Bedford Guide 3 and 4

     I am responding to chapter 3 and 4 in The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors.  I assume we are to still read this despite the fact class was canceled on Monday.  If not, I am ahead in my responses.

     When I read the Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors, I feel like I'm reading about what we do in the writing center, with some exceptions.  They suggest having you or the student read the paper aloud, which we already do.  Although I think they should have mentioned that it is good to ask what they prefer, since most people don't want to read their own work aloud, at least from my experience.  Also, all their suggestions for online tutoring don't make it any easier.  I really don't like the experience of online tutoring; it is normally more frustrating than helpful.  Even though our technology is updated, I still dread online tutoring sessions because they are less personal and I feel it is harder to communicate and asses someone's writing on a computer screen.  

     One thing that continuously frustrates me about this book is how little they mention working with ESL students.  I work with ESL students more often than others, and I feel like any advise would help.  Most of the advise on how to help students, or how to help students revise, only works with native speakers.  It can be so difficult to communicate that an ESL student needs to fix something without telling them the exact problem and how to fix it.  The book gave twenty examples of possible writers, and only one was an ESL student.  If it takes nineteen examples for any other possible kind of student, it should have many more possible ESL students.  

     One last thought, I always let the student dictate where the session will go, and I never formally plan what we're going to discuss.  It would be impossible to know what needs work without ever looking at the paper.  Also, students are much more willing to work on what they think needs work, and often times they're right.