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Tutor Talk Outline

It's always best to make the Tutor Talk your own, but here are the nuts and bolts you should cover in some fashion when leading a Tutor Talk in the WC or visiting a class. Our main goal is for students and instructors to understand what we do and do not do so that they come to a session with the right expectations and leave satisfied.

Introductions-

• Introduce yourself to the class.  Provide your name, major, and year.  This makes students feel like they know someone in the WC and are therefore comfortable coming in.

Describe how the WC works-

• The WC has roughly 30 undergraduate English tutors, 12 undergraduate Romance Language tutors and 1-4 graduate tutors. The WC is a peer tutoring program--students helping students. Tutors are trained in the teaching of writing, are experienced, and want to help you become better writers.

• Tutors are extensively trained--nominated by instructors, then must pass through an interview process with 15 hours of initial training and then ongoing training every semester

• We tutor anyone at any stage of the writing process on any writing

• Not just for "bad" writers. We're here for anyone who wants to write better. Our goal is to make better writers and not just better writing. We have thousands of visits every year from first-year through graduate students. We work with students on everything from first-year comp papers to Fulbright and Rhodes scholarship applications.

• The WC tutors work with students at all stages of the writing process.

• You can stop by to talk about your assignment, get help with a thesis, go over a first draft, talk over your arguments, get tips on organization, check on ways to cite sources, or get another reader for that final polished product. We will work with you at any stage.

• Not a grammar fix-it service--we work with you, like a teacher, and focus on higher-order paper issues, unless you request otherwise. We don't just proofread for you.

• Work on any paper in any discipline, or even scholarship, job, or grad school applications.

• We give you the option of sending a Tutor Note to your instructor-this is just a description of the session, not an evaluation. Most instructors are impressed that you've made this effort and are glad to see these notes.

Appointments-

• Review hours and recommend they make appointments online

• Appointments normally last 45 minutes-go to our online scheduler to make an appointment, although we do accept walk-ins when possible

• We're busiest during the times of the semester you're busiest, so plan ahead and make an appointment. Always leave time to revise and return!

In Closing-

• Mention that we're not doing the online (OWL) tutoring anymore but we DO have Library walk-in hours

• Hand out brochures or pencils with the WC hours and phone number (it can be distracting if you do this first)

• Ask for questions - Follow John Duffy's advice to count to 10 (slowly!) while waiting for questions from the class. It often takes 10 seconds for someone to get brave enough to raise a hand.