Becoming a Writing/Reading Tutor

What

What Do Writing/Reading Tutors Do?

Tutors help students with the papers they are writing, the class assignment they have to read, or with the work they are producing for one of the English ’57 series courses (the “Create Your Own Writing Course”) that are conducted in the TLC. Depending on your background, you might be tutoring a student with an English 101 essay one session and then helping a student decipher a chapter in a Sociology text the next.

What Kinds of Students Elect to Become W/R Tutors?

Students from any of the majors and minors that are offered in the university are eligible to serve as W/R tutors. It’s a misconception that only English or Education majors become tutors or are the only competent tutors (although we welcome English and Education majors, too). Most tutors have a GPA around or above a 3.5 and have earned an A or A- in the freshman English sequence. It is important that you are a competent reader and writer and that you want to help other students while becoming a more effective reader and writer yourself.

Why Do People Decide to Become W/R Tutors?

Here are the reasons prospective tutor candidates have given:

  1. I want to help other students
  2. I have had positive experiences assisting other people learn something.
  3. I have career plans that seem to relate to working with others (including the obvious one—teaching at some level—and the less obvious—supervising or collaborating with others).
  4. I wish to develop myself further as a more effective learner, writer, and reader.
  5. I want to be able to list my TLC tutoring experience on my resume for jobs or graduate/professional school.
  6. I want to be part of the tutoring family in the TLC (a community in the intellectual, emotional, and social senses).

How Do W/R Tutors Prepare to Tutor Effectively?

All W/R tutors take a 3-credit course, Education 370: Peer Tutoring in University Reading and Writing (also known as Practicum). The course is Writing Emphasis and is co-taught. Enrollment in Educ. 370 is by permission only and is limited to approximately 12 students each semester. The course requires that you tutor 3 hours a week at the same time that you are taking Educ. 370. Your 3 tutorial hours connected with Educ. 370 are unpaid because you are receiving 3 university credits; however, in subsequent semesters, you will be paid for tutoring. Most tutors work about 3 hours weekly in W/R tutoring, but are eligible to serve additionally in some of our other TLC programs.

Education 370 (WE) meets Tuesdays/Thursdays, 12:35 to 1:50 in the TLC classroom.

Steps Toward Becoming a Writing/Reading Tutor

  1. Teaching faculty or staff refer students they believe would be good tutors. Coordinators of other TLC programs and current TLC tutors may also recommend students.
  2. The Practicum recruiter screens all the referred students to be sure the prospect meets minimal GPA and writing requirements.
  3. The Practicum recruiter invites eligible students to meet with the recruiter.
  4. The recruiter interviews each student and, and if all looks well, gives the prospect application materials.  The application materials include the application form, which asks the student to list three references and to provide a statement of reasons for an interest in tutoring. With the application form, the student also submits two writing samples.
  5. The recruiter reviews the completed applications and gives qualified candidates Permission to Register.
  6. The tutoring candidate registers for Education 370 and is welcomed into Practicum.