What I have learned about being a writing tutor

Though I've only attended this course for about 2-3weeks, I have learned a great amount about the usefulness of tutors, as well as the fact that they can have several different ways to approach this one-on-one style of teaching. I also quickly became aware of the fact that although there are certain styles that are more strongly recommended than others (such as the student-centered approach in relation to teacher-centered tutoring), the tutor can ultimately determine for his/her self what approach would be the most appropriate. I also learned what behavior may be less helpful or counterproductive. Though it is very important to be supportive, it is equally as important to steer clear of giving blind or false praise (the terminology our reading used was cheerleading). With that said, another easy mistake to make is that of correcting errors, which is essentially the opposite of the aforementioned term. Here, the tutor's sole purpose is to find fault. I find when I'm repeatedly reminded of my errors, the writing process becomes much less bearable. This is a good example for why objectivity should always be practiced by the tutor. If there is anything I've learned on a more personal level, it would be the fact that a tutor must equally balance his/her focus on the student learning and succeeding. Although I learned a great deal in a short amount of time, this exciting course has much more insightful information to offer, and I can hardly wait to see what is to come.