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A few things you need to accept about writing

[W]riting happens in moments that are richly equipped with tools (material and semiotic) and populated with others (past, present,
and future). When seen as situated activity, writing does not stand alone as the discrete act of a writer, but emerges as a confluence of
many streams of literate activity: reading, talking, observing, acting, making, thinking, and feeling as well as transcribing words on
paper.
- Paul Prior, Writing/Disciplinarity: A Sociohistoric Account of Literate Activity in the Academy

In order to draw attention to the multimodal nature of the enterprise of text production, I am adopting the unusual practice of using
the term wrighter rather than writer to refer to a maker of meanings in one or more modessomeone who wrights a text in
the way a wheelwright wrights a wheel. This is in line with the use of the term playwright to mean a person who constructs the
script for a multimodal performancepeople in the theater deride the misspelling playwrite because it implies the construction of a
verbal text and misses the implication of the multimodal character of the theater.
- Roz Ivani, Intertextual Practices in the Construction of Multimodal Texts in Inquiry-Based Learning, in Uses of
Intertextuality in Classroom and Educational Research, Nora Stuart-Faris and David Bloome, Eds.

Q: If you had to choose one thing teachers should do when teaching writing, what would it be?
Donald: Write yourself. Invite children to do something you're already doing. If you're not doing it, Hey, the kids say, I can't wait to
grow up and not have to write, like you. They know. And for the short term and the long term, you'll be doing yourself a favor by
writing. All of us need it as a survival tool in a very complex world. The wonderful thing about writing is that it separates the
meaningless and the trivial from what is really important. So we need it for ourselves and then we need to invite children to do what
we're doing. You can't ask someone to sing a duet with you until you know the tune yourself.
- Donald Graves Answers Scholastics Interview Questions about Teaching Writing

A few things you need to accept about grammar

The fact that college instructors may actually think that grammar is the one skill that makes or breaks student prose does not mean
that they are right. We often correct the grammar of a disappointing essay, only to find that the prose remains unsatisfying. That's
because readers demand much more than standard English from writers. We want organization, examples, an appropriate level of
complexity, a sense of audience awareness. We want writers who not only know something, but who also have something to say. In
fact, if writers establish their authority early and decisively, we tend to overlook the same kinds of grammar glitches that are
problematic in less-effective essays. . . Those new attempts to reconfirm grammar as a measure of writing will result in students'
studying grammar more and writing less. Studying grammar more is good, but writing less is not going to help students' writing
performance. Nor will sending students the message that all they have to do to improve their writing is put their participles in order.
- Dennis Baron, Teaching Grammar Doesnt Lead to Better Writing, Chronicle of Higher Education 16 May 2003
We must look again at our own attitudes and the images of language and of writing we project in the classrooms and in our offices as
we read and mark our students' papers. Yet so often here it is Error, not communication, that is being taught. A case in point: the
other day a former student came to my office extremely upset with the first long paper she had written for her present English teacher.
I turned each page, looking at red marks: circled commas (misplaced); carats (word missing); every misspelled word underlined with
an occasional remonstratory remark like What, Miss X, you've done it again!; and one or two good points in the margin. I got to
the end of the paper and found an oversized F with the brief comment: Although this paper shows considerable thought and is well-
organized, your run-ons and spelling mistakes are inexcusable. This teacher had doubtless thought that by emphasizing errors, he
might jolt the student into doing something about them. Needless to say, the effect was the opposite. Rather than emphasizing and so
encouraging her performance where it mattered-her thought and her ability to communicate it logically to her reader-he reinforced
her pessimism and sense of despair. He was teaching Error, not writing.
- Isabella Halsted, Putting Error in Its Place, Journal of Basic Writing 1.1 (1975): 72-86
A few things you need to accept about tutoring

Tutorial instruction is very different from traditional classroom learning because it introduces into the educational setting a middle
person, the tutor, who inhabits a world somewhere between student and teacher. Because the tutor sits below the teacher on the
academic ladder, the tutor can work effectively with students in ways that teachers can not [sic]. Tutors dont need to take attendance,
make assignments, set deadlines, deliver negative comments, give tests, or issue grades. Students readily view a tutor as someone to
help them surmount the hurdles others have set up for them, and as a result students respond differently to tutors than to teachers
- Muriel Harris, Talking in the Middle: Why Writers Need Writing Tutors, College English 57.1 (1995): 27-42

The nature of the writing center, then, is community . . . I say watch out for cubicles. Watch out for computer terminals. Watch out for
all evidence of attempts to break down the gathering of minds.
- Judith Summerfield, Writing Center: A Long View, in The Longman Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice
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ENGLISH 4243/6243: WRITING CENTER TUTOR TRAINING
MWF: 11:00-11:50 Lee Hall

Professor: Dr. Stacy Kastner (smk318@msstate.edu)
Office: 2515 Lee Hall and in the Writing Center on Presidents Circle
Office Hours: W 12-3 in 2515 Lee Hall; TH 12-2 in the Writing Center on Presidents Circle; and by
appointment
SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This semester will introduce you to a sampling of writing center history, theory, and practice while you tutor in
one or multiple of our five campus writing center locations. The beginning of the semester will function like a
practicum in order to prepare you for your work in the writing center; therefore, we will start the course with
readings that introduce you to practical tips and tricks from experienced and less experienced writing center
tutors and administrators related to face-to-face tutoring, online tutoring, L2 student tutoring, and the
relationship between writing centers and campus writing in the disciplines initiatives/efforts. As the semester
moves forward, we will engage with readings related to writing center history, lore, theory, and research.
Readings are meant to provide a foundation for you to springboard from as a practicing tutor who will be
building his/her own histories, theories, practices, and research inquiries. In light of this, the course will also
provide you with the opportunity (1) to experiment with and critically reflect on different tutoring practices and
spaces, (2) to observe both others and yourselves as writers and tutors, and (3) to design and implement writing
center research of your own. You will leave the course with knowledge, experience, and theories-in-the-making
for how to communicate with and mentor others pursuing the (sometimes frustrating and intimidating)
adventure of making meaning on the page/screen.

REQUIRED TEXTS
The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors, 5
th
Ed. (2010), by Leigh Ryan and Lisa Zimmerelli
Researching the Writing Center: Towards an Evidence-Based Practice (2012), by Rebecca Day
Babcock and Terese Thonus
Additional course readings (posted to course website)
Course Website: www.bullygoodtutoring.wordpress.com

REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY
Mississippi State University Email
Reliable Storage (e.g., dropbox, flashdrive, external hard drive)
Reliable Backup Storage (e.g., dropbox, flashdrive, external hard drive)
A Personal Computer (or consistent access to a computer) with Internet Access, Sound Card, and
Webcam that you bring to every class meeting (please see me if you do not have access to a laptop or
smartphone)
Blog Account (Wordpress.com)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Develop a reflective sense of self as both a writer and a writing tutor that is grounded in an appreciation
of writing as a complex socio-historic and non-linear processas more than inscription on the page
Gain an understanding of and practice with a variety of writing consultation strategies in face-to-face
and online contexts
Learn to use effective and thoughtful strategies with people who have different backgrounds, learning
styles, and proficiencies
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Gain an understanding of and practice with research methodologies and methods to develop and sustain
reflective/responsive evidence-based tutoring practices

ROLE DESCRIPTIONS
As the course instructor, I see myself as a facilitator (I have researched for and then designed the course
syllabus, schedule, and assignments) and mentor (I am committed to communicating with you about your ideas
and the many possibilities that you have, as writers, thinkers, tutors, and researchers). As such, in my role, I am
committed to:
Being prepared for and designing thoughtful and meaningful class activities, assignments, and
discussions
Being flexible and responsive to multiple learning preferences and styles during class meetings and in
class assignments
Being available outside of class, online and off, to discuss course assignments, concepts, readings, and,
most importantly, your ideas, research, and writing
Being an active and interested listener inside and outside of class time
Offering timely feedback on performed and written work
Being encouraging of your researching, writing, and tutoring pursuits

As students in the course, I ask that you see yourselves as co-responsible for the success of class meetings and
assignments and I also ask that you see yourselves as co-responsible for making class meetings and assignments
interesting, fun, and meaningful. As such, in your role, I ask you to commit to:
Taking yourself seriously as a researcher, thinker, writer, and tutor
Preparing for class meetings by completing assigned readings and writings and arriving ready (and
hopefully eager) to share your reflections, responses, thoughts, and questions with the group
Being encouraging of your classmates researching, tutoring, and writing pursuits
Caring about the work that you do for the course, meaning working to find an angle within assignments
(or to revise assignments in collaboration with myself) so that they will be interesting and meaningful
for you and your future tutoring and academic pursuits
Speaking, Thinking, and Writing with passion, interest, clarity, intentionality, and creativity

ASSIGNMENTS (see course website for full descriptions and due dates)

Response Blog
Unless otherwise noted in the course schedule, you will write 250-500 word reflective
reading responses and post them to your personal blog before arriving at each class meeting.
Your response blog is a space for you to digest complex (and sometimes contradictory)
readings and theories, to take notes, to develop your own theories and opinions, and to
prepare you for active and lively class discussion. I will note in the syllabus when there are
no blog posts due and I will also, at times, specify what I would like your post to focus on.
15%

Self-Study,
Writing
Processes
You will observe yourself as a writer. How, you ask? You may approach this assignment in
several different ways and I highly recommend that you combine several approaches. For
example, ask a partner or roommate to photograph you at work in 2 minute periods; use
video or screen capture software on your computer to document your morphing page; use a
video camera or camera to document your process; archive various artifacts and drafts; keep
a time log and document everything that you do. Upon completing your observation, you
will post to your personal blog three different versions (and also hand in hard copies in
class): (1) a 3-page (typed and double spaced) reflection on writing, your personal writing
processes, and how what youve learned can impact your consultation practices; (2) a visual
representation of your writing processes; and (3) a six word story version.
10%

Observations
To prepare you for your work in the writing center an also to help you develop a reflective
practice, you will complete three observations in the writing center. The first will be a video
15%
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observation of an MSU Writing Center Experienced Tutor Observation. For this
observation you will see on the course schedule that there is a blog post required. The
second will be a live MSU Writing Center Peer Tutor Observation. For this
observation you will practice using research methods to gather data, spend time in spoken
reflection with your colleague, and you will also fill out a peer evaluation. The last
observation will be an MSU Writing Center Self-Observation. For this observation you
will practice using video to gather data and you will also produce a written reflection and
self-evaluation.

Research
Project
Based on course readings, class discussion, your response blog, and your tutoring session
observations, you will (1) conduct a thorough review of the existing literature related to a
writing- or writing center-related problem/curiosity/area/population that you are interested
in further investigating; (2) formulate a research question or questions; (3) develop and then
implement an appropriate study to address your research question/s; (4) construct
knowledge based on your findings in a 10-15 page research paper; and (5) present your
findings and conclusions at our mini writing center conference (which will take the place of
a final exam). Your research project may be an individual or collaborative endeavor.
50%

4243 Students
You will work in the writing center for 2 hours/week and also be expected to attend all staff
development meetings.

10%
6243 Students
You will work individually or in collaborative teams to develop and implement a Writing
Center professional development meeting.
10%


ASSESSMENT
All work in the course will be evaluated based on how well you meet the expectations of the assignment,
completeness, and thoughtfulness. For further information regarding the assessment of individual assignments,
please visit the course website (www.bullygoodtutoring.wordpress.com) and refer to individual assignment
pages which provide more thorough assessment guidelines.

Total points
A: 100-90
B: 89-80
C: 79-70
D: 69-60
F: 59 and below

SPECIAL NEEDS AND ACCOMODATIONS
We all have limitations and styles of learning that may be different from others. If you are concerned about how
this class is taught or about the classroom environment, please see me as soon as possible so that I can make any
changes that are necessary. Feel free to see me before or after class, during office hours, or contact me initially
through email. If you have a learning difference, I encourage you to register with the appropriate office, Student
Support Services: Montgomery Hall; 662-325-3335; http://www.sss.msstate.edu/disabilities/

ACADEMIC HONESTY
I am genuinely interested in your experiences, reflections, thoughts, and theories; therefore, I expect that all
work in the course that you turn in will be your own and will follow MLA citation guidelines to acknowledge
your incorporation of others ideas. Upon discovery of a violation of the University Honor Code, I will follow
procedures outlined on the Universitys website, link below.

University Honor Code As a Mississippi State University student I will conduct myself with honor and
integrity at all times. I will not lie, chart, or steal, nor will I accept the actions of those who do. Please visit
http://www.honorcode.msstate.edu/policy/ to familiarize yourself with the Universitys full honor code,
policies, and procedures.