client?
• How can praising a clients work rather than the
  client help promote his/her independence?
• How can you remember the 12 steps until they
  become ingrained as habit for you?