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- Writing tutors do not proofread. We are not editors. We do help writers learn how to proofread their own work. We do help to diagnose writing problems. We do help writers learn to correct their own errors.
- Writing tutors do not write on students' papers. We do ask questions to help writers develop their ideas; we encourage writers to do any writing the session calls for.
- Tutors are not superior to tutees; as peers, tutors and tutees are equals. Both tutor and tutee bring useful information to the tutoring sessions
- Tutors encourage tutees to set the agenda for a session.
- Tutors encourage tutees to talk about their papers at any stage in the writing process. Tutors try to help writers overcome writer's block for instance, or they help writers talk through a revision of a draft of a paper.
- Tutors ask questions to get the tutee talking and to help the tutee figure out for him or herself what he/she needs to do to make the paper better.
- Writing tutors respond as first readers. We try to help the writer understand what works, what doesn't and how the paper might be improved.
- Writing tutors read a paper through once (or the tutee reads the paper aloud) before providing a response to any one part of the paper.
- For sentence-level, punctuation and grammatical problems, writing tutors note patterns of errors, then provide a lesson on the problem(s). After the tutee demonstrates that he/she understands the lesson, tutors have the writer go back to the paper to find and correct his/her own errors.
- Tutors do not mediate between tutees and teachers; when tutors suspect misunderstandings, they send the tutee back to the teacher for clarification of the assignment.
- Writing tutors don't instruct: we respond, guide and support.
- Writing tutors know that they do not have all the answers. We refer students to counselors, professors and others as necessary. Tutors also know when to talk to the Writing Center Director about problems or questions that come up during a session.
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