The Tutoring Book - California State University, Sacramento

Directive or Not? Adapting an Approach
39
Krysta Tawlks
Fall 2009
My experience at the Writing Center has been greatly influenced by the readings assigned each week.
However, the more advice I read, the more I specialize my own approach to tutoring in response to that
advice. For instance, I took into account the theory that tutors should take a more indirect approach when
working with a tutee by allowing the tutee to have a stronger hold on where his or her paper should go
(North, 2008). I also considered a more directive approach, like focusing on grammar and offering advice.
Despite the reluctance of writing centers, a directive approach is an essential need for particular students
who are still learning important, functional rules of the language (Myers, 2008). These two voices
influenced my own approach to the writing center, for even though Myers and North have opposing
ideologies of how to tutor students, I believe both ideologies can be adapted to whatever the situation is.
Truthfully, I believe both directive and non-direct approaches are essential to a balanced tutoring
experience. There are some aspects of academic convention that students may not acquire themselves, and
if we as tutors took the time to de-mystify these mysteries of academic writing (setting aside the theory
that academic conventions are just another mode of reinforcing superiority), the academic experience will
hopefully be more enlightening and "doable." Below I outline strategies pertaining to when it is
appropriate to take a more direct approach, and when it would be better to take a non-direct approach in
the tutoring session.
The Directive Approach:
There are several reasons for why I allow myself to be occasionally directive in my tutoring sessions, one
main reason being that the situation does not always allow for me as a tutor to take the time to be nondirect.
Sometimes I meet with a tutee for 20-30 minutes, and I know there is a chance that I will not see
this tutee again for whatever reason. Because of my constraints on time, I allow myself to explain more
and provide more definitions simply because I don't have the time to ask, "So why do you think you need
to be more specific here?"....or... "What do you think you should do after you talk about your evidence?"
These are all good questions related to the demystification of why we write the way we do in academic
writing, and they might be good to ask of specific tutees even with the time constraints, but asking
questions about why students do what they do will most likely close them up because they know we
already have the answer. It can easily turn into a guessing game.
Therefore, I have found that explaining to students the process they need to go through while
constructing their paper paragraph-by-paragraph, point-by-point, helps them become not only aware of
what kinds of questions they should ask for the paper they are writing, but aware of the questions they
need to ask for every paper in the future. Good questions tutors can ask their tutees in order to formulate a
thesis and brainstorm supporting topic sentences are:
• What is the prompt asking you to do?
• What does the author say in the article (if there is an article)?
• What do you agree with (in relation to the author's argument)?
• Are there any exceptions?
• What makes this important?
• Will anyone be able to argue with my thesis (or is it just an opinion)?
• Do I have main points that support my thesis?
• What kind of support am I using (surveys, statistics, quotes from others in the field...)?...and the
list goes on...
Most classes that focus on improving their students' writing have questions like these, but having some
prepared ahead of time could help make the brainstorming process go smoother. However, despite having
a list of questions to help generate the material students need in order to write a strong paper, they may