Lessons from Fannie

The article providing a case study of Fannie, a Native American student who seeks help with writing, gave helpful insight on true collaboration. The tutor in this case study, although full of good intentions, was unable to establish a true sense of equal collaboration. Unknowingly, the tutor set herself up as the one with the correct answers and therefore as the one in charge. Fannie sensed the forming of this hierarchy and withdrew from adding to the collaboration and ended up simply receiving answers from the tutor.

The case study reminded me of some similar instances in my own tutoring in which I would set up questions in a way that implied that I knew the answer and wanted the student to guess at it. Since reading the article, I have tried to change the way I ask for input from the students in order to place the burden of creating and articulating ideas wholly on the student.