"Diagnosing problems: ways of reading student papers"

Karen Gocsik's article reminds us, once again, what a complex process we face when we tutor students. We are simultaneously reading as a tutor, responding as a "common reader," looking for higher- and lower-order concerns, and thinking of a sensitive but direct way to address a student's struggle with an essay. This is no mean feat, and I think we deserve a pat on the back for all this multi-tasking.

One aspect of this article that I liked especially was the list of questions we need to address when we're working with students (page 2). They all speak to higher-order concerns, and they help us connect with the student's needs. We certainly need answers to these questions first before we can effectively assess a student's writing strengths and weaknessese.

I also liked the response to the fabricated student essay (page 4). The author alluded to a point that Julia aptly made at the new-tutor professional development session this afternoon. Occasionally we read an essay that really offends or irritates us. How do we respond when an essay is really, truly awful? How do we encourage students and build confidence? How do we develop a "tactful and effective response?"

What did you think of this article? Did it make you re-consider your approach to tutoring in any way?

"You fix it for me: a lesson in women's work and cultural misunderstandings"

I give Kim Zabel, the author of this article, a lot of credit for keeping her cool. I think the situation she described would have been very difficult for any one of us. As a feminist, I would have been challenged to control my temper (but I may have been challenged even if I weren't a feminist).

Do you think cultural differences excuse the kind of behavior the author discussed? Of course, the Sudanese aren't the only culture that has (what seems to us) a sexist attitude toward women. We see it in our own culture, although it may come across in more subtle ways.

Have any of you experienced this dismissive attitude from any of our students, whether ESL students or native speakers? John, have you observed this? (I would ask you, Brandon, but you've only worked three hours).