An English writing tutor usually works with students one-on-one outside of the classroom to help them improve their writing skills. Tutors provide extra assistance that is often related to current classes, allowing students to improve without the intervention of a teacher. English writing tutors frequently assist students in revising their work, making organizational suggestions, and proofreading. An English writing tutor can help students who are stuck on a particular assignment or paper in a variety of ways. The exact responsibilities of an English writing tutor, like those of other jobs, are determined by the employer’s expectations.
The majority of the time, an English writing tutor assists students in improving their writing skills by providing personalized feedback on writing assignments. Some tutors may assign exercises and writing assignments that are unrelated to classwork, but tutors usually concentrate on the work being done in a specific class. Writing tutors have a difficult job because they must understand the expectations of teachers in specific classes, and writing in different disciplines can be quite different. English writing tutors assist students not only in English classes, but also in any class where writing is required.
An English writing tutor’s job frequently includes proofreading. Students frequently struggle with editing their own papers, and tutors are frequently used as an editing resource. When English writing tutors are primarily used as proofreaders, they must be able to quickly apply any relevant stylistic guidelines. Although many employers provide training in these areas, staying up to date with style guides and course expectations may be part of a tutor’s job.
The material taught by tutors is often informed by resources provided by instructors and teachers, especially in situations involving younger students. Outside of what students are aware of, an English writing tutor employed by a school often has insight into a teacher’s expectations. This allows tutors to provide more effective assistance, but it also means that understanding course expectations is an important part of a tutor’s job.
An English writing tutor’s job also includes office work, filing, and other basic job responsibilities. Tutors may be required to keep student files or to organize student work in specific ways. Tutor scheduling can also be left to the discretion of the individual tutor, implying that organization is an important part of many tutors’ jobs. The focus of a tutor’s job is interaction with students, but training, record keeping, and other responsibilities may take up a significant amount of time.