Questions 1/23

1) There seemed to be a difference in two of the Bedford examples where the tutor provides their own viewpoint on the topic. There's the Chopin Awakening example (p.6) where the student is working on color imagery and the tutor has an idea about a color in a particular scene.  In this example the tutor's idea fits with the student's topic and creates a dialogue between collaborators.  The Dickinson example, the student is trying to write about the influence of an unhappy romance on Dickinson's work, but the tutor brings up Dickinson's possible agoraphobia (p.22).  This seems like it isn't just helping the student develop her ideas but giving the student a completely new one that may even change her thesis.  Where do we draw the line with suggestions for writers to make sure that we're helping them find and refine their own voice?

2) In ESL programs, if a student reveals something troubling, TAs are mandatory reporters, but lecturers are not.  Supervisors are.  Are we mandatory reporters as Writing Center tutors?

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