The majority of my tutoring philosophy centers around informal and social conversation between myself and clients, regardless of whether they are an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student. If I can engage a student in casual discussion about their writing, they will be able to more thoroughly express their ideas and thoughts, which will ultimately lead to a stronger sense of connection between themselves and their writing.

Through my work in the writing center environment, as well as continual conversations with fellow student employees and professional directors, I have learned that since most of the individuals seeking assistance with various writing tasks are doing so for either the first time ever and/or are very nervous to ask for help to begin with. As a result, what tends to make them feel at ease is everyday human engagement--talking with them about anything, whether it is about their writing or not. In turn, students feel more open and comfortable in their new surroundings to the point they can more clearly convey their struggles and questions about their writing.

Through this process of conversation, I have also found when students are unable to describe and/or unsure of where they want their writing to go, asking them to verbalize their thoughts and ideas allows them to think about their work in a new way, as well as potentially jog their memory of forgotten thoughts and ideas. This strategy allows students to ultimately progress in their writing while also getting them to think more deeply about the work they are completing.

With these tools, I am able to collaborate more effectively with clients and help them figure out what exactly it is they are wanting to achieve and convey within their writing, whether it be for a first-year writing course or a doctoral-level exam. But, more importantly, such methods tend to help students feel more confident and sure of themselves as writers within--and hopefully beyond--academia.