Writing Tutoring Information

iSchool Writing Support

The SJSU Writing Center offers tutoring services to help Spartans with all types of writing.

For general Writing Center support
Students can book an online tutoring appointment through WCOnline or use the Open Lab drop-in service, which does not require an appointment.

For dedicated iSchool support:
Writing Specialist Cassie Blair offers four hours of tutoring each week exclusively for iSchool students, on Sundays and Tuesdays. Book a 45-minute online tutoring session with Cassie here.

 

Example of a Standard Tutoring Session

You will log in to the Zoom session using the link that was sent to you in your appointment confirmation. You should see the Writing Specialist’s name in the participants area. You will need a microphone and speakers so that you can fully participate during the session. You should run the audio set-up wizard to work out any sound issues before your tutoring session begins.

The Writing Specialist will begin your session by asking what type of writing you’ve brought to work on and what concerns you have — what exactly do you want to cover during this session? You will provide the Writing Specialist your assignment, prompts, or any other relevant material. You will use tools within Zoom to share these documents. The Writing Specialist will instruct you on how to do this and will do his or her best to address as many of your concerns as possible.

During the session, your Writing Specialist may ask you to read your paper aloud. By hearing the paper read aloud, you will catch errors in the paper and correct them. You will also identify sentences that sound awkward or incoherent.

After you have read the paper aloud, your Writing Specialist will note one or two things you will focus on during the session. The session is forty-five minutes long.

You, the student, will retain ownership of your work. The Writing Specialist will ask you to make edits on your document. You will be actively involved in figuring out ways to improve your work.

At the end of the session, your Writing Specialist will take a few minutes to review and reinforce what you worked on during the session. If you weren’t able to get through the entire paper, the Writing Specialist may recommend that you make another appointment to continue working on your assignment.

With your permission, the Writing Specialist will follow up the session with an e-mail to your instructor. The e-mail will give your name and course, and it will briefly state what you worked on. Instructors find it very helpful to receive this information.