MAYOWA AINA
As an undergraduate writing tutor at the Odegaard Writing & Research Center...
"Mostly what we do is talk. A good tutor knows how to ask the right questions to get researchers and writers talking — about their projects, about their ideas, about their field, about what they’re trying to accomplish, about their own past experiences. In our perfect world, all the people we work with become more confident, more independent, more comfortable with but also more sophisticated about their own research, writing, and learning" (Odegaard Writing & Research Center Website)
I have had the pleasure of working at the Odegaard Writing and Research Center since my sophomore year. At the center we work with any piece of writing at any stage of the writing process. As a result I have encountered a number of writing situations and instances that have challenged me, excited me, haunted me, and validated me. This past year at the center has had an incredible impact on my professional development and academic success in that not only do we as tutors work one-on-one and in groups with students to help them think about and practice particular writing techniques, but we have the opportunity to influence the center itself through center related research projects, presenting at conferences and conventions, serving on the hiring committee, and leading workshops for other tutors. I have immensely enjoyed working in an environment full of people passionate about their work and even more passionate about supporting other people in their endeavors and projects.
Learn more about the Odegaard Writing and Research Center
Self-development...
Regularly at the center as part of the expressed goal of professional development, administrators and tutors schedule professional development interviews to discuss how each tutor is setting and working towards their tutor-related goals, short-term and long-term goals, and personal goals. We also discuss how the work we do at the center applies and is related to our academic work and ultimate professional goals. This reserved period of time for reflection has shown me the value of tracking my development as a tutor and as a person. Thinking about who I was when I first started as a sophomore to who I am now as a junior makes me feel proud of all that I have learned and accomplished. Being able to take time to think about my tutoring practices and how I can use what I learn at the center in other aspects of my life has added an element of intentionality to my work, academic, and personal life.
Additionally, through regular tutor observations within the center and exchanges with tutors at other writing centers throughout the state, we have an opportunity to learn strategies and techniques from each other. Being able to talk to a tutor about the strategies that I used during a session or about strategies that they used in a session contributes to a sense of constant learning and development that benefits us and tutors and ultimately benefits the writers that we help who come into the center.
Even further, outside of a strictly tutoring context, we as tutors enjoy opportunities to share what we are working on and interested in with other tutors from various disciplines. This exchange of knowledge has implicitly impacted me and the way that I approach my own writing and the conversations that I have outside of the center in my classes and other environments.
Providing Feedback...
As a writing tutor, the main aspect of my position is to provide feedback on what people have written. However, particularly at this writing center, the purpose of feedback is not mainly to identify grammatical errors but to really talk with the writer about the specific choices that they made in attempts to communicate their message. Navigating the various power dynamics and expectations that come with working one-on-one with writers in contexts as diverse as resumes and cover letters to personal statements and dissertations is difficult and requires nuanced understanding of what type of feedback is going to be most helpful and constructive. In my sessions my goal is always to figure out what it is that the writer actually wants and then to have a discussion that will help them think about their own writing process and how they can accomplish their goal in a way that is in accordance with their own style. As a tutor I have learned how to frame feedback in such a way that the writer will be receptive to it, can understand what I mean, and does not assume too much. The constant practice of providing feedback is something that I have been able to use in other settings and situations as well, particularly when managing projects in various organizations or in assessing my own effectiveness whether that be in writing, public speaking, or management. Additionally, I learned how to ask for feedback that will get me the results that I want as well that has been incredibly helpful in leadership positions and in executing projects.
Organizational Behavior...
Joining the writing and research center was slightly unnerving because I walked into it expecting a very top-down organizational structure in which I had little say, as in other organizations that I had been a part of in the past, in how the center ran. And in one sense, that is the case - the center has very clear explicit policies and our responsibilities as tutors are clearly outlined. However, I think a more accurate representation of the organization of the center is much more malleable and nuanced than meets the eye. We as tutors have the freedom to contribute positively to the center in ways that we think would be best. Through tutor run workshops on professional development, sitting on the hiring committee, and leading discussions on research and scholarship around writing centers, pedagogy, and philosophies the tutors really help shape the environment that we work in and contribute to the overall functioning and maintenance of the center itself. This sort of organizational structure was not something that I was used to before and I really value this as a learning opportunity for deciding what works for various organizations and for producing certain outcomes. Understanding that my role in the writing center could be so much more than solely as a writing tutor has helped me gain many more skills and experiences than I think I would have had I merely tutored.