Are You a Perfectionist?

Having tutored at the AUB Writing Center, I can confirm that tutoring is a different ball game than classroom teaching in many ways. It is more focused and intense, and it can be more enjoyable than lecturing, especially when tutees are perfectionists!

One challenge for writing tutors is that students do not always seek writing help voluntarily. Their teachers often require it; it may even be part of the syllabus for everyone – and therefore a form of drudgery for some. Those who gravitate to the Center voluntarily, though, appear more involved, and they often return. Some even seem to enjoy it: they become animated when telling a story; excited when considering alternatives; and genuinely satisfied with their enhanced products. The best scenarios are where a student seeks advice from the beginning of a project till the end, returning to develop ideas, polish phrasing and finalize everything, including presentation material. The tutees are not rushed in those cases. They are relaxed and confident – and eventually proud of their efforts.

Of course, tutoring has other challenges for tutors: breaking the ice and setting realistic goals for short sessions is not always a piece of cake; handling students with personal problems can be daunting; and tutoring when the writer does not have a draft or a prompt can be stressful and mystifying. With time, tutors learn how to handle these situations, overcoming hurdles more smoothly.

Not all tutees are struggling with their writing, mind you. You get the occasional perfectionist, the quality of whose writing and research is already high. They simply seek perfection and work hard at it. Best wishes to them. They deserve special mention for their drive and perseverance.

Seeking Advice on Your Writing

Last week some university students who had read my recent blog post on ghost writing jokingly commented that they were tempted to try using a ghost writer after reading it since the latter are hard to catch! Clearly my warning had not been strong enough; reader beware: you may still be caught. Besides, what do you learn when others do your writing for you? Almost nothing – right!

An experienced teacher can sense it when a document is not written by you as they will know your level and style from in-class participation and writing, as well as other activities. Do not forget also that your writing should reflect your voice – not someone else’s. In any case, you need to improve your writing skills as that will help you in career-related course work and various contexts other than university. It is well known these days that employers seek and promote skilled communicators, especially skilled writers.

Finally, you are already paying a high price for your tuition in most cases. Why pay extra? If you feel you need extra help with your writing, ask your course instructor. Additionally, a librarian might help with sources and a writing tutor (such as those of the AUB Writing Center) may provide a second opinion, with specific advice on how to improve your writing. Writing centers such as this usually provide free consultations and may allow walk-ins though there is usually an organized appointment schedule. Writing tutors can comment on the clarity and organization of your ideas, or on your style, or both. Additionally, they can show you how to polish up formal citations for academic essays.

What would be shameful is asking others to do your writing for you. Asking for a second opinion on your own writing, however, should not be considered shameful or embarrassing.  Academics and professional writers very often ask others to read through their work before it is published. Another pair of eyes rarely hurts. Failing a course hurts far more!

Ghost Writing: Not Yet Dead and Buried

Reading student essays is usually a pleasure for writing teachers, especially when students research fresh topics, argue effectively, or share original points of view; occasionally, however, it is not so easy. Back in 2013 I blogged twice on ghost writing at universities, having been interviewed about it by a Daily Star reporter then. Now in 2018, despite greater awareness and heightened vigilance by teachers and other stakeholders, the spectre of ghost writing continues to rear its ugly head. The ghost writers have picked up on the fact that many teachers require “process” submissions rather than merely a satisfactory “product”, so they have adapted their work accordingly.

To what extent these unscrupulous individuals (and companies) are now outmanoeuvring experienced writing teachers remains a mystery. It appears that some invisible writers do nothing else for a living, so they do their work very “professionally”, if you will excuse the expression. The Daily Star last year reported again on the issue under the title “The Lucrative Business of Selling Essays”:

The ghost writer was quick to add that the projects would be done in a way that would not raise any questions from professors. “We give you things step by step and we upload [the work] to ‘Turnitin’ [an online tool used by universities and students globally to check for plagiarism]. We’ve been doing this for 10 years, it is guaranteed and confidential.” (reported by Ghinwa Obeid)

Universities such as AUB penalize plagiarized and inauthentic student writing very heavily, with assessments ranging from a zero on the essay to a zero on the course, including the possibility of a dean’s warning, suspension or expulsion. The pressure on students to achieve high grades is high, but the risk is higher. If you are a student under pressure, my advice is to do your own work properly and not take the risk. It isn’t worth it.

And teachers beware: the ghost writers seem to have become slyer than ever! 

The Lebanese Blogosphere

It is good to be blogging about language and teaching. A University of Westminster PhD dissertation by Maha Taki analyzing blogging in Lebanon shows that some Lebanese had started blogging by 2004. However, by 2008 at least, it appears there were no identifiable bloggers focused on either teaching or language ("Bloggers and the Blogosphere in Lebanon & Syria: Meanings and Activities"). Most of the early blogs, Taki reports, were political, triggered by the assassination of our Prime Minister in 2005 and the 2006 summer war in Lebanon. Here are the topics the Lebanese blogged about in 2008, based on Taki’s survey back then, in order of frequency:

• Activities, private thoughts and reflections
• Poetry, literature and art
• Social issues in country of origin
• Political issues in country of origin
• Local current affairs
• Religious and spiritual matters
• Human rights issues or development
• International political issues

Unfortunately, the early blogs, as reported by Taki, reflected the political divisions in the country. Many did not sound neutral. Also, there were more male than female bloggers, and the age distribution was mainly concentrated in the 20s and 30s. The vast majority of bloggers had university degrees, including a high proportion of postgraduate qualifications. Interestingly, nearly half the Lebanon bloggers had had some university education outside Lebanon, and the majority were single.

One hopes that blogs are now more inclusive in terms of who is blogging, what for, and what topics they tackle. Still, the microblogging site Twitter does not provide a topic category for teachers/teaching or education when one first registers one's profile, nor do some blog aggregators like a Lebanese one that currently exists. This would force teachers, initially at least, to identify their blogs under titles such as “lifestyle”, “personal/reflections”, etc., which may not be enough to distinguish the blogs. Tagging and hashtags for teaching etc. can help of course, but the options given upon registration reflect an older mentality where certain categories did not really exist on their own.

Teacher bloggers need to get their voices across as teachers. In any case, it is good to be part of a community of bloggers united by common interests and concerns.