Spotlight on Writing Collaboratory Tutor Heather Doherty

The Writing Collaboratory, located on the lower level of the Taylor Memorial Library, is one of two tutoring resources on campus. Led by student peer tutors, the Writing Collab currently has 11 tutors of varying majors, from writing to education to psychology to biology. 

Students who are interested in becoming a tutor for the Writing Collab must complete a prerequisite tutor training course taught by Dr. Carol Barnett, assistant professor of writing, who is also the director of the Writing Collab. Not just anyone can enroll in this course, however. Unlike most other classes, you must be recommended for the course by either a professor or a current tutor of the Writing Collab. 

Writing Tutor Training is a  four-credit course that breaks down the fundamentals of learning, writing, and analyzing. Students engage in assignments that require them to research various methods of learning and tutoring, peer review case studies and research papers on different writing and tutoring methods, and act out mock tutoring sessions, where students take turns acting as the tutor and client. Students also get the chance to sit in on real appointments in the Writing Collab with established tutors, allowing them to get hands-on experience on how to apply their skills in a practical setting. 

I reached out to Heather Doherty, an experienced peer tutor at the Writing Collab to tell me about some of the details of tutoring, resources at the Writing Collab, as well as some advice for aspiring tutors. Doherty is a senior education major and has been a peer tutor since 2024. 

What do you think is the most useful resource available at the Writing Collab?

For all class levels, I would say the most useful resource is the resume and cover letter resources, allowing students to practice and prepare for the real-world job market.

Do students generally improve in their writing after tutoring?

I’ve seen students make great strides in strengthening the writing process and their writing as a whole. For the most part, students come down to the Collab with strong material already, so as tutors, we’re there to help flesh out the missing pieces, which often are the smaller details (like citations, structure, and finer details). I’ve seen many students become more confident in their writing and, in particular, make breakthroughs in their writing process.

How many repeat clients do you get compared to the one-off appointments?

It depends on the semester, but I most consistently get repeat clients compared to one-offs. During mid-terms or finals, there will be an influx of one-off appointments, but the repeating appointments are much more frequent.

What do students mainly need help with? 

More often than anything else, it’s breaking down the assignment guidelines, and ensuring the paper is in compliance with APA/MLA format. Most students understand what they want to write, but translating the guidelines of the assignment into a language they can understand is the main component of most sessions. APA/MLA can seem intimidating at first, but in essence it's just like a math formula (when using resources like the APA/MLA manuals and Purdue OWL). Once you understand where and how to plug in the information about the source, most things fall into place.

What are some of the challenges of being a tutor?

The most challenging aspects for me at first were citations and workshops, since those were the newest skills to me. However, as an education major, and through repetition, those skills became a lot easier. Currently, I would say adapting to a tutee's needs is the part I'm always working on. Centenary is home to a variety of subject matter, a variety of learners, and a variety of professors. Every session, even with the same client and subject matter, may warrant a different tone and approach. As tutors, we are also trained to adjust to the needs of the individual. Someone stressed about submitting a portfolio in their final semester and someone who is a freshman submitting their first personal narrative both benefit from the Collab but use it in very different ways.

How has tutoring improved your own skills as a writer?

I was anxious about APA and MLA citations starting out, but now I could guide any tutee easily to the right resources, even when it's a citation style I may not be used to!

What skills do you think are the most important to have to be a tutor?

Flexibility. Like I said earlier, every session is different, so we need to be able to adapt and change. Sometimes, a workshop asks for help on a topic on the fly, and you have to be able to rely on your experience and fellow tutors and answer as best as you can. Sometimes, a client comes in with one nearly polished paper that you spend most of the session polishing up, only to mention at the end what they really needed help with was a presentation. However, all of these situations have answers, and thankfully the Collab is a very flexible environment.

What interested you in becoming a tutor?

I really enjoyed writing and helping others. As an education major, the experience seemed like a valuable way to build up my skillset.

There’s a prerequisite class that you must take before being able to tutor at the Writing Collab. Can you tell me a bit about what that course entailed?

Yes, you would have to be recommended by a current tutor or professor to register for the course. The course itself follows an interactive, Socratic-based method, with lots of literature pertaining to the role of a Peer Tutor, the nuance of working with a variety of learners (adult learners, English language learners, etc.), and discussions. We also practiced the most common writing assignments Collab tutees bring to tutors (literature reviews, personal narratives, persuasive essays, annotated bibliography, etc.). We even got to meet the current tutors and roleplay the experience of a variety of tutees. It was a fun and in-depth look at the role of a tutor and allowed me to better understand this campus resource.

Did that course properly prepare you for the challenges of being a tutor? Or do you feel that you learned more through practical experience?

I feel I was as prepared as I could be before doing the job, being that we observed two tutoring sessions and led one on our own during the class itself. I do feel the practical experience was the most valuable tool for improving my style, but I would not be nearly as effective without the coursework to guide me.

What’s some advice you would give to students looking to become a tutor?

If you're looking to become a tutor, I say go for it! If you're recommended into the tutoring class, it means a professor has noticed your talent and effort, meaning they believe that you could aid your peers greatly. If I had to put it succinctly, don't doubt yourself! If you come into it with an open mind, you will come out of it with skills you will carry with you for the rest of your academic and professional career. Like I said, the coursework truly helps in setting up the groundwork, and has practical applications built into it. If you have any specific concerns or questions about the tutor training class or process, you can always ask one of the Collab tutors, too!

If you think that the Writing Collab can help you as we approach finals, you can make an appointment at https://centenary.mywconline.com. If you’re interested in becoming a tutor, you can reach out to Dr. Barnett with any questions you have at carol.barnett@centenaryuniversity.edu.