By Chris Taylor

Writing Center tutors may often be perceived as possessing a set of skills that enable them to be effective tutors.  While it is certainly true that there is some skill involved in tutoring, it is probably not the best idea for tutors to think of what they do as merely a skill set.

Let me explain why with this example: If a student comes into the Writing Center with a different type of assignment than what I am used to, it would be easy for me to doubt my ability to help him/her based on my belief that I don’t have the skills necessary to assist with that particular type of writing.

In comparison, if  I conceive of tutoring as a craft which I am constantly developing and fine-tuning over time, I allow myself to recognize the potential of that particular tutoring session to be a learning opportunity for me as well as the student. In other words, by viewing tutoring as a craft, we relieve ourselves of the mindset that they have to have all of the answers and that they have to perfectly satisfy the student’s needs. Instead, we can experience the excitement associated with continually learning and growing as a tutor.

Besides, imagine that tutoring was nothing more than simply applying the exact same skills over and over again, session after session.  Tutoring would become pretty dull, wouldn’t it?

Contrast that to the viewpoint of tutoring being a craft in which tutors will regularly gain new insights that make them better at what they do, in addition to making their work significantly more satisfying and enriching. Which perspective makes you more excited to come to work?