I think an obvious problem of mine will be nerves. This isn't a problem related to my abilities as a writer, but it is something with which I struggle. Naturally I am shy, but this can oftentimes come off as aloof or antisocial. This is not the case. I actually love talking with people, however I often have a problem starting conversations. Because I will be a new tutor, I will also have the type of nerves that accompany doing anything new for the first time. Hopefully, I will get over those nerves soon. The first case however, I will have to continuously remind myself that the other person is not going to bite. In fact, they want me to talk to them. Otherwise, they would not have shown up to the RWC.
Furthermore, I will also struggle with becoming a tutor, not an editor. Instead of talking out issues with a writer, a lot of times it is simply easier to just take their paper and start making comments. Yet if I simply mark on their paper, I have eliminated the social aspect of the writing center. Furthermore, I have not given them anything upon which to grow. They may not fully understand why my corrections were made and will then repeat them in a later paper. I will have to remind myself to take my time, ask broad, open-ended questions that allow the writer to creatively think about the assignment.
As a tutor, I will also have to manage the time allotment of the session. As the writer walking into the RWC, I have never had to do this. The writer simply relies on the time-management skills of the tutor, hoping that the tutor can cover everything that is necessary in the given amount of time. I will definitely keep an eye on the time, possibly changing focuses every 10 minutes to a new part of the paper.
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