10 Signs You Have What it Takes to Be a Writing Tutor

Thinking of becoming a writing tutor? Baylor’s University Writing Center welcomes undergraduates of any major to apply, and graduates of select programs. Here are 10 signs you have what it takes:

1. You love writing. Surprise, surprise! Tutoring writing requires a love for the craft, and a desire to immerse yourself in it. The writing center is the perfect place to nurture this appreciation.
2. You want to learn more about writing and tutoring. Baylor’s University Writing Center is a place of perpetual learning, especially for writing consultants/tutors. We always say that tutoring is a two-way street, wherein both the writer and the consultant come away with an enhanced understanding after a session. Tutors, who often come from different majors at Baylor, also learn a lot from each other.
3. You would rather write an essay than take a multiple choice test. You might believe that essays prove true depth of thought, while multiple choice exams more so test memorization. In other words, you see the value of an essay prompt, and appreciate crafting a well-written essay.
4. You enjoy dynamic work. Tutoring writing is not rinse-and-repeat work. Each session requires a different application of skills to accomplish different goals. At the writing center, you will work with a wide range of writers–from freshman in Intro to English to graduates in nursing school. A flexible, quick-witted approach to the work serves a writing tutor well. If you find yourself bored with tedious, repetitive tasks and invigorated by a new challenge every day, working at the Baylor University Writing Center might just be for you.
5. You like talking to people. Tutoring is a client-facing position, where it is your job to be welcoming, accommodating, and helpful to a wide array of people. But if you’re an introvert, that’s not to say you cannot be an effective writing tutor: a natural curiosity and genuine interest in each client and their writing goes a long way.
6. You like helping people improve. Writing center work is person-based, not paper-based: tutors’ focus is to improve the writer, not necessarily the paper. Therefore, a vested interest in improving a person’s overall ability to write is paramount.
7. You’d like to improve your tutoring/consulting skills. Consulting is the act of giving advice, while tutoring encompasses the act of teaching an academic skill. Writing consultants do both in a way that empowers and informs the writer. Developing both of these skills, which include active listening, prompting, and teaching, will help you well beyond the bounds of the writing center. In a way, this work teaches you to be an effective mentor and a better communicator–invaluable skillsets.
8. Friends come to you for essay feedback. This is a great indicator. Your feedback was likely phrased in a specific way to be helpful and not harsh, and perhaps you gave advice that would apply to future essays as well. If your friends come to you for writing advice, then you have likely already practiced some of the skills we utilize as tutors!
9. You want to do more than sit in silence and edit a paper–you want to tutor. If you prefer to work alone on a peer’s paper with a red pen in hand, writing center work may not be for you. Instead, the writing center calls tutors to work collaboratively with the writer to help them improve. Each session requires a certain amount of rapport-building, agenda negotiation, and back-and-forth between you and the writer. It is not often individualistic work.
10. You want to be a part of a writing community. Consultants are encouraged to collaborate and discuss tutoring techniques. Baylor’s University Writing Center is full of students with a deep love for writing, and who are always willing to strike up a conversation about it. Christmas and end-of-the-semester parties bring us all closer together, and many consultants end up becoming friends outside of the center, as well. Some consultants even stop by outside of their shifts to say hello!

If any of this sounds like you, consider joining us as a tutor at the writing center. If you like the idea of the writing center but are not sure about tutoring, please consider applying for an office assistant position; some of our office assistants even go on to become writing tutors!