In Your Own Words: Embracing Code-Meshing in the Writing Center
As peer tutors, it’s not uncommon to see writers struggle to retain their unique voices and writing styles while trying to abide by academic expectations. My research inquiry focused…
Dyslexia in the Writing Center
In our work as tutors, we often rely on the same few approaches when working with writers: have the writer read the draft out loud, ask open-ended questions, and…
Introducing Ecofeminism as a Literary Lens for Writing Center Tutors
In the humanities, we often encourage students to view texts through a critical lens—Marxist, feminist, psychoanalytic, postcolonial. These frameworks help writers make meaning, trace patterns of power, and pose questions that go beyond plot…
Tackling Science in the Writing Center
Tackling Science in the Writing Center As tutors, it’s a common experience to feel an innate dread when an appointment notification pops up with a chem or bio report. But why? We have all…
Tips for Supporting Poets in the Writing Center
I’ve been calling myself a creative writer for as long as I can remember. Long before I knew what syntax meant or how to punctuate dialogue, I was scribbling poems in the margins of…
Writing the Script on Science Podcasts
It is well known that scientific writing is often written to be inaccessible to those outside of STEM disciplines. Back in August of 2023, Carolina Sotério and Sálete Unbares Queiroz wrote an article about…
Promoting Writing Self-Efficacy in the Age of AI
The Age of AI AI is nearly everywhere, including writing centers. In addition to my personal experiences, I’ve heard various anecdotes from other tutors about situations where they encounter writers’ overt and covert ways…
Embedded vs. Drop-in Tutors in Developmental Writing Contexts
Which is more effective: Drop-in or Writing Fellows tutoring? It’s a provocative question. And like most questions pitting one answer against another in a possible false dichotomy, the direct answer may not be as…
How to Write Your Next Letterboxd Review: Going Beyond One-Liners
If you’ve been on any internet spaces for film, you’ve probably heard the often derogatory term, “film bro,” thrown around. You know the type–overanalyzing every frame of Pulp Fiction and treating their opinions like…
Subtle Perceptions of Power in Tutoring
Who am I? Hi, my name is Kyle Choi and at the time of writing this blog post, I am a new tutor at DePaul University’s Writing Center. Working in this department has been…
Addressing Vulnerability in the Writing Center
When approaching any new environment, especially while seeking help, the concept of vulnerability is a powerful emotion. Though it’s easy to forget, there are certain power dynamics and imposed assumptions going into the Writing…
Tutoring Freshman in the Writing Center
The transition from high school to college can be incredibly difficult for brand-new college students for a variety of reasons. When coming into college, freshman college students must adjust to new schedules, new expectations,…
Writers Finding the Right Tutor
Why is it important to find a tutor that’s right for you as a writer? In the writing center, we experience a variety of writing that we edit and read. This is beneficial to…
Helping Writers Overcome the Fear of Sharing Their Work
How can we, as peer tutors, aid writers in overcoming their fear of sharing their work? In our research, we analyzed why writers are anxious to share their work, strategies that help writers overcome…