Tutor Training Continues

   

Tutor training is an essential aspect of the Berkeley Writing Center that often doesn’t earn the credit it deserves. After chatting with Writing Center Director Mr. Brandt, I learned about the importance of this key aspect in our daily lives as tutors. He explained, “Tutor training is important because what we do is important.” If we aren’t reminded of the practices we as Writing Center tutors should work on, our tutoring tends to suffer. Mr. Brandt says that tutor training stresses the importance of three key factors in a good tutorial: 1) filling out session notes completely, which ensures others have a good summary of the session, is a huge part of a tutoring session; 2) slowing down and conducting tutorials as if they are actual conversations, rather than mere perfunctory services, and finally 3) understanding the changes that occur in the English department.

 

Tutors Learn How to Improve Tutorials

 

Every Monday morning, Mr. Brandt meets with new tutors to ensure they understand these key factors that will help them succeed as tutors in the future. First, new tutors are expected to learn from the tutor manual, and discuss topics like how to conduct tutorials, how to encourage reluctant tutees in these tutorials, and how to take advantage of opportunities for leadership positions offered in the writing center later in their tutoring careers. New tutors are also expected to shadow older tutors, conduct mock tutorials, and pass a test based on the tutor manual’s material.

 

 

 Tutors at a Morning Training Session and in the Writing Center

In these Monday morning tutor trainings, new tutors learn about tutor programs like OWL and tutorials with Academy Prep. According to Mr. Brandt, the most pressing issue in the Writing Center is the fact that some seasoned tutors don’t have enough training sessions due to their busy Berkeley schedules. He tries to bring new ideas from writing conferences he attends, implementing them into our tutor training sessions. As tutors, no matter what grade, we should make sure that we practice important tutoring skills in our daily tutorials.

 

- Pooja