3/27/08
I arrived at the Writing center just on time, bam 1 PM (new start time), and immediately sat down in the claustrophobically tiny room with the little door, the cramped desk, ...and THREE SEATS. Talk about rough, boy oh boy, tiny. The session itself went amazing well it was easily the first session that I truly learned how to tutor international students at. The student was a Bulgarian who was quite quiet and shy, but extremely receptive to any and all ideas. At the end of the session Emily and I had our customary chat about what we saw in the session. She mentioned that almost all visitors to the writing center who are international are very disciplined and open to help but very unwilling to contribute much of anything to the discussion. She said although many speak well very few grasp grammar properly, so she helps sort it out, but does not correct it. Doing so allows the student to learn and the paper to keep the authors voice. Emily said she was "easily doing all of the talking," but that the student did occasionally pitch in a suggestion or two. She mentioned that she believes she has seen more international students than American students and that on average the international students papers are typically filled with better overall ideas, but sometimes weaker content. To close the session with me she said that it is key to not be "falsely encouraging and tell a student, this is an A paper," because you never know how a teacher will respond to the paper.
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