Response 9/9

     The five key terms that we have discussed in class so far and that have had the biggest impact on me, regarding my views on peer tutoring, were: expectations, audience, reflection-in-action, constructive reflection, and reflection-in-presentation.
     The term expectations was one that I took special notice of because so much of successful writing revolves around expectations. What does your audience expect? What do you expect from your audience? Are there certain standards you must meet with your writing regarding the points you are making and what your audience understands about the topic? Expectations are guidelines for good writing as well as efficient peer tutoring. If you know what the expectations are of the person you are tutoring and what they are trying to communicate with their audience, you, as a peer tutor, will have a much easier time guiding them in the direction they want to go.
     The term 'audience' is broad, but, in the world of peer tutoring, extremely crucial. Your audience determines your piece of writing. More importantly, the audience that your tutee is reaching out to will determine the tactics you can use to help your tutee write a stronger piece. You must know the type of audience your tutee is targeting in order to help them make a valid point and communicate it efficiently. The audience is the deciding factor in regards to the path you plan to take in order to help you tutee to the fullest extent.
     Reflection-in-action ("the process of reviewing and projecting and revising") is extremely important in writing and in tutoring because it is the essence of the most important step in both writing and peer tutoring: revision. In order to really reach the goals both you and your tutee have set, you must review what you have so far, project what else you need, and revise the combination of the two. This will put you one step closer to your goal of a finished and polished piece. Without review there is no projection, and without projection there is no revision.
     Constructive reflection ("the process of developing a cumulative, multi-selved, multi-voiced identity") is another crucial term because you must have an open mind and a somewhat open point of view to make your claim most valid. In order to support a point you are making, you must also see the other side of the argument and know why it is wrong and why your side is right. This is so important in writing because often opinions become one-sided and biased, losing their validity. Constructive reflection can help you, as a peer tutor, make a clearer effort to help your tutee avoid a biased opinion.
     Reflection-in-presentation ("the process of articulating the relationships between and among the multiple variable of writing and the writer in a specific context for a specific audience") is, in my opinion, one of the most important terms in peer tutoring because the foundation for good writing is a good connection. The writer must feel connected and inspired by what they are writing about, otherwise the writing would not feel alive. As a peer tutor, it is your job to make sure that your tutee is passionate and can relate to what they are writing about, and if they are not, it is your job to help them become passionate about it.