Issue 7.1

Fall 2008

Fostering the Assessor to Foster the Writer: Teaching Writing by Teaching Tutoring - Eileen Ferretti

Professor Johnson-Shull, who is co-director of the Writing Program and WAC at Washington State University, gave an informative and interesting presentation on an innovative program at Washington State University that addresses the needs of struggling writers. She began her presentation with an analogy to the previous presentations on literacy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  She spoke eloquently about basic writers as a population also traumatized by testing mechanisms (the storm) followed by the required English courses (the aftermath).   

Professor Johnson-Shull went on to explain how her institution identifies struggling writers through a portfolio system that allows teachers to identify those students who are most likely to encounter difficulties in writing- intensive courses in the disciplines.  These students are offered a one-credit tutorial where they bring in pieces of writing from their courses, and everyone tutors everyone else in the group.  Those who procrastinate, or do not participate in the tutorial take a three- credit writing- intensive course in their senior year. 

To foster a sense of confidence and mastery among the students, the tutorial program, which is guided by a paid tutor-facilitator, begins with an exercise that asks students to “put on the hat of an English teacher,” and mark- up a paper as they think the teacher would do so. After viewing and discussing their copious commentary, students are given a response sheet that guides them through a protocol consisting of three overarching categories: what’s good, what’s problematic, what’s next?  The worksheet is in the form of an acronym (AFOSP) – Assignment, Focus, Organization, Support, and Proofread.  In the intimate setting of the small group, students are gradually initiated into the practice of looking at writing the way tutors and writing teachers do – strategically and thoughtfully, rather than haphazardly marking up the text.  The tutoring practices they learn help them shift from a place where they get lost in the local issues to a place that invites them to view the writing through a more global lens. They learn to be tutors, rather than merely writers who are assessed by others. Student-tutors are also exposed to a variety of writing genres in this group, which involves engaging the student-tutors in playing the role of the teacher from various academic disciplines. 

This method that Johnson-Shull’s program employs offers a map for reading papers critically and allows the student-tutor to actively participate in the assessment process from the ground up.  This shift in role from writer to tutor provides participants with the tools they need to take control of their writing from a position of authority and agency.  Professor Johnson-Shull went on to explain how this process of teaching writing by teaching tutoring turns the process of teaching writing on its head,; or to use her words, “teaching writing backwards.”  At the same time that the method fosters “tutoring” as a means to teach “writing,” it also instills in students a value for peer collaboration, which will help them as they continue to write in other academic or professional settings where peer collaboration is essential to success. 

During the presentation, pre-convention workshop participants viewed sample materials on the overhead projector, and were invited to a small breakout session that allowed for more detailed discussion of the program.  Those who sat in on the small breakout groups were clearly able to envision how this program addresses the needs of those students who struggle with writing in an atmosphere where writing competence is considered part of the package that students bring with them to college.