In order to work at the UMass Writing Center, I had to take two semesters of training classes. The first one was on Tutoring Writing: Theory and Practice, and I had to finish the course with a final paper describing my “tutoring philosophy.” This class overall was a really important step for me. I learned so much about what it takes to work with writers–writers with different cultures, academic backgrounds, and learning styles. My tutoring philosophy paper, which you can read here, shows my first steps toward joining a community of writing tutors at UMass. While I definitely haven’t stopped learning as a tutor, I’m proud of where I got to that first semester.
