New population
4 views
Skip to first unread message
ivy
Oct 21, 2013, 7:49:49 AM10/21/13
to hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com
Things in the Writing Center have changed considerably since I started working here five years ago. It seems to me we are now experiencing an influx of students with Special Needs. It seems to be that whenever professors encounter these students, they automatically send them to the Writing Center and hope we can deal with them. Is this actually taking place or is it just in my imagination? What have other tutors experienced?
On a related note, what should we do about students who interrupt other student’s sessions with the tutor in order to get more help? What should we do about students who demand that tutors spend MORE time with them after their sessions are over? What is the maximum amount of time we ought to spend with any particular student in a day? In a week? Are we not fostering an atmosphere of dependence by catering to students who want us to do their work for them?
What about students who cannot read? Are we supposed to teach them how? What about students who cannot type for themselves? Are we supposed to do their typing, and, by extension, editing for them? What about students who cannot write simple sentences and do not know what a noun, or a verb is? What are we supposed to do about them?
We are not specialists. Can we get some training in how to deal with this population of students?
rierieflowers
Oct 21, 2013, 2:38:16 PM10/21/13
to hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com
Hi Ivy,
I scrolled through the previous discussions and found a post that Robert created in December 2009. It was an end of term meeting, and one of the questions is how do we deal with students who have special needs. Former counselor Jette Lott, in March 2010, offered to show a video of how tutors can work with students who have disabilities, but I don't think that came to fruition. Robert also mentioned in his post that since the Writing Center isn't faculty, we are out of the loop. Even if we do seek help from the counselors (if anyone has attempted this and has been successful, please let us know how this happened), we do need to be resourceful and respectful in our approach in working with a Special Needs population.
How should we navigate these kinds of experiences? Students who cannot read, cannot write or type their own essay, cannot comprehend assignments, or cannot understand the very nature of being a college student do offer us unique challenges. As we re-visit this topic with each semester of students, it may be useful to share our ideas and experiences to create resources for working with students who have or exhibit disabilities. I have included links that HCC uses in the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence (TLE):
http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/TLE/Programs/Workshop%20Learning%20Resources/TLE%20Program%20Workshop%20Resources/PDF%20Files/TL2065Presentation.pdf
http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/TLE/Programs/Workshop%20Learning%20Resources/TLE%20Program%20Workshop%20Resources/PDF%20Files/Disruptive_Students.pdf
http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/TLE/Programs/Workshop%20Learning%20Resources/TLE%20Program%20Workshop%20Resources/PDF%20Files/Working_with_Students_with_Disabilities-All_employees.pdf
Some of the points are designed for instructors, but I think tutors can be substituted. Having resources would help in fostering an environment that supports students with learning issues, but it may also be a matter of how we feel about working with students who have special needs. How accommodating should we be? Are some of us more inclined to "do" the work of others; whereas, the rest will take a hands off approach? I have not worked with a student who needs help with typing, but I have worked with students who could not read at a developmental level, write simple sentences, and were hearing or sight impaired. As an instructor, I can follow the accommodation letter, but if there isn't a letter or if students do not disclose or know that they have a disability, then I have to decide how to reach out or work with the student.
Earlier in the semester I worked with a student who had difficulty following directions. I asked, and she repeated what her professor said; an assignment sheet wasn't available. I asked again, and she repeated the same response. We looked at her writing as if we were solving a puzzle, so based on her idea of what the assignment was, she wrote accordingly. My advice: be sure to ask your professor the objectives. She could write simple sentences, but from what I could discern, the professor was interested in an analytical response. She could not provide that. I don't necessarily know if that was indicative of a learning disability. I asked several questions, used similes, and attempted to define what I meant. She was clearly frustrated, so, in the way that she interpreted the assignment minus my questions to help dig deeper, she did the same with the assignment. For her sake, I stepped back so she could do her thing. I couldn't reach her, so I worked with what she wrote. She felt better after the session was over; I think it was her sense of accomplishment. I could not "bring" her to where I was at, so I stayed where she was at.
As far as working with students who are disruptive or demand more time, use the tutoring protocols to help establish the "rules." Unless students have arranged to work with a tutor for an hour, then the thirty minute rule applies. If students interpret a session, politely let them know that you can speak with them after the session is over. If the question is 'simple,' which is at your discretion, you can decide on whether or not to answer. But, if the question(s) are involved, the student will need to make another appointment, even if that appointment is or the following week. Robert established the protocol of working with students for no more than an hour a week, so students will learn to become independent learners. However, we have discussed using discretion when working with students who visit the Writing Center more than twice a week because they are working on different assignments. This can be problematic if the student is a 'good' student versus the student who has learning issues. If this is something that has happened, then we need to think about whether or not we are discriminating between which students get to be seen more than the time allotted. So, this is a lesson for students: how should they manage their time and their assignments while working within the parameters of the Writing Center protocols? If this comes up, it may be a good opportunity for teaching them or offering methods for managing their time or their assignments. It is not our issue if students come in when a paper is due right now or if they need copious amounts of attention. All students need to own this (their due dates, their time, their attention, their frustration, their learning) and take responsibility; only then can we be truly helpful.
Selena
I scrolled through the previous discussions and found a post that Robert created in December 2009. It was an end of term meeting, and one of the questions is how do we deal with students who have special needs. Former counselor Jette Lott, in March 2010, offered to show a video of how tutors can work with students who have disabilities, but I don't think that came to fruition. Robert also mentioned in his post that since the Writing Center isn't faculty, we are out of the loop. Even if we do seek help from the counselors (if anyone has attempted this and has been successful, please let us know how this happened), we do need to be resourceful and respectful in our approach in working with a Special Needs population.
How should we navigate these kinds of experiences? Students who cannot read, cannot write or type their own essay, cannot comprehend assignments, or cannot understand the very nature of being a college student do offer us unique challenges. As we re-visit this topic with each semester of students, it may be useful to share our ideas and experiences to create resources for working with students who have or exhibit disabilities. I have included links that HCC uses in the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence (TLE):
http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/TLE/Programs/Workshop%20Learning%20Resources/TLE%20Program%20Workshop%20Resources/PDF%20Files/TL2065Presentation.pdf
http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/TLE/Programs/Workshop%20Learning%20Resources/TLE%20Program%20Workshop%20Resources/PDF%20Files/Disruptive_Students.pdf
http://www.hccs.edu/hcc/System%20Home/Departments/TLE/Programs/Workshop%20Learning%20Resources/TLE%20Program%20Workshop%20Resources/PDF%20Files/Working_with_Students_with_Disabilities-All_employees.pdf
Some of the points are designed for instructors, but I think tutors can be substituted. Having resources would help in fostering an environment that supports students with learning issues, but it may also be a matter of how we feel about working with students who have special needs. How accommodating should we be? Are some of us more inclined to "do" the work of others; whereas, the rest will take a hands off approach? I have not worked with a student who needs help with typing, but I have worked with students who could not read at a developmental level, write simple sentences, and were hearing or sight impaired. As an instructor, I can follow the accommodation letter, but if there isn't a letter or if students do not disclose or know that they have a disability, then I have to decide how to reach out or work with the student.
Earlier in the semester I worked with a student who had difficulty following directions. I asked, and she repeated what her professor said; an assignment sheet wasn't available. I asked again, and she repeated the same response. We looked at her writing as if we were solving a puzzle, so based on her idea of what the assignment was, she wrote accordingly. My advice: be sure to ask your professor the objectives. She could write simple sentences, but from what I could discern, the professor was interested in an analytical response. She could not provide that. I don't necessarily know if that was indicative of a learning disability. I asked several questions, used similes, and attempted to define what I meant. She was clearly frustrated, so, in the way that she interpreted the assignment minus my questions to help dig deeper, she did the same with the assignment. For her sake, I stepped back so she could do her thing. I couldn't reach her, so I worked with what she wrote. She felt better after the session was over; I think it was her sense of accomplishment. I could not "bring" her to where I was at, so I stayed where she was at.
As far as working with students who are disruptive or demand more time, use the tutoring protocols to help establish the "rules." Unless students have arranged to work with a tutor for an hour, then the thirty minute rule applies. If students interpret a session, politely let them know that you can speak with them after the session is over. If the question is 'simple,' which is at your discretion, you can decide on whether or not to answer. But, if the question(s) are involved, the student will need to make another appointment, even if that appointment is or the following week. Robert established the protocol of working with students for no more than an hour a week, so students will learn to become independent learners. However, we have discussed using discretion when working with students who visit the Writing Center more than twice a week because they are working on different assignments. This can be problematic if the student is a 'good' student versus the student who has learning issues. If this is something that has happened, then we need to think about whether or not we are discriminating between which students get to be seen more than the time allotted. So, this is a lesson for students: how should they manage their time and their assignments while working within the parameters of the Writing Center protocols? If this comes up, it may be a good opportunity for teaching them or offering methods for managing their time or their assignments. It is not our issue if students come in when a paper is due right now or if they need copious amounts of attention. All students need to own this (their due dates, their time, their attention, their frustration, their learning) and take responsibility; only then can we be truly helpful.
Selena
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages