Our next Tutor of the Week is Sam Geffert, a secondary education junior with an English concentration and minors in Japanese and ESL.
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| Sam Geffert |
"Before I applied to work as a tutor, I thought that the Writing Center was more of an editing center. After working in the center for two semesters, my perceptions of writing and tutoring have changed drastically. I have learned how to collaborate with students to improve their ability to write rather than simply improving their writing itself. Becoming a tutor has made me become more passionate about the process of writing papers and more excited to teach English at the secondary level. My favorite part of being a tutor is working with international students. I appreciate the opportunity to apply my understanding of TESOL theory to sessions in the Writing Center. More importantly, I love to see the way different cultures respond to the same writing assignment. The opportunity to learn about cultural differences makes me understand my own life and beliefs through new perspectives. It reminds me that we are all more similar than we are different, and we all have something important to share.
"Along with my work in the Writing Center, I privately tutor Japanese and work in a greenhouse over the summer. I am currently preparing to travel to Tokushima, Japan, to tutor English students in Shikoku University’s Writing Center. If money and reality weren’t an issue, I would spend my time traveling and learning new languages. Outside of work, I enjoy napping outside, reading in bed, and rollerblading with my dog. I also enjoy gardening, creative writing, and watching Ancient Aliens on the History channel. In the future, I want to teach English at the secondary level and work with English as a Second Language students."
