Samantha Rhynard- Post #6

Having my first shift at the EMK writer’s room was not exactly what I expected it to be. One thing to be said about the EMK is that it is a school, and the writer’s room just happens to be a room that services that school through the help of 826 Boston. And because the school is just off the edge of Northeastern’s campus, we can—as volunteers—either have the students come to us, or we can go to them. That being said, this past week was one of the times we went to visit the students. In this case, the students were a twelfth grade English class, starting to write compare and contrast essays based on a few short stories they had read. As tutors we were not given advanced access to the literature, and so we had to ask the students what all the stories were about. I think the experience overall as a tutor was not that bad, it was just that I am inexperienced in this area, and therefore I can retrospectively see what errors I made, or what things I could have done better. I could have asked more pointed questions about the stories to help get creative juices flowing in the student I helped, and experience would have helped me determine how much help and what style of help she wanted me to provide. Because the students were just starting their essays, this session was mostly just brainstorming, and starting to draft.

I think the weirdest part about all of this was how small the age difference between us tutors and the students was. We might literally have been the same age as them, and while we are technically a year older than them, one of the major issues I faced while trying to be a helpful tutor was how much advice I should give, and to what degree should I assist with formulating the essay. I didn’t want to be overbearing and come across as condescending because I underestimated how competent of a writer the student I was working with was, so I think what actually happened was I came across as distant and not as helpful as I could have been, because were I in the student’s position and a tutor underestimated me, I would be frustrated and not be inclined to accept any help they offered, because of their mindset of being that much better than me. I think an important difference between myself and the student I worked with that comes into play is that if I thought a tutor I was working with wasn’t fulfilling all that I needed them to, I would ask questions and initiate a dialogue to get them to help me more, whereas the student I was working with was in need of a more discerning tutor to know when she got stuck and needed help, instead of waiting for her to initiate with the tutor. If I happen to be working with her again, I will try to remember that, but an important takeaway from that is for me to recognize that while I could be a good tutor to those who think and respond similarly to myself, I should be more adaptable to be able to help those who are not exactly the same as I am—which is a useful life lesson on perspective, besides being applicable to this particular setting.