Student Writing Tutors In Their Own Words

Student Writing Tutors in Their Own Words collects personal narratives from writing tutors around the world, providing tutors, faculty, and writing center professionals with a diverse and experience-based understanding of the writing support process. Filling a major gap in the research on writing center theory, first-year writing pedagogy, and higher education academic support resources, this book provides narrative evidence of students' own experiences with learning assistance discourse communities. It features a variety of voices that address how academic support resources such as writing centers have served as the nucleus for students' (i.e., both tutors and their clients) sense of community and self, ultimately providing a space for freedom of discourse and expression. It includes narratives from writing tutors supporting students in unconventional spaces such as prisons, tutors offering support in war-torn countries, and students in international centers facing challenges of distance learning, access, and language barriers. The essays in this collection reveal pedagogical takeaways and insights about both student and tutor collaborative experiences in writing center spaces. These essays are a valuable resource for student writing tutors and anyone involved with them, including composition instructors and scholars, writing center professionals, and any faculty or administrators involved with academic support programs.

In Our Own Words takes the unique approach of using student writing as a resource for writing instruction and idea development. The defining characteristic of this unique high-intermediate to advanced writing text is the use of non-native student writing to teach writing. This feature makes the text easily accessible to and popular with students. The third edition features 15 new readings by student writers, five new readings by professional writers, updated writing topics, Internet activities to support the writing process, and contextualized revising and editing activities.

Tutoring Second Language Writers, a complete update of Bruce and Rafoth’s 2009 ESL Writers, is a guide for writing center tutors that addresses the growing need for tutors who are better prepared to work with the increasingly international population of students seeking guidance at the writing center. Drawing upon philosopher John Dewey’s belief in reflective thinking as a way to help build new knowledge, the book is divided into four parts. Part 1: Actions and Identities is about creating a proactive stance toward language difference, thinking critically about labels, and the mixed feelings students may have about learning English. Part 2: Research Opportunities demonstrates writing center research projects and illustrates methods tutors can use to investigate their questions about writing center work. Part 3: Words and Passages offers four personal stories of inquiry and discovery, and Part 4: Academic Expectations describes some of the challenges tutors face when they try to help writers meet readers’ specific expectations. Advancing the conversations tutors have with one another and their directors about tutoring second language writers and writing, Tutoring Second Language Writers engages readers with current ideas and issues that highlight the excitement and challenge of working with those who speak English as a second or additional language. Contributors include Jocelyn Amevuvor, Rebecca Day Babcock, Valerie M. Balester, Shanti Bruce, Frankie Condon, Michelle Cox, Jennifer Craig, Kevin Dvorak, Paula Gillespie, Glenn Hutchinson, Pei-Hsun Emma Liu, Bobbi Olson, Pimyupa W. Praphan, Ben Rafoth, Jose L. Reyes Medina, Guiboke Seong, and Elizabeth (Adelay) Witherite.

One-on-one encounters with writers often contribute more to the development of student writing abilities than any classroom activity because they are personalized and responsive to individual needs. For the encounters to be successful, the writing tutor, teacher, or consultant must be prepared, must be knowledgeable of what it means to write and the factors that make writing more and less effective, and must also know the students. This guide focuses on what those who conference with second language writers need to know to respond best to students, recognize their needs, and steer conversations in productive directions. One on One with Second Language Writers provides tips about activities that can be adapted to individual contexts, student writing samples that can be analyzed for practice, a glossary, a list of useful resources, and a checklist for conferencing sessions. The book is appropriate for use in university and secondary school writing or learning centers, teacher training programs for both general composition and ESOL instructors, and as an individual reference tool. The book uses non-technical language where possible, but terminology is introduced where it might be useful when conferencing with students.

This revised, expanded collection provides practical and theoretical knowledge for undergraduate writing associates and graduate teaching assistants. Unlike similar collections, this volume is comprised largely of pieces authored by tutors themselves, offering hands-on advice for current classmates and future tutors; thus the volume highlights specific issues that arise when writing associates and novice teachers actually attempt to practice their craft. When used in pedagogy courses, the essays can serve both as sources of instruction about tutoring and teaching and as models for students' own course papers. This edition incorporates fifteen new essays to complement the best selections from the first edition.

“They’re All Writers” will help teachers explore the power of writing centers. In elementary school classrooms across the country, writing instruction (not grammar worksheets or spelling drills) is still the neglected “R.” In this book, classroom teachers will find foundational information about the writing process with everything they need to begin and facilitate a peer tutoring writing center. Student-led writing centers harness the social and instructional power of students working and learning together, and this book includes specific lessons to teach students how to be effective peer tutors and how to be better writers. Book Features: A new, research-based approach to writing pedagogy that integrates both writing process theories and writing center pedagogies.Complete lesson plans to help teachers implement a writing center curriculum that meets Common Core and other quality standards.An approach that harnesses the power of social learning, develops students as leaders in their schools, and facilitates generative conversations around writing. “Through the framework of peer tutoring, the authors show us how children can improve their own writing while also appreciating differing perspectives.” —Anne McGill-Franzen, The University of Tennessee “With lesson plans on preparing peer tutors, the authors have established a flexible framework for teachers interested in implementing writing tutoring in their schools.” —Rebecca Babcock, University of Texas of the Permian Basin

In Our Own Words takes the unique approach of using student writing as a resource for writing instruction and idea development. The Teacher's Manual clearly articulates the guiding principles on which the Student's Book is based. The book also provides helpful teaching suggestions and tips. Answers for select activities in the Student's Book are given.

In Our Own Words guides upper-intermediate to advanced students through the writing process and features engaging essays by other students and professional writers. The Instructor's Manual provides teaching suggestions for the chapters in the Student's Book.