by Zak Jordan

Between now and our last service reflection, I would say that I’ve only tutored a handful of students. Not too many students have been signing up for the Monday and Wednesday 7-8pm slot, but the ones that do are mostly seeking revision and possible final touches to add to their writing. It is pretty simple to aid them with this, the process mostly consists of grammar correction and formulating better word flow. 

At this point, what really stands out to me from my tutoring is how easy it has become for me and how much I’ve learned from it. Firstly, I believe that I have gotten pretty comfortable with the tutoring process through all of my work with the Asheville High students. Starting off, I was a little nervous and unsure of what to do, but now I can review and revise papers on a whim. It not only makes me a better tutor, but it has enhanced my revision process for my own work as well. Secondly, I have learned much about different writing styles and unique approaches to topics. This mostly comes from working with different students, but through seeing multiple approaches and perspectives in writing, I have developed a better sense of how to write objectively and from different perspectives.

When I do tutor in the future, whether it be in a public setting like this semester, or even with a friend, I believe the experience I’ve gathered over the course of these past few months will enhance my ability to help and aid other writers. My goals would be to: 1) offer multiple propositions to the writer when “fixing” major parts of the paper, but ultimately let the writer chose how to go about “fixing” in a way that is still their voice and writing, and 2) offer more direct advice with grammar and writing “rules” while addressing minor parts of the paper. These are pretty basic concepts, but I’ve found them to be very effective when I implemented them in my tutoring sessions.

I personally feel I’ve grown better as a writer, but also better as a communicator. Through my tutoring, I’ve became more comprehensible and formulated when speaking, especially in a learning/teaching environment. I am glad that this has occurred, and I think it will greatly aid me for not only the rest of my college career, but for my entire life. Being a good writer and communicator is key to success in the world, and I am glad to have grown in both of these areas over the semester.