Write On!
Someone you can reach out to with any questions about scheduling, your sessions, tutoring, or anything else that comes up throughout the year!
Who are your fellow PLFs, your PLF supervisor, Jessica Hendricks, Jay Fantone, and more!
To quote "What It Sounds Like," by HUNTRIX, "None of us are out here on our own."
This "cookie cutter" formula for essays in high school can be tough to break.
What is the 5 paragraph essay?
You should take these actions when facing a grammar question you don't know.
What is "be honest about the extent of your knowledge, admit when you are unable to answer a question and then help seek help from resources (including websites, books, handouts, other PLFs, your advisor, etc)"?
This member of our community hails from Hawaiʻi.
(check out the ʻokina!)
Who is Lauren Hayashi?
This is what PLF stands for and why we use that term instead of "tutor."
What is "Peer Learning Facilitator"?
A tutor is paid to teach in a specific subject area. It's more "content delivery" and less "working side-by-side."
A peer learning facilitator focuses on student-driven learning, facilitating the learning process.
These are three pieces of information to collect from the student-athlete in the first 10 minutes of the session.
How are you doing today? (Connect!)
What are you working on today?
When is this due / what is your deadline?
What would you like to focus on today
What is the prompt?
Does the class have an AI policy?
This strategy for tutoring involves having a conversation with the writer and helping them to uncover ideas themselves, rather than telling them what to do.
What is a non-directive tutoring? (a strategy to mix with directive tutoring)
PLFs can use one of these strategies when a student-athlete says they want to "check the paper" or "check the grammar."
What is:
- Get more information from the student about why they want to focus on grammar. What do they mean by that?
- Read through the essay and discuss reserving some time for "grammar" but also some time for other things.
- Give them tools to learn about / practice / find error patterns in their writing
- Other ideas?
This member of our family is a Transfer student (Transferpalooza tomorrow night in Wooden! Be there or be square!) and worked at a Writing Center at a previous institution.
Who is Alekos Kapur?
These are actions Tara should take care to treat plantar fasciitis.
What are cushioned soles, stretches and physical therapy, rest, and ice?
(Okay, this doesn't really have anything to do with writing, but you are a room full of people who probably have good advice about this. Also, taking care of others in tutoring also means taking care of yourself. Including your feet!)This is one activity you can do with a writer to help them see the organization they already have - and where it could improve.
What is reverse outlining?
These are some of the steps you can take at the end of a session.
What are let the student-athlete know how much time is left, summarize what you've accomplished together, talk through next steps, give an opportunity for last questions, wish them good luck, and fill out a your PLF feedback form or ROI if your center uses one.
These are two opposite styles of tutoring that can and should be used in combination, even when a student wants to focus on lower-level edits like grammar.
What is directive and non-directive tutoring?
This member of our family was a UCLA Football student-athlete.
Who is Kory Symington?
This is another tutoring resource that student-athletes can use for their writing that can compliment your own services.
What is the Undergraduate Writing Center?
You can try this strategy when a student-athlete asks for help on an essay about theoretical quantum nuclear hydrolinguistics (meaning: something you know nothing about!).
What is:
- Remember that there are basics of writing that apply across many subjects (Structure, organization, clarity, conventions, having a purpose / thesis)
- Prompt the writer to tell you more about the conventions of their (the essay's) field / discipline / major
- Openly admit your lack of knowledge to the writer but model using resources and being an attentive listener and reader.
- Read the assignment sheet / prompt.
- Use the writer as a resource! Talk it out!
These are 3 Golden Rules of working with Student-Athlete writers.
What are (any three):
- Always leave room for the writer to do the work
- Involve the writer as often as you can
- Observe, model, or question (instead of tell)
- Allow the student-athlete to talk more than you do
- Redirect complaints about professors/TAs (we're all in this together)
- Avoid "evaluative" language
- Never predict the grade for a paper
- Avoiding writing / typing on their paper, and direct them to do so instead
This is one website that is really helpful for grammar and other common errors.
What is Purdue OWL?
What is Paul Brians' Common Errors in English?
What is The Oatmeal's Grammar comics?
(bonus: What else do you use for reference?)
If you hear "en garde!," it might be this member of our family.
Who is Chester Thompson?
This first year writing course fulfills the university's Writing I requirement.
What is English Composition 3? (or 3D or 3DX)
This is what you should do when you see a paper that you suspect was written by ChatGPT.
What is:
- PANIC!!!! (just kidding)
- Stay calm and supportive, don't make accusations. You don't have to be the Plagiarism Police.
- Think of this as a learning opportunity. Does the writer know that these tools may or may not be allowed?
- Consider working off-screen and having the student-athlete talk through their ideas with you.
- "Can you tell me a little about your writing process?"
- Point out problems you notice as a reader
- Check in with your advisor after the session to make sure you handled it according to their best practices and think through additional support for the student-athlete in future
- If appropriate (i.e. the student mentions using Gen AI) talk through the range of uses at the university, the risk in turning in something that isn't allowed by the professor, and the best way to find out: ask the professor!
UCLA has no blanket policy against using these tools, although individual instructors or classes may, so it is essential for writers to clarify each assignment's guidelines before using these tools.
What are GenAI / Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, etc.?
UCLA employees are required to complete this on MyUCLA once every two years before accessing student record data in order to ensure privacy around this sensitive data. All PLFs will complete this requirement before they are able to begin working.
What is FERPA training?
***The person with the lowest points gets to answer this first!**** Name 5 new PLFs starting in Fall Quarter.
Who are.... :-)
These are ways that UCLA students can fulfill the Writing II requirement.
What are taking a Cluster and taking any class with a W designation? (i.e. Honors 87W, English 4W)