by Chris Sarbaum

  1. What stands out to you most from your work as a tutor so far? What was especially interesting, surprising, rewarding, or even frustrating?

What stands out most to me as a tutor is how casual and relaxed it is. Before tutoring I thought it would be super nerve wracking and possibly have awkward moments, but that has not been the case in any of my tutoring sessions. Being able to go over what the student and I worked on and what the student should continue to work on is very rewarding because it shows me that I accomplished something and helped someone. The only frustrating thing for me is when students schedule an appointment but don’t show up for it. It’s a waste of my time and pretty unprofessional.

  1. How has your service-learning experience influenced your understanding of writing? The writing process? Of teaching and learning?

Throughout my tutoring I have been able to see many different writing styles and techniques, some of which I like, and some of which I dislike. Being able to see these different styles of writing helps me become a better writer because I can incorporate techniques that I like into my own writing. Tutoring students has helped solidify the fact that making a super rough draft for a paper is a great first step. I’m glad that this was part of the class because meeting strangers and working with them used to be nerve wracking for me, but tutoring has almost, if not completely, taken this fear away from me.

  1. What are your service-learning goals for the future?  What do you hope to accomplish as you continue your work as a tutor at Asheville High School?

I hope to have classes in the future that require service learning because it was very educational and enjoyable for me in this class. This service learning helped me become a better writer and teacher, and I hope that other service learning opportunities will help me become better in different areas.

  1. How has your service-learning experience influenced your personal growth?

One of the things that I have learned about myself is that I think I am very approachable as a person, even if I don’t know the person that is talking to me. I think this is an important skill to have as a tutor because it helps get rid of the possibility of awkward moments while tutoring.