AMANDA:
Okay so I just observed Meghan tutoring and it was....different? Her monotone tutee did not have much to say other than the topic 'drugs'. Granted that's what his projects were about but every other word? I heard Meghan trying to get more out of him and to try and get him to elaborate on his thoughts but he really didn't do that.
Along with his blank stares and lack of communication, I believe something was accomplished; the start of a repeat tutee! He was practically in lust with her! He obviously didn't have much to say or much to ask questions about but he kept the session going as long as he could. He seemed pretty content with his side-by-side one-ended stare fest.
MEG:
It's true. His interest did not seem to be with an upcoming paper ("Project 4") that we were brainstorming for. It wasn't due until May, but hey, it's nice to get a head start. (Even though "Project 2" is due next week and hasn't been started...) He spoke slowly and in circles. No matter what questions I came up with, he didn't have an answer other than "drugs."
"What is your paper about?"
"Drugs."
"Which ones?"
"Drugs in general."
It was exhausting. His thesis was too broad (Drugs are good and bad.) and he wasn't interested in narrowing it down. Therefore, the question becomes: "What do I do now?" It is difficult to engage a tutee who is just not interested...in their writing. However, that is not my job. As a tutor, I am here to help those who want to be helped.
So, I simply said, "Well, it looks like you have a good start," and I stood up. Men.
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Hmmm...if he does come back, let him know that "drugs are good and bad" is not a thesis statement:)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd say you might be better off giving him a task and walking away until he completes it...freewriting, maybe. Then, when you come back, you can use what he's come up with to structure other work? What do others think?
I think that's a good idea Cathryn. It is always incredibly challenging working with a tutee who is not interested in their piece,forcing you to pull and tug on their sleeve in order to get them to think. I struggled with this last semester and I remember I had to go to the bathroom during a session. I told the tutee to continue on what we were talking about until I had returned. In my five minutes of being away, the tutee actually did the work they were told. And it was good! I feel like sometimes giving the tutee a deadline is helpful to keep the session going without it falling into a lull. If anyone else has tried this, what were their outcomes?
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