One of the most awkward challenges I face as a peer writing tutor is the moment when a writer asks my opinion about the potential letter grade of their work. In the handful of times this has happened, I have found myself lacking the appropriate language at first. On one hand, I do not want to use evaluative language such as: “I think that this essay is good!” And, I certainly do not want to evaluate a writer’s work based on my arbitrary idea of what letter grade I think it may receive based on my own experience.
As tutors, we are encouraged to lead appointments with the sentiment that writing is a recursive process and that a single grade does not reflect our skills as writers. This is in line with the notion of a growth mindset, which refers to one’s own personal belief that intelligence can be developed. According to Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, when students believe that they have the ability to “grow their brains,” they often fare better on assessments.
However, how do we reconcile this with the fact that letter grades do matter to many of our writers? How can we reframe the conversation to prioritize the writer’s individual progress, and therefore encourage the adoption of a growth mindset? I want to lay out a few possible steps you can take if this conversation comes up during an appointment.
Take a moment to reflect on the goals you set at the beginning of the appointment.
As peer tutors, we collaboratively set an agenda with our writers at the start of the appointment based on the writer’s concerns and goals. If your writer came into the Writing Center wanting to work on their essay’s organization, take a moment to reflect on the ways in which you addressed this concern in the appointment. For example, your writer may have read the essay aloud and found that their thesis comes later in the text than it should. Reflecting on changes they were able to make during a single appointment will emphasize how helpful revision can be and how much they have grown by revising their work.
Refer to the rubric or assignment guidelines they brought to their appointment.
Hopefully, the writer was able to bring a copy of the assignment details or rubric so that you, the peer tutor, could have a clear idea of the instructor’s expectations. In some ways, the rubric is like an audience— the more in line you are with its expectations, the more effective the writing is likely to be! Additionally, perhaps some of the appointment goals include aspects from the rubric. You can have a conversation about how the two of you addressed the rubric details or you could even reflect on how the writer’s assignment addresses these details at the end of the appointment.
Utilize the “Next Steps” section of the appointment letter.
If the writer is feeling worried about their letter grade, I encourage you to make sure that your “Next Steps” include concrete actions for the writer based on the instructor’s requirements. For instance, if the instructor has provided a detailed rubric, I would urge the writer to check off assignment requirements as they go. This way, they have a visual reminder of how much work they have done and how much they may have left to do.
Finally, be honest in your role as a peer writing tutor.
We are not the instructor of this writer’s course, so it is not likely that we know exactly what the instructor is looking for outside of the guidelines in the assignment’s rubric (if there is one!). We are not the authority or experts, but I think that this can be an advantage. Rather, we can empathize with our writers because we have all felt anxious about a grade before. As a reader, you can emphasize your reaction to the writing while also recognizing that this perspective may not apply to others, even the instructor.
A growth mindset can be difficult at first to navigate, especially when we live in a world that often rewards evaluative markers like letter grades instead of an individual’s progress. However, if we are thoughtful in approaching this conversation, we can encourage writers to embrace the writing process in a way that cultivates a growth mindset— something that will benefit them far more in the long run than an “A.”
References
Dweck, Carol. “Carol Dweck Revisits the Growth Mindset.” Education Week, vol. 35, no. 5, 2015, pp. 20-24.