Final Draft

Molly D. Kenner
Dr. Chandler
ENG 4070 01
03 December 2008
Listening and Nonverbal Language in the Writing Center
When a college student comes to a writing center, she comes because she needs assistance in achieving a well-written paper for a particular class. She may have one or more concerns about “fixing” her paper. Sometimes a student will come with no idea of where to begin writing the assigned paper or perhaps the student got a “bad assignment” and doesn’t know what the paper should be on. These are just a couple of the circumstances that can be the cause of a student’s dismay when she finds her way inside a writing center. Whatever the problem, the student needs a successful experience that will yield a successful paper at the end of her 40 or 50-minute session.
There are some specific nonverbal indications exhibited by the tutor and the tutee that shows that a writing session is going well or not. These signs speak louder than words do. Some of the pointers are: eye contact, head nods, leaning in or leaning back, facial expressions, posture, smiling, frowning, and finger-pointing. There are techniques that a tutor can use to get a particular nonverbal response from the learner, but most of the body language that takes place in a writing session is unscripted, unplanned, and unrehearsed. Communicating sans words cannot be shut off. It occurs naturally, like breathing. When a person makes a decision to be silent, he is speaking volumes.
Albert Mehrabian suggested in the 1970’s from his extensive research that a mere 7% of what is being said is said verbally. The 93% that is left over is all displayed nonverbally. Although his investigations happened close to 50 years ago, his findings are not unlike what researchers of today are finding. On a documentary that aired just two weeks ago on the History Channel, Secrets of Body Language, viewers got an update on nonverbal cues and were shown the very same percentages that Mehrabian found regarding human communication.
My research was conducted in Kean University’s Center for Academic Success, (CAS) in the school’s tutoring center. I was one of approximately ten undergraduate students who took Dr. Sally Chandler’s Peer Tutoring and Writing Center Course, a three-credit program. At the onset of the semester each student was required by federal law to pass a course and obtain a certificate from the National Institutes of Health before we could participate. The self-study was about protecting human research participants in the United States.
Each person I observed in the writing center gave his or her permission to be observed by me while they were being tutored. I signed the three-page form and Dr. Chandler as the faculty advisor signed them as well. So began my research. I started by reading the required text books, Tutoring Writing: A Practical Guide for Conferences by Donald A. Mc Andrew and Thomas J. Reigstad and The Longman Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice by Robert W. Barnett and Jacob S. Blumner. I tutored my classmates and they tutored me. I signed up for students in the CAS, but I did not get the opportunity to tutor any of the students who came to the writing center for help with their papers. My observations include some of my class peers but most were from the university’s students who came in for help writing a paper.
In the first of two sessions that I observed on December 1st, the tutor was Sasha and the learner was Stella. I observed the tutor is doing the writing and the learner is making hand gestures. When the tutor asks the learner questions, the learner answers and continues to nod her head. The tutor is in agreement with what the student is saying because now she is nodding her head, too. Both are smiling, the tutor writes as she speaks, the tutee speaks and moves her hands and head. The tutee ‘s facial expressions are animated and her gaze is deep in the tutor’s eyes. The tutor is not so intense. Her facial expressions reflect interest in that her direct eye contact is direct. The tutor smiles more than the learner. The learner’s facial expressions display a lack of confidence that she is getting her point across.
The documentary, Secrets of Body Language explained through examples of celebrities, politicians, and other persons well known to the world that people will try to betray what they are feeling with words, but the communication that takes place that is nonverbal is more dominant than that which is said. The same is true in the writing center. Tutors need to learn what is not being said by becoming aware what different gestures, facial expressions, body movements, eye contact, (or the lack there of), and even silence mean when they come from the learner in a writing session. There is the moving closer or pulling away that occurs between the tutor and the tutee, the head nods, blinking of the eyes, and nervous touching of oneself.
In Shamoon and Burns’ A Critique of Pure Tutoring, in their argument about directive tutoring and being empowered. The learner has gotten alternatives for what he or she has tried to write. This method works best for the learner wishes to follow what has been modeled for him. In a session that I observed on October 27th (Connie was tutored by Theresa) I looked to see when eye contact was exchanged and what tutor and learner did with their bodies when they were involved in the session. I looked at these behaviors to see which were more prevalent when the session was successful and which were exhibited when the tutoring session was unsuccessful. I looked for facial expressions and hand motions, smiles and frowns, and indications of ease, distress, or frustration from learner, tutor, or both simultaneously.
I will review the works of Albert Mehrabian, Peer Tutoring Information from Penn State University, Grace Ritz Amigone, Frank van Marwik, Tutoring Writing, The Longman Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice, and a History Channel documentary on body language to support what I observed in the tutoring sessions. I will explore what nonverbal language the tutor uses when he is getting positive feedback and what he displays when the learner is not picking up his cues. I am looking to find out what kinds of body language accompany listening in the tutoring session, be it a successful session or a failure.
In a successful session with VT as the tutor and CA as the learner, I took notes of what was being said and how each person responded to the other. There was lots of eye contact and smiles. Tutor and teacher nodded and leaned in. Admittedly, I was unsure of what direction I would go in or what I was looking for even after I had gathered the data for that session.
One more session that yielded success; was one with DSC as the Tutor and Stevie as the learner. This meeting had a lot of head nodding and agreement from the learner. The learner appeared confident but seemed to display nervousness in the way she touched herself. She kept moving her hands on her face. She covered her nose as she looked down at her paper. This happened when the tutor narrowed her eyes. The tutor’s facial expressions were pleasant and welcoming, however she finger points and occasionally shakes her head from side to side. The tutor touches her body, also. She touches her hair and ears when she is talking to the learner. Learner displays a puzzling look when tutor gives an example for her. Learner expresses herself by raising her hands a bit and extending all five fingers. I take this as a way to show that she doesn’t quite grasp what she’s been told.
An unsuccessful tutoring session involved Martina and Analese on December 1st. Martina is a university student who was looking for a specific tutor, one of which she was familiar. He was unavailable and Analese stepped in to replace him. The tutor was friendly and pleasant, smiling, and apologetic in her mannerisms. She appeared to bow a bit, lowering her eyes and making small movements. The learner was annoyed as was reflected in her body language. She frowned and shook her head no. After a short time both tutor and learner agreed that she should set another appointment, one in which she would be able to be tutored by the person she knew.
In her paper, Writing Lab Tutors: Hidden Messages that Matter, Grace Ritz Amigone quotes Smith and Williamson and she agrees with them that “every verbal act contains nonverbal aspects which are essential to the meaning of the verbal act.” In the cases that I observed, the body language goes hand in hand and at times it precedes verbal language. In the introduction or the initial greeting for example, both tutor and learner smile to reassure the other.
In the documentary, Secrets of Body Language on the History Channel, (Satellite and Cable television) the announcer opens up the film saying: Gestures, facial expressions and body movement compose ninety-three percent of communication--only seven percent of understanding derives from words. Experts in non-verbal signals will deconstruct video footage of people from iconic moments in history, past and present, to reveal what was truly being said. Learn how subtle movements are used to persuade masses, establish power, and advance careers--most often without anyone knowing it.
I was able to get good data about nonverbal communication in tutoring sessions from the 5 or so sessions that I observed. My research proved that nonverbal language is dominant in these sessions where one would expect that words would rule over any nonverbal messages. It may be true, only more research will tell if and when tutors in writing centers have a better understanding of the various types of nonverbal language displayed during tutoring sessions if it will mean more successful sessions. What can be said now is; there is much more going on in a writing center than what meets the ear.
Works Cited

Secrets of Body Language
Newkirk, Thomas. “The First Five Minutes: Setting the Agenda in a Writing Conference.”
Robert W and Jacob S Blummer. The Longman Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008.

Revised Draft of Research Question

The purpose of my research is to watch nonverbal language. I want to see which nonverbal cues are associated with a successful tutoring session and which are present when the session did not go well.

My question: What kinds of body language accompany listening in the tutoring session?

This is my plan: I will document patterns that I see when observing tutoring sessions. I will look at the body language of both the tutor and the learner in tutoring sessions and gather data on proximity, eye contact, facial expressions, and hand gesture to determine if the session is successful or not.

I will be looking for the kinds of behavior that are displayed when an open-ended question is asked.

I will look for the kinds of body language displayed when a closed-ended questions is asked of the learner.

Some questions I will pose during observations are:

o What is the tutor’s nonverbal language when he/she asks a question?

o What nonverbal language does the learner use as he/she listens to the tutor?

o Is the learner smiling?

o Is the tutor smiling?

o What are facial expressions are exchanged between tutor and learner in the session?

o Are tutor and learner making eye contact?

o If eye contact is being made, is it a lot or a little?

o Does the learner divert his/her eyes away for the tutor’s?

o Does the tutor look directly into the learner’s eyes?

o Is there a lot of blinking occurring with one or the other?

o Is the learner nodding his/her head?

o Does the student lean in?

o Does he/she pull back?

o Are there any really obvious facial expressions like frowning, confusion, worry, anxiety, bewilderment, satisfaction, appreciation, etc.?

o Any eye brow raises?

Hand gestures
o Any finger rapping?
o Any toe tapping?
o Any other signs that would indicate nervousness?

The sources listed by me last week are sufficient to measure what I see and support it with what those experts have found.

There is an additional source. The History Channel showed the special that was not broadcast a couple of weeks ago. Camille had mentioned it in class about 3 weeks ago. I found it very informative and present. They showed the body language of current politicians and showed speeches from the President-elect, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin and John Mc Cain and discussed their body language. The program was aired on the History Channel, (cable/satellite): "Secrets of Body Language."

I have not been successful in my quest to observe tutors at the CAS during the hours that I listed with the Tutoring Center. I will email Angela and find out when she is tutoring students and ask her if I can observe her in action when I can match my schedule with hers. I also need to find out when Ryan is tutoring students. I will observe the students and answer the questions that I posed in the list above.

Draft of Research Essay

Research Question: How do understanding nonverbal interactions between tutor and learner in the writing center help the tutor have successful tutoring sessions?

I hope to show that understanding the nonverbal cues of learners who come to writing centers for assistance can provide more successful tutoring sessions. I will be comparing deliberate and spontaneous facial movements of the students and I will look for some specifics including these:

What is the greeting like when tutor and learner meet?
Is there a handshake?
Tutor smile?
Learner Smile?


I will look at the body language of the tutor as she listens to the learner.
I will look at the body language of the learner as she listens to the tutor.
I will look at the body language of the tutor as she asks questions of the learner.
I will look at the body language of the learner as she listens to the tutor.

What is the eye contact like?
Is there lots of eye contact?
Does either tutor or learner avert his or her eyes?

I will watch the proximity of the tutor and the learner.
Does the student lean in or pull back?
Does the tutor lean in or pull back?
Are they sitting across from each other, or side by side?
Are they too close?
Too far?
Close enough?

What are the facial expressions?
Smiles?
Frowns?
Consternation?
Confusion?
Thoughtful?
Exasperated?
Worried?
Concern?
Impatience?
Anxious?
Frustration?
Appreciation?
Bewilderment?

What does learner do with his hands and feet?
Does the learner tap his foot?
Does she nervously tap fingers?
Does she make some other nervous movement with her hands?

Hand gestures:
What kinds of hand movements?
What do these particular movements mean? (see research literature)

Any spontaneous facial movements?
Eyebrow raises?
What kinds of facial display?

During my observations of tutors in the CAS, I will be looking for all of the above. I will take notes and record when I find those things that I am looking for. I will record the frequency and when a particular issue presents itself. After gathering the data, I will categorize and code all of it for organization. Then I will draw a conclusion and report on what my findings bring to my personal research. I will show what works and what does not work.

5 possible references

ERIC ED158354 Isenhart, Myra W. "An Investigation of Differential Ability in Decoding Nonverbal Cues"
Looking at interpersonal competence; nonverbal communication; college students; communication skills; individual power.

Goldin-Meadow, S. "Hearing Gestures: How our Hands Help us Think"
(2003) Cambridge, MA: Belknap
Understanding what hand gestures mean.

Mehrabian A. "Silent Messages" (1971) Belmont, CA Wadsworth
Looks at how people give nonverbal cues.

Star, Amy and Page, Norman "Dealing with Nonverbal Cues: A Key to Mediator Effectiveness"
Understanding how people use body language and other nonverbal language.

Gemma Warren, Elizabeth Schertler, Peter Brill "Detecting Deception from Emotional and Unemotional Cues"
Looks at ways to detect deception.

Directive/Non-Directive

I am going to check out Shamoon and Burns and Jeff Brooks again. I found googled and found a reference on ERIC, Education Resources Information Center. The ERIC # is EJ 642727 -" Perspectives on the Directive/Non-Directive Continuum in the Writing Center." Okay. So, I'm going back and forth to the Eric page and my blog and the google docs thinking I have something good to add to the list. I then see Dr. Chandler or someone else in our group has already added this one. AH!*% !@&*I give up.

Notes of confusion

Checking the sites at the bottom of Dr. Chandler's blog, I wasn't able to find what I was looking for. When I did a search, no data or suggestions for reading popped up for the topic that I (thought I) wanted to write about for my research. If there is data available and I was out of my element and can be re-directed, I want to write about hand gestures. If not, I will change my research paper to body language. I did not want to write about body language because I wanted to write something a little different. I don't, however want to be the first to write about hand gestures. It's just too ambitious a project!

The first five minutes of the session I observed...

In the first five minutes of the session, I introduced myself to the tutor and the learner. I had a set of forms for both to sign giving their consent for me to observe them. I answered a couple of questions regarding confidentiality from the student then she and the tutor signed the papers. Vanessa was the tutor and Camille was the student in the session that I observed.

Thomas Newkirk’s ideas are realistic. He is right when he says in his article, “The First Five Minutes: Setting the Agenda in a Writing Conference” that the sessions are only a certain period of time and if there is not direction to go in, the session will go on and on, wasting both the student’s and the teacher’s time. He also says to pick one or two important issues to concentrate on that both the tutor and the student agree on to make sure that the conference does not “backfire.” He calls this agreement “a meeting of the minds.”

Vanessa and Camille quickly came to a “meeting of the minds” as recommended by Newkirk in the first five minutes of the session that I observed. Naturally, they already have a rapport from having been in the same class. Also, by this time, both know what is expected of them in their respective roles of tutor and student. So, it has to be more comfortable for us classmates as we role play than it will be when we are approached by students for tutoring or when we’re an observer and the student or even the tutor does not know who we are.

Tutor and teacher were friendly and pleasant to each other in the session. Vanessa sat next to Camille. There were more observers than I to the session. The members of the class were in the audience. This did not distract the tutor. However the student admitted that she was distracted by all of the attention her piece was receiving.

Vanessa had asked Camille to read the piece that she had written. Camille read it and Vanessa asked questions that were direct yet pleasant and open without any judgments or assumptions on her part. The tutor asked what was the main point that Camille wanted to make. The teacher gently questioned and spoke positively throughout the session. This was well received by the student.

The two main ideas that the tutor brings up to the student should have to do with higher order concerns. Vanessa asked, “What is the main idea?” She also explained to the student that her conclusion needed more to it. Vanessa didn’t think the paper’s conclusion had a clear focus. Camille felt very strongly that her conclusion was good and Camille kept the conclusion just as it was. Camille also found her own minor mistakes, (lower order concerns) while she was reading.

Blog # 13

A Critique of Thomas Newkirk’s “The First Five Minutes: Setting the Agenda in a Writing Conference”
by Molly D. Kenner

Thomas Newkirk explains in his essay “The First Five Minutes: Setting the Agenda in a Writing Conference that the teacher must set an agenda that is a “meeting of the minds” of both student and teacher in the beginning of a writing conference. He says one or two important issues in the paper need to be the focal points of the conference. Newkirk states that the time spent with the student working on her paper is short and if no direction is established quickly the meeting can be a waste of time for the student and teacher alike.

The author provides three case studies. Each student’s paper did not have a clear focus and each teacher’s task was to find out from the student what the main point of the paper was. Newkirk showed how instructors fall into traps that make “conferences misfire badly.” An example of this was in the case of “…Like a Mack Truck.” The instructor dominates the session talking “twice as much” as the student. The instructor did not make good use of the first five minutes and ended up with an unsuccessful conference.

In the case “It Just Didn’t Make Sense” the instructor makes a better and faster assessment of the needs of the student. The teacher asks questions that are understood by the student and allow her to examine herself for the answers and think her way through to a logical conclusion. Newkirk reminds us to be careful not to talk to much; to use the start of a session to agree on where the focus will be for the student’s paper; that the focus must be narrowed down to no more than two main issues; the teacher should not have the agenda for the paper pre-set; the teacher should be a “model” that the student can learn from.

Blog #12 - Being Tutored and Observed

In our group, Erin was the Tutor, Vanessa the Observer, and I the student. Vanessa brought forms for the tutor and the student to sign acknowledging our acceptance to her being in the room observing the tutoring session. She explained all aspects of the forms we signed including confidentiality. Vanessa was in no way noticeable and I forgot that she was present. Her focus for her research question has to do with eye contact of student and tutor in a tutoring session.

Erin and I were looking at my document on the computer. We sat next to each other however, we were faced opposite to where the observer was. Our backs were to her. Seeing the two of us making eye contact might have been a little difficult for the observer. It may be as hard for an observer to see the eye contact of the participants even if they sit across from each other or next to each other even with a paper document.

What I learned from our session in CAS, is that it is going to be best to have a paper to look at as opposed to looking over the essay, etc. on a computer. Having paperwork will work better in the case of an observer being in the room, and it will also be better for the one on one of tutor and student.

Research Question

I want to learn how the tone of a tutor's voice affects the learner. I will listen to measure the speed of the tutor's speech and the tone of the tutor's voice. I will listen and look for specifics like:
Is this voice pleasing to the ear?
Is it gruff, gravelly, or harsh?
Does it sound interested in the learner?
Is it too loud?
Is it too soft?
Is it condescending?
Is it caring?
Is it empathetic?

It might be an opportunity to think and talk...

The Minimalist approach may be an opportunity to get the student to think and talk. A tutor must be adept at this technique as well as the other tutoring methods. She should be the judge as to when is the best time to pull the MM out of her war chest. I still don't think that it is to be used on every student. Some students may well be intimidated by this manner of tutoring. I think all of the methods of tutoring have the power to get the student thinking and talking.

Blog 8 (re-worked)

Here's my list:

Be attentive (focusing in on what the student needs).

Be careful not to make assumptions or judgments about the student.

Focus on the strong points of the learner's paper and provide positive feedback.

Ask questions that help the learner see where he can make the weaker spots in the paper stronger.

Encourage student to write down helpful points.

Sit next to the student, it's less intimidating for the student and the tutor's less likely to mark up or write on the student's paper.

As the tutor, I don't need to worry if I don't know the material for the student's paper.

Be aware of both your and your student's body language and make the necessary adjustments to try and change negative B.L. coming from student or yourself.

Be capable of switching to a different technique, if necessary for the session's success.

The tutoring session is more about the learner getting his paper correct than it is about the tutor.

Re-thinking Blog #7

The most important features of effective tutoring have everything to do with building rapport. The tutor should do everything that she can to establish a good relationship with the learner in the least amount of time possible to ensure a successful tutoring session. (It should not take thirty minutes to get going in a positive direction.) The student needs to trust that the tutor is a capable teacher. This can be accomplished if the tutor is good listener who will encourage the learner.

To improve my tutoring methods I will need to become more confident in my ability to teach. My recent understanding that I don't need to have all knowledge about all subjects helps a lot. I just need to know what questions to ask the student. He or she will be able to answer the questions and get the desired results, a well-written paper.

A good handshake and a smile as I greet the student who comes to me for tutoring is where I'll start. I will continuously make eye contact with him or her and be aware of my own body language, making sure it is open, not closed. As for additional training outside of this classroom, I can observe real life sessions and look at some on the Net.

Blog #10

If money was no object, I would work on a project that helped younger writers. I am thinking about high schoolers. If they worked on their writing in good writing labs, they would be better writers by the time they got to college. This would probably eliminate the Composition I class.

Blog #9

I think I will use the minimalist approach when I have confident learners. I do not think I will use this method with ESL learners or persons with learning disabilities. I think the minimalist way may frustrate already frustrated writers even more. When I do use the minimalist technique, I will use it sparingly. I think it may be too strong for the average learner and then the whole purpose for the writing lab is defeated.

When a writer is a strong writer or has a strong personality, he or she will be able to take the badgering better than a shy or self-conscious person. For the less confident learners and most other students, I will take a more teacherly stance.

Blog #8 Minimalist Tutoring

It is difficult for me to say who would be the best candidates for minimalist tutoring because it seems to be a very direct, take no prisoners method. If I am just going to collect my pay and not really help out writers, this is the way I would go. This approach is rather cold as far as I am concerned, (of course I’m just learning).

There are parts that I would like to use, for instance; “Your paper has value as a piece of writing. It is worth reading ad thinking about like any other piece of writing.” That’s good. I also understand; “Don’t be an editor.” The “goal of the tutoring session is learning” and if a tutor writes the paper, the student doesn’t learn to write better. The “basics” like; sit next to the student, get the paper in the student’s hands, and having the student read the piece aloud all work well for my personality. However, after reading the chapter, I thought I might be being too hard on a student and that perhaps I could be a little more helpful opposed to so “down to business.”

So, to answer the question, I think a person who is a pretty decent writer to begin with would be the best student for the minimalist tutoring approach

Blog #7

The most important features of an effective tutoring session in my opinion are perspective and training. I think a tutoring session will be successful if the tutor knows what the writer needs and is able to address those needs, if not the session will be unsuccessful.

Improving my own tutoring methods involves me doing more sessions. Once I put some of the strategies to work I will be able to see what I am comfortable with and what does or does not work for me. In addition to me finding my own techniques, I need to tutor different people because individual students have different learning styles the same way that different tutors have different tutoring styles.

Addition to Blog 5

I learned from the reading in M & R that the first concerns are high order concerns. It is more important that issues dealing with thesis and focus, development, structure and organization, and voice be clear for the writer than the lower order concerns of punctuate, spelling, etc. When asked by my tutor what was the central issue of my piece, I had to think about what I was really trying to say. That question helped me to understand that what I wrote about was not really what I wanted to write about.
The strategy we used was talking aloud. I read my paper and then told her what it should have been about. I took notes and rewrote the piece now that I knew how to improve the paper.

Blog #6 Rethinking My Writing Center Philosophy

My writing center philosophy is ever evolving. At least I am now persuaded that writing centers are a good thing. That was not the case when I wrote about my own writing philosophy. I still like the look of what I proposed however, reading the North piece gave me additional insight on what a writing center should and should not be. I do think that a tutor must take on a role of a listener to hear what the learner's needs, weakness, and strengths are. I don't think a "cookie cutter" approach will work as no two tutoring sessions will be identical.

Blog #5 How my tutoring session went

Erin tutored me. She saw that I had problems with Thesis/Focus. She asked me what my piece was really about and gave me a chance to sort out what it was about. I told her that I really did not like the essay that Lunsford wrote. She said that that was "okay' that I didn't have to like it. She suggested that I might list the things that I disliked about it and write from that angle. It was a good session. I watched Erin as she was tutored by Ryan because the class sessions were just starting when I arrived for class.

Looking at my essay, Erin could see that I had some confusion in my focus. The technique that she used worked for me. Erin asked a question, let me think about it, then told me to write what I had said. I had originally written an essay that I was comfortable with before I wrote this one that I thought would be more acceptable.

Blog #4 - What I Learned from My Tutoring Session

My tutoring session was with Dr. Chandler. She helped me to articulate thoughts that I was having trouble putting into words regarding the Lunsford article. I had read “ Collaboration, Control, and the Idea of a Writing Center” by Andrea Lunsford and found it more than a little confusing. Dr. Chandler asked me questions. Her first was; “Did you read the article?” I had. From my responses to her questions it was clear to her that I didn’t get a good understanding of what Lunsford’s position on collaborating writing was. She pointed out areas where I was barely touching on what was being said by the author. I read them over and I was able to get clarity. I have not come to like the piece, but I do understand what the different kinds of writing centers offer. As a result, I am able to say definitively that I do not care for the techniques used in the Storehouse method. I do like aspects of both Garret and Burkean Parlor style writing centers.

Blog # 3 - My Writing Center Philosophy

The environment of a writing center of my own making would have a particular look and feel to it. It would have two parts to it. One part would be set up like a lounge or a large living room with very comfortable sofa type chairs, armchairs and tables. My philosophical writing center would be brightly lit with soft colored walls. There’d be a complimentary cup of coffee and a donut. In the other part, a larger area of the room, there would be some round/square tables with hard chairs where tutor and learner would leave the lounge area and go to for a “one on one.” There’d be all kinds of resource books in the bookcases for the tutoring sessions. All tutors would be trained using a blend of the Burkean Parlor and Garret styles at this writing center. I don’t at this point think there is anything that I would include from the Storehouse technique. It seems for all intents and purposes to be from an era passed.

One major rule that I would include in a writing center that I set up would be: "The learner never wrong." The tutor should be able to take whatever the learner has said or written and put a positive spin on it. Dr. Chandler is a master at this. She never says; "Wrong!" She instead says something like; "I could see that." This does wonders for one's self-esteem. Next she gives the student information that will help the learner get to a better understanding of what is going on.

I also think all tutors should have a checklist, actual or one memorized that each one completes to be sure all bases that need to be covered, are.

Classmates' Blogs

Angela - http://angelapeertutor.blogspot.com

Camille - http://camille-tutor.blogspot.com

Erin - http://erinbutterfly.blogspot.com

Kevin - http://kevinrisse.blogspot.com

Marie - http://marieacot1blogspot.com

Nick - http://nicolasjvasilo.blogspot.com

Stephanie - http://stephy1125.blogspot.com

Vanessa - http://torresv.blogspot.com

Blog #2

I read Andrea Lunsford’s piece, “Collaboration, Control and the Idea of a Writing Center.” While reading the essay, I thought of the times that I have been in informal settings as well as formal settings where I participated in a collaborative process. Using those experiences as a sort of barometer, I was able to understand what she was saying, even though she seemed to flip-flop around with some confusion. She did not take a definitive stand as far as I am concerned. I realize that she is an expert in her field, but all the same, that is what I came away with after reading her report.

Blog #1

I really don't have any questions at this point. I was surprised to find out that the coach learns as much as the learner does. What I would like to know is how I am going to find out what a learner's strengths are.