Journal 7
Journal 7
On Tuesday, my ENGL 121 student did not show up, and there were no drop-ins for the rest of the day. Instead, I tried to prepare for my next session on Friday and review some material. On Friday, I met with my other ENGL 121 student and reviewed what we had gone over last week. We looked at how the time management strategies worked, went over her discussion posts, and then started looking ahead for her exam. We went over new reading strategies and introduced new ones, then tried implementing them. I assisted two new students, one which I helped build an outline for and one which I helped revise an existing essay.
Summary: I've gotten better at making the most of half-hour blocks, even when reviewing complete essays or trying to assist in building a new essay from scratch. I've also integrated better note taking habits so that each student can take a physical copy of the major points I make with them as they leave. It has been very rewarding to receive positive feedback from my tutees and has inspired me to keep going, even when the course and the internship become more challenging.
Challenges: I am still concerned about my Friday ENGL 121 student, but she was feeling better this session. She had reached out to her professors and sought outside assistance to help with her anxiety, but I made sure to introduce her to some on-campus resources as well in case she needed them. I tried to reinforce how normal her situation was, but I am unsure whether I had the effect I was looking for. There were times when she seemed less responsive than she normally is, so I tried to adjust how I gave her help and asked for more participation on her end. Meeting once a week for an hour can be very demanding on top of everything else she struggles with, so I tried to insert a break in at the halfway point by chatting about other topics for a few minutes to let her regain some energy. My students are also coming in with an increasing variety of assignments, many of which I have not yet had to complete. It puts me on unfamiliar territory that I do not know how to handle. I use what I do know about English more generally, but I do wish I could provide more pointed feedback that is specifically relevant to their assignment guidelines.
Ideas or theories: One thing I need to keep in mind is the limitation of my students' attention spans. They cannot maintain complete focus forever and even an hour can be asking for too much. Focusing on laughter and a more personalized experience has been very helpful in reducing the amount of stress associated with the tutoring, but it does not override its actual purpose: learning and criticism. Inserting more regular breaks, even for a minute at a time, can help reinvigorate students. Asking for their participation is also extremely important, though it is time consuming. I cannot always expect them to practice what I give them advice for, but I can try to ask them to implement parts of my advice. This boosts their engagement, their understanding, and also hopefully their confidence to complete the assignment on their own.
The front desk is a symbol of formality and structure. Having to make an appointment with a worker enforces a sense of business-like systematic practice into the tutoring center. The long rows of chairs also reinforce the idea of the center as a place of study. The lack of computers emphasizes the personal aspects of the center, and promotes the space less as a self-study space and instead as a cooperative environment where someone comes for a specific purpose to work with someone else, in this case as a tutor. The acronym URWC also suggests the space's focus on reading and writing.
They convey its identity mostly accurately as a place of work aligned towards improving one's reading and writing skills. It subtly suggests that this is designated for work and not for fun. Those who come here should come here with a purpose, and everyone involved should work towards that purpose.
When a student comes in seeking assistance, the front-desk staff walk the student to their tutor and introduce them both to each other. This serves to reinforce the personal aspect of the service. They build on the idea that a connection can be fostered in this space and that each person is prioritized as an individual. It reinforces that every student is supported at every step, rather than left on their own to flounder.
When working here, I feel much more focused on the task at hand--helping each student. I also feel encouraged to support students individually by introducing ourselves to one another beyond our respective names. I ask them how their day has been as if we are meeting each other for the first time as people rather than as tutor and student. Though our conversations do then turn towards our shared purpose, I emphasize both of our humanness just as the first thing we both learned about each other is not our respective roles but our respective names. Our priority might be learning, but that does not trump the personalized experience that should take place here.