So this one will be a little bit more of a vent, I think- I had the worst session yesterday, and what's even worse is that I was being observed by a tutor-in-training. Oh my goodness. A student came in with a 104 analysis assigment, upon which the teacher had written that he hadn't analyzed so much summarized and re-summarized. Quickly glancing over his paper, I saw that this was true, so I set out to try and get him to understand what a "summary" and "analysis" are- define and contrast them so that he could see for himself what kinds of information are expected within each. But the kid wouldn't really talk. He seemed completely invested in remaining confused and perplexed, and the harder I tried to explain, the more question I asked, the more angles I tried, the more he balked, looked blank, and responded with "I dunno...".
I've taught 104 before, and I do know how hard it is to get students to write an analysis that is neither summary nor judgment, but as the pencil in the hand of the observant tutor started into action I really started to panic. It felt like we were getting nowhere, to both of us, and then, with 10 minutes left to go he said "Well, I just need a thesis. Thats all I need, a thesis". Argh! So he was not complying because he was looking for a specific thing, but by this point he was practically confusing ME. "This is just what a session isn't supposed to look like," I thought, "I should have just let him direct the session from the beginning, and now this poor tutor is going to see an example of everything going wrong!...and probably talk about it in class... I should have (insert any and every alternative tutoring session script here)".
What does a thesis for an analysis look like, anyway? I had always assumed, and said, that it should basically be a summary of what the analysis discovered- that the author, working in a specified context, wrote this work to achieve specified effects, and used specified features. Anyone? And any happy being-observed stories, so that I know that that poor class won't just have a horror story?
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I wouldn't worry about the observer, Rose. They reflect on what they observe and are not there to judge the tutor or the session. I understand the pressure, though.
ReplyDeleteI had a student with an analysis draft for a 104 class the other day, too. The assignment sheet seemed to indicate that the thesis ought to make a judgement on the "what" and the "how" of the argument presented in the piece of writing being analyzed.
Wow, that is a mouthful. Sounds like a tough session.
Oh, no Rose! I hope this wasn't the session you have to cover for me? I understand you frustration--as it can be hard to guide a student to the right thesis without giving an example that really just gives it all away. That's been my problem. I'll try and help the student brainstorm and when I say something out loud they'll take their pen and say "could you repeat that again?"
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