John Sheridan Blog Post 1



1.     Some passages in the chapters implied that it is wrong to complement students’ work too heavily, but also called upon tutors to be encouraging toward writers. This was confusing and potentially problematic. Is it wrong or problematic to complement a student’s work if you think it is really good?
2.     If students want to practice grammar on their own time, what writing center resources should I direct them to?

Comments

  1. Carol SeverinoJanuary 23, 2019 at 9:44 AM

    You're right. It is confusing. There's a lot of mixed messaging in tutor education, some of which I'm guilty of myself. It's actually very important to praise as long as you praise specific things the student did well so they can do it again. So justify and give a reason for your praise. Use "I like the way you" ______________ and fill in the blank. I like how you incorporated the points you'll make later into your thesis. I like the way you integrated your source material here. I like the way you used that metaphor. Good job on a conclusion that answers the "so what" question.

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  2. Carol SeverinoJanuary 23, 2019 at 9:48 AM

    The "go to" source for everything grammatical is the Purdue OWL. They have a search box where you can write in the feature: e.g. subject-verb agreement, sentence fragments, etc. and get rules, examples, and exercises. Students can also take out a handbook from our back shelves by filling out a borrower's card at the front desk.

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