Directive or Nondirective?
A student asks you to tell them exactly how to fix their thesis, and you respond by giving them three possible revisions.
Directive
A student asks you to "just reword this paragraph" because they don’t want to be accused of plagiarism. What do you do?
Explain paraphrasing instead of rewriting it for them.
What is one way to show you are actively listening during a tutoring session?
-making eye contact
- nodding
-summarizing their points.
A student tells you, "I just need you to proofread this real quick." What’s a good way to respond?
"I’d be happy to look over it with you! Do you want to focus on specific areas like clarity or structure, or just grammar?"
You ask the student, "What do you think your main argument is?" and encourage them to explain before offering feedback.
Nondirective
True or False: If a tutor makes too many corrections, the paper could become their work rather than the student's.
True
Why should you ask a student, “What phase is your draft in?”
Makes the session feel more collaborative and conversational. Can also help tailor feedback more directly to their needs.
A student is frustrated and says, “I’m just a bad writer.” How do you respond?
Encourage a growth mindset: "Writing is a skill that improves with practice. Let’s focus on one area at a time."
A student keeps asking, “Is this right?” but instead of answering, you keep asking them questions to get them to think critically.
Nondirective
A student copy-pastes a source into their essay but doesn't cite it. What should you do?
Explain plagiarism, and help them to correctly cite their sources.
A student is hesitant to share their ideas. How can you encourage them?
Ask open-ended questions, create a comfortable and inviting environment.
A student is upset that you won’t "just fix" their paper. What can you say to explain your role?
"My goal is to help you improve as a writer, not just this one paper. Let’s work through it together."
A students formatting is incorrect and you help them to change it to MLA.
Direct
Why might tutors lean toward a nondirective approach when worried about plagiarism?
To avoid putting too much of their own influence into the paper.
What’s an example of a bad listening habit tutors should avoid?
Interrupting, jumping to solutions too quickly, not acknowledging the student’s ideas.
A student has too many ideas and doesn’t know how to organize them. What strategy could you suggest?
Use an outline, grouping similar ideas, or talking through their main argument before writing.
You notice a student struggling with grammar, so you point out one consistent error and then ask them to find similar mistakes in their paper.
Both
You suspect a student is trying to get you to "fix" a paper that is mostly AI-generated. How do you handle this?
Ask questions about their writing process to assess understanding, and discuss academic integrity.
Explain the difference between active listening and waiting for your turn to talk
Active listening involves processing and engaging with what the student is saying, not just preparing your next response.
You realize partway through the session that the student completely misunderstood their assignment. How do you handle it?
Ask them to show you the prompt, help them identify key requirements, and discuss ways to adjust their paper accordingly.