I just like smiling. Smiling’s my favorite.”
Elf (2003)
This is a fresh reminder to breathe. You’ve made it this far. This undeniably memorable year, 2020, then 2021, and you’re still here, doing the best that you can right now. And that’s okay. Breathe, smile, and flush out the negativity with a positive energy.
As much as I’m writing this as a reminder to you, it’s also important for me to remind myself to do that sometimes. It’s been a tough stretch of time. Sometimes when I sigh, I realize just how long it’s been since I’ve truly breathed in that deep…
…and I’m not the only one who has been holding my breath all year.
Here at the University Center for Writing-based Learning (UCWbL), we all are at the blunt end of the pandemic, struggling to get and give the same educational experience we had before quarantine. In turn, our job is to provide eloquent feedback to students across the university who are grappling with the same issues every day: too much zoom, and too little human interaction.
In a time of nameless stress, the content of the writing in our appointments should not be our primary focus. Considering the burden of COVID-19, tutors should look to motivational scaffolding.
What is Motivational Scaffolding?
Motivational scaffolding is a type of tutoring tactic that focuses on building rapport and using positive language to increase a writer’s motivation. This leads to a writer’s improved overall confidence, better comprehension of the feedback, and a greater interest in the writing process.
The emphasis is on conversation. I like to think of it as though I were editing my best friend’s paper. Although it’s only on a screen, there is a real human behind the writing.
Of course, don’t actually treat your writers like they’re your best friends. I assume there would be a lot more swear words and inside jokes said in that appointment!
Select quotes from my own experience:
- Showing Interest: (for an ORT creative piece) “I am such a big fan of this. Genuinely, this seems like my type of story that I would choose to buy at Barnes & Noble.”
- Praise: (for a WF curriculum vitae) “You have some incredible achievements here, and I’d like to extend my applause for all you’ve done. I hope that by the end of my college experience, I can have a similar amount of experiences to add to my own CV :)”
- Reinforcing ownership to the writer: (for an ORT final paper) “Actually, that’s a wonderful idea. I didn’t think of that. Can you expand more on what you mean?”
- Optimism: (for a WF essay draft with notes) “It’s compelling and very interesting work! I think you can use this here to heighten that and kick off your introduction strong.”
- Showing Sympathy: (for a WF essay from a class I took) “Spring Quarter had the best selection in my opinion with more modern plays, but I also loved reading Shakespeare and Marlowe in Winter Quarter. Also, I hope you enjoy Bill as a teacher because I loved his class!”
Approaching Motivational Scaffolding in a Virtual World
The fact is, we are all living through the same disappointing and unsettling times with each other; however, not one of us has the same experience. Loneliness, depression, and lack of motivation is becoming increasingly common among students; it seems that even 6 feet apart is too far for us. And while we as tutors cannot control what happens in the daily lives of the writers and students we work with, we do have at least 30 minutes and at most 2 hours.
It’s all about the energy. It may be so that the writer you’re working with does not want to be in the ORT appointment and show their face, or that they have to schedule a WF because they’re taking WRD 103. As tutors we have 3 benefits to this job that can help us approach successful motivational scaffolding.
- We’re getting paid. Being a poor, broke college student is difficult on its own. Every penny counts.
- We love to write. I assume if you were hired as a tutor, writing is something you clearly enjoy. Harness it and embrace it. Channel what you love about writing into every writer’s work that comes your way.
- We get to spend time with another student. Yes, even in a Written Feedback, we can connect with each other on the other end. Real people put a lot of work into these documents and essays, and sometimes, your marginal comments can have enough power to bring a smile to their face.
All in all, motivational scaffolding is not just about giving the writer motivation. It’s also about finding that motivation within yourself as a tutor. Who knows? It may even relieve some of the daily stresses of the pandemic.
Moving Forward
And now to end things off, I’d love to share another quote about the power of human connection in a digital world by the famous fictional legend, Michael Scott:
“People will never be replaced by machines. In the end, life and business are about human connections. And computers are about trying to murder you in a lake. And to me the choice is easy.”
(The Office, Season 4, Episode 3)