Observing in the Writing Center

The Foundational Importance of Observation in Writing Centers

  • Observation is a critical learning tool for all members of a writing center, including directors, experienced tutors, and new trainees.
  • New and experienced tutors learn from one another, blurring the contrast between "novice" and "expert."
  • The writing center is defined as a site for collaborative learning, which benefits the staff as much as it does the writers.
  • Effective observation is one of the primary ways a tutor develops their professional skills by modeling others and observing writer behaviors.
  • Caroline Goyette, a peer tutor at Marquette, highlights that observation builds confidence by showing there is no "trick," "secret method," or "cryptic agenda" that tutors must follow.
  • Observation reveals how tutoring methods can be applied to diverse needs and how individual tutors manipulate these methods to form a unique, effective style.

Protocol for Securing Permission and Scheduling

  • Cooperation from the director or person running the writing center is essential before beginning any observations.
  • Tutors must ensure that both the tutor and the writer being observed feel comfortable with the arrangement.
  • Marquette University's specific protocol:     - There is a standing understanding that experienced tutors can be observed at any session, provided the writer agrees.     - Tutors can opt-out if they do not feel comfortable; trainees are then informed which tutors are available for observation.     - Trainees check a schedule to find sessions involving a writer and an experienced tutor.     - Trainees pencil their names into the schedule as observers.     - It is highly recommended to schedule a follow-up session with the tutor immediately after the observation for discussion; this involves signing up for two time slots (11 with the writer, 11 for the post-session debrief).
  • Limitation: Only one observer should be present per session to avoid overwhelming the writer.

Best Practices for Effective Observation

  • Diversity in Training: Trainees should observe as many different tutors as possible and see multiple sessions with the same tutor.
  • Range of Experiences: Observation should cover various writing stages, such as:     - Brainstorming sessions.     - Revision sessions.
  • Observing Relationship Dynamics: Tutors vary their style based on their familiarity with the writer. For example, a tutor in their third session with the same writer might skip introductory talk and jump directly into the draft.
  • Punctuality: Observers must arrive early. Entering after a session has started is disruptive, and observing the initial moments of a session is crucial for understanding how the rapport is established.
  • Gaining Consent: Either the tutor or the observer must ask the writer for permission to be observed at the start of the session.

Recording and Maintaining Objective Observations

  • Note-taking: Observers should always bring paper and writing utensils. While it is impossible to capture everything, they should aim for maximum detail regarding the session's conduct.
  • The Tutoring Log: At Marquette, trainees maintain a log of sessions (e.g., the English 192 Writing Center Tutoring Log) to serve as material for reflective papers and to track their own development.
  • Maintaining an Open Mind: Observers must avoid jumping to conclusions regarding body language or behavior.     - Example: Slumping might mean boredom, but it could also mean the writer is tired.     - Example: Rapid reading might indicate anxiety, or simply a lack of experience reading aloud.     - Example: Vigorous nodding might indicate agreement, or it might be a strategy to get the tutor to do all the work while the writer thinks about the weekend.
  • The "Bottom Line" of Observation: Observed behaviors have multiple meanings. Observers must reserve judgment and notice subtle clues.
  • Staying Objective: Record what is seen. If the observer disagrees with the tutor’s direction or questions, they should remain relaxed, as there are many valid ways to help a writer.
  • Participation: Observers should keep a list of their own potential questions for the writer in case the tutor invites them to participate in the session.

Analytical Framework for Reflective Analysis

After observing, trainees should answer specific reflective and analytical questions to make sense of the session:

  • Welcome and Comfort:     - How did the tutor make the writer feel welcome (body language, small talk, smiling)?     - How was the physical space used to make the writer comfortable?
  • Tutoring Strategies:     - What questions were asked about the assignment or paper?     - Did the tutor listen effectively? How was that evident?     - Who did most of the talking (talk-ratio)?     - How did the tutor negotiate conflicting agendas between them and the writer?     - How did the tutor handle the need to change the subject or get the session back on track?
  • Roles and Responsibilities:     - How were the roles of tutor and writer established?     - Was the tutor acting as an editor, coach, authority figure, or peer?     - Did the tutor show respect for the writer's work?
  • Outcome:     - Did the writer respond well to the tutor's style?     - Did the writer know the next steps for revision at the end?     - Did the tutor ask the writer to return?     - Was the focus on the paper itself or the writer's composing strategies?

Case Study: Daniel Scherrer’s Reflective Account

  • Context: Daniel Scherrer was a conscientious student who took English 192 for graduation credit, initially unaware it involved 2020 hours of tutoring and observation.
  • Observation 1 (Crystal and a First-Year Female Student):     - Focus: A reflective essay about a track senior realization.     - Method: The student read the paper aloud. Crystal used leading questions to force the student to think for herself.     - Result: The student began catching her own problematic phrases and improved her descriptions. The tutor taught the student to see the paper from a third-person perspective.
  • Observation 2 (Sarah and a Male Physics Graduate Student):     - Focus: A physics dissertation focusing on grammar and punctuation.     - Method: Sarah maintained professional distance while making the student feel at home. She asked the observer (Daniel) for his opinion on several occasions.     - Personal Perspective (The "Chicken Sandwich" Anecdote): Daniel reflects on his physical hunger and his "tutorial egotism," initially viewing the paper as something for him to manipulate into an "ideal text."
  • Mentorship from Joe: An experienced tutor, Joe, provided a pivotal insight: "We are not here to write their papers for them. It's not ours, it's theirs, for better or worse, lumps and all. Not every paper is going to change the world."
  • Conclusion: Daniel realized that a tutor should help the writer make the best of the paper they brought in, rather than trying to create a masterpiece every time.

Practice Transcript Analysis: Excerpt 1

  • Scenario: A writer is working on a book review for a graduate education class.
  • Dialogue Excerpt:     - Tutor: "How do you want to proceed?… Will you [read this to me]? And that way you can include the comments, or additions, or changes better than I would be able to."     - Writer: "…I know what I'm trying to say and I find this kind of awkward… and I don't know why."     - Tutor: "What are you trying to say? Before you read it to me, tell me what you're trying to say, then I can hear it."
  • Analysis of Tutor's Moves:     - Empowerment: Asking the writer to read aloud establishes the writer as the expert in control of the revision.     - Probing: Asking the writer to explain the point before reading investigates whether the issue is with the writing or the writer's understanding of the content.     - Rhetorical Context: The tutor rephrases the writer's point in terms of "the reader" to highlight the purpose and rhetorical situation.     - Verification: The tutor asks "Is that correct?" to ensure they isn't misinterpreting the writer's intentions.

Practice Transcript Analysis: Excerpt 2

  • Scenario: A first-time visitor with an art history paper regarding the Boston Public Library and the Museum of Fine Arts.
  • Dialogue Highlights:     - Writer Goal: The professor said ideas were good but "not well written." The writer specifically asks for "grammar and misspellings" but also to see if the tutor understands the point.     - Negotiation of Method: The tutor asks the writer to read the paper out loud. The writer is initially confused, asking "You read it already?" and "Out loud?"     - Pedagogical Justification: The tutor explains: "Sometimes when you hear things, you pick up, if something's difficult to understand or doesn't quite flow, you'll hear it. Your ears will recognize it before your eyes do sometimes."
  • Writer's First Sentence: "AN ADDITION TO AN EXISTING CORPUS, IN THIS CASE A LIBRARY AND A MUSEUM, IS A VERY DIFFICULT TASK TO REALIZE FOR AN ARCHITECT."

Example Tutoring Log (Adele Smith)

  • Session with Stewart (Freshman writer): Observed a student working on a "transition" assignment. The tutee was passive, saying "Yeah, that's a good idea." Tutors had to use a "directive approach" by asking "will you TELL me?"
  • Session with Andy and Val: Andy had a rough draft with great ideas. Val utilized "What do you mean by that?" questions. Adele noted this as a "textbook" session that improved the writer's thoughtfulness.
  • Self-Tutoring Session: Adele Smith was tutored by Stewart on her own reflective essay. She discovered that she often forgets to explain ideas clearly because she knows what she is talking about, which can confuse the reader.