Professional Development

We should have a workshop about…

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By Jocelyn Amevuvor

Have you ever thought about creating your own Writing Center workshop? You may want to since it is a great professional addition for resumes as well as a great way to develop your own understanding of a certain topic.
Although creating a workshop isn’t as easy as 1, 2, 3, hopefully these 1, 2, 3s of creating workshops will aid you in your endeavor.

When you begin to brainstorm:

  1.  Think of a topic that you are interested in and/or have experience with. It should be something that you see students need but aren’t currently getting.
  2. Do a little research on the topic. You’ll want some reliable sources to rely on.
  3. Talk to Ben, the assistant director and other tutors to find out if they know of any good sources. You may also want to talk to professors outside of the English department for more information.

As you begin to design your slides:

  1. Remember: Microsoft PowerPoint makes it easy to pick out pre-designed backgrounds and fonts. Don’t go crazy with special effects and images, but do…
  2. Be dynamic with font sizes and colors. In other words, don’t be afraid to make some sentences and words bigger or in a different color for emphasis.
  3. Don’t overload slides. Remember the 7 by 7 rule: no more than 7 lines per slide and 7 words per line.

As you begin to insert content, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Make it a goal to generate conversation in the class by using questions or other conversation generators in the workshop.
  2. Don’t just say an idea. Try illustrating it through colorful pictures, funny comics, and organized diagrams. Smart Art is a great way to illustrate something simply and effectively.
  3. Check to see if the beginning of your presentation generates interest by getting feedback from others. If it doesn’t look interesting to you, it probably won’t be interesting to someone else.
  4. Transitions aren’t just for essays! Ensure that your points move smoothly from one slide to the next. A transition should basically build from the idea mentioned on the previous slide. So, if your slide jumps from one supporting idea to another, it probably needs a transition.
  5. Peer review, peer review, peer review! Get input from fellow tutors, classmates, friends and family.

Reservations About Tutoring Online

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By Nick Marsellas

Even though we all know the basics of the Online Writing Center (OWC), some of us still have reservations about tutoring online. One tutor told me, “I haven’t even tutored many people face to face yet—I think the OWC is for veterans.”

Dr. Ben Rafoth was quick to dispel this fear, saying that some of the challenges posed by the OWC may be different from tutoring in person, but that doesn’t mean that those problems are more difficult to overcome. In his opinion, even experienced tutors occasionally run into problems (both online and in person), but that’s no reason to avoid the OWC.

Additionally, some tutors have said that they prefer face-to-face interaction with students because they believe it’s easier to build a rapport with someone in person than over the phone. There is certainly some aspect of body language that gets lost over the phone. However, as a Writing Center tutor and avid lover of language, I believe that the words we choose and the ways we choose to say them are influential in forming bonds with writers. Consider the last time you made a phone call—were you able to tell whether it was a positive or negative experience? Of course!

The Online Writing Center is an exciting, new experience and a great way to pick up a few extra hours once in a while. More than that, however, it is a way to reach out and help more students. Our job as tutors is to help students become better writers, but who says we can’t do it lying in bed in our PJs?