Tutela a guiding influence

I had planned to devote this last edition of Melissa's Corner to saying goodbye and expressing my regards and thanks to the tutors and staff of NDIL. However, in light of recent events, I would like to take a few moments to comment about the incidents that occurred over the past month in the College of Dentistry.

For a moment, the incidents at the College of Dentistry, appeared to galvanize the campus on the issue of racism. People were outraged, saddened, angry and a myriad of other appropriate emotions. As news broke that the alleged perpetrator was a young female African American dental student--one could almost hear the collective sighs of the ignorant, saying, "Thank goodness, we always knew there was no racism here." But there is racism on campus and in our community and it touches people everyday, including your fellow tutors and the students that you work with.

A year or so ago, a young white woman came to see me to talk about her tutor. She was in tears. I tried to soothe her as she slowly explained why she had come. She had been assigned a tutor through NDIL and had met with this tutor for the first time just the night before. She told me she was failing this particular class and was now even more distraught because, after meeting with the tutor, she was sure that he could not help her. As a general rule, I do not like to make decisions on assignments after just one meeting so I encouraged the young woman to try again with this tutor. After talking with her for some time, I came to realize that her response to the tutor had less to do with the tutor's ability than it had to do with the fact that he was African American. How could he possibly have something to teach her? As a white student, wasn't she the one who was supposed to be smarter? In her mind, it is whites who are supposed to be giving the helping hand to minorities who are, by definition (in her mind) needing of help. None of this was spoken aloud, but it came through loud and clear. As I listened to this young woman, I realized that, in her mind, she was not a racist. I don't think she disliked her tutor because of his race, in fact, I think if the tables had been turned and she had been the tutor, she would have been happy to work with this individual.

I could tell you many more stories like this. And others in the office could tell still more. Minority students report that they are followed in department stores for fear they will steal something, are refused service in restaurants, are called names, belittled in the classroom, the list goes on and on.

The point is, as it now stands, racism is a fixture of our community. Though the events in the College of Dentistry have not turned out as expected, the individual arrested is not white, with hair shorn, and tattoos of swastikas up and down the arm, but the actions are still racist. The actions that singled out a group of individuals and made them feel like targets were racist acts. As I'm writing this now, I am surprised at how much time I am spending and how much time I feel I need to spend to make my point that racism is here, now, right in our very midst. It was here before the incidents at the College of Dentistry and it remains after the events have ceased.

So, in lieu of saying goodbye and sharing my sentiments with you about what you have meant to me and how much I have enjoyed this job, I would like to issue you a challenge. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a cleric and outspoken philosopher during WWII. Though not Jewish, he was killed by the Nazi's for refusing to bow to their racist propaganda. In his book entitled Resistence and Submission, he wrote: "It is the nature, and the advantage, of strong people that they can bring out the crucial questions and form a clear opinion about them. The weak always have to decide between alternatives that are not their own." My challenge to you is to be one of those strong people. Bring out the crucial questions, make your opinions known, and then have the courage to act. I am inspired by the enthusiasm, the passion for learning, and the concern for the future that I see expressed by so many of you that come in to talk with me. I know it is within you to be a source of change. My best to you all. Thank you for the opportunity to work with you. It's been an absolute pleasure.

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Since this is the end of the semester, there are a number of loose ends that you will need to tie up. An end-of-the-semester survey and an end-of-the-semester check-list have been sent to you via the listserv. Please make sure to respond to the survey and be as specific as possible. This will be a great help to the new Tutor Coordinator next semester. The check-list has a lot of important information about end-of-the-semester duties. Please make sure to read this thoroughly! If you are not returning next semester, make sure to return your Tutor Tool Kit by 5 p.m. Friday, May 12. Failure to do so could result in a charge on your U-Bill.

Please remind your students to turn in their Student Evaluation of Tutoring forms. Each student has been sent a green evaluation form to be completed and returned to the NDIL office. As always, if you are interested in seeing the evaluation of your sessions, please let me know.

We are still accepting applications for the job of Tutela editor. If you are interested, please let me know soon. This is a paid position that will allow you to flex your creative muscles.

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Well, the time has come again. Spring has sprung and the end of the semester has rolled around. We are all setting up for some changes. For some, this simply means getting yourself and your students through finals. For others, this spring means new homes, new jobs, even new lives. No one can deny that spring brings about notions of renewal, rethinking, and transition. We here at Tutela thank and congratulate all you tutors for a year well done. With your dedicated effort, great things have been accomplished. We send our best wishes and hope you have a wonderful spring.

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In the past year, I have had a special opportunity, as Tutela's editor, to work very closely with Melissa Bonstead-Bruns. Like she's been for many other tutors, Melissa has been a mentor, guide, and friend to me. She's a lifeline when tutoring just isn't going right, a sounding board in times of frustration, an information provider when ideas are needed. And, amazingly, she has filled all these roles with a graceful air and a welcoming smile. So, this Tutela issue, we thank you, Melissa, and read with interest of your future plans and reflections of your time spent here with us.

Christi: Tell us a little bit about your position at Eau Claire.

Melissa: I have accepted a faculty position in the Sociology and Anthropology Department at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire. I will be teaching Introduction to Sociology and Social Class and Inequality. I'm very excited about returning to the classroom. I have found that teaching is my passion.

Christi: Do you think this will be your "real" (permanent) job?

Melissa: I certainly hope so! Honestly, I don't know if I'll stay in Eau Claire forever, but I do feel that this is my "calling," so to speak. I love working with college students, I enjoy the research I do, and I get a great feeling that in some small way, I'm making a difference in the world.

Christi: We tutors have always appreciated your easygoing, friendly, and laid-back nature. How do you think this will serve your teaching/ researching at the University of Wisconsin?

Melissa: Well, I thank you for the compliment. I imagine that those close to me would tell a much different story--I have been known to "Worf-out" from time to time (those of you who are not Star Trek fans will have to figure that one out on your own!). Anyway, in answer to your question, I think that the attitude you may be sensing is just my enjoyment of working with students--especially the tutors I've had the pleasure of working with at NDIL. Everywhere I go, I brag a little bit about the tutors that I have had the privilege of working with--the cream of the crop, I always say. They have been an inspiration for me as I've worked to complete my own studies.

Christi: What will be your fondest memories of NDIL? Of Iowa City?

Melissa: My fondest memories of NDIL will definitely be of the people. I've made some great friends here, both students and staff. My fondest memory of Iowa City would be The Great Midwestern Ice Cream Company on March 23, 1992--the night I met my husband. That's definitely a fond memory.

Christi: What have you liked the most about working with tutors?

Melissa: That's easy. I'll never forget the first time that a tutor came into my office and told me the reason she wanted to tutor was because she just loved chemistry. This has become a common occurrence and no longer surprises me. It's probably my favorite thing about working with the tutors. Before starting at NDIL I had been teaching and, I must admit, there were times when I felt like students just didn't care about education anymore. Having the experience of working with the tutors at NDIL and knowing that there are students out there who are passionate about their education, will have a great impact on my approach to teaching in the fall.

Christi: What was your most memorable moment from being the tutor coordinator for NDIL?

Melissa: Well, there was the student who called me at 4 p.m. on the night before the last day of finals week, wanting a tutor for the following morning. I don't think I'll forget that moment too soon! Seriously though, I think I'll remember the many smaller moments--tutors sharing with me their latest successes (and near misses), students stopping me on the street to tell me how much they have been helped by their tutor, the occasional e-mail I get from tutors telling me how a tutoring experience has touched them in some way, and other moments like that. It's been very rewarding.

Christi: If you could change one thing about your years in Iowa City, what would it be? (How many years have you been here?)

Melissa: I have been in Iowa City for eleven years, and I have been a graduate student the whole time. I think that's the one thing I would change. I let myself get pulled away from my studies and finishing my dissertation. It was this job and my experience working with the tutors that finally got me back on track. There were many times when I truly felt put to shame by a tutor who came in expressing their excitement and enthusiasm over a class or a project. It prompted me to get back in gear and get finished. I now have nearly 150 pages of my dissertation written and only have a small portion left to finish! I'm very happy about that!

Christi: If you could take one part of Iowa City with you to Wisconsin, what would it be?

Melissa: The water, most definitely. Just kidding, of course. I love Iowa City and I know I will miss it a lot. I love the flowering trees in the spring and the leaves in the fall. I love the variety of people you can see strolling the ped mall. I love the beauty of the campus and supportiveness of the campus community. I've made a lot of friends here. I know I'll miss them all very much.

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Each year NDIL likes to present some "special" awards to tutors who have demonstrated supreme leadership, talent, or the ability to brighten our day. So, without further adieu...

The "Most Referrals of Potential Tutors" Award: Brian Wissink (Academic Planning Counselor/Ace Tutor Recruiter)

The "Most Enthusiastic Tutor" Award: Scott Therkelsen (Who, even with all that paperwork, always managed a smile.)

The "Above and Beyond" Award: Lisha Duarte (Who tirelessly went the extra mile for her students.)

The "Most Requested Tutor" Award: Tron Woods (For the second year in a row!)

The "Save the Day" Award: Keita Kashiwagi and Kate Weil (Who let Melissa twist their arms into taking just one more student...)

The "Gee, I forgot my Tutoring Report Again" Award: Shannon Mulder (Who was so creative in coming up with alternative Tutoring Report forms.)

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We would like to extend a special thank you to Christina Johnson, our Tutela editor. Christi's articles, interviews, and other contributions have demonstrated her high standards of excellence, her passion for education, and her warped sense of humor. She has been a pleasure to work with and will be missed when Tutela goes into production for the next issue. Thanks again, Christi!

Two other individuals are deserving of special thanks. They are Jill Nowadzky and Christy Thies, our two student clerks. The office would not function nearly as smoothly without them. Thanks for all your hard work. It's greatly appreciated!

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The staff at NDIL would like to recognize our graduating seniors. Unfortunately, we don't have access to information letting us know which of you is actually graduating. So, we have opted, instead, to honor our senior tutors whom we have tried to identify to the best of our ability. Please forgive us if we have overlooked one or two or incorrectly included you in this list. Congratulations to all our graduating seniors!

 

Juan Adams Samantha Ament Aman Aminzay Casandra Baxter-Moyer Merideth Bentley Matthew Bowersox Wendy Broekema Michael Carney Jolie Chrisman Renee Finnell

Menelaos Hantzeas David Henderson Joseph Henderson Jia Tyan Hu Wing Im Dina Iovinelli Vasilios Kalantzis Tsung-Lu Lee Katherine Lindstrom Michael Lynskey

Michael Manelli Meghan McClimon Christina Quick Abigail Roscum Michael Rysz Bret Schafbuch Jill Scheibel Jessica Sindel Deepa Thimmaiah Tisa Thomsen

Jana Tibben Michael Tracy Linh Tran Emily Van Heukelom Monica Wagner Katherine Weil Richard Wolfe Tron Woods

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By Terry Ishitani

Finals Week is just around the corner, and some of you may start feeling blue over whether you will do well. Back in my days at Florida State, I had a roommate who never studied and got great grades. While he kicked back, I was studying hard for my psychopathology class by memorizing all the symptoms for schizophrenia patients. It was such a discouraging moment when I found out that he did better than I did on the final exam for what I thought was a horrendous, horrific, depressing, and stifling course!

Since my roommate was an ex-president of a fraternity, I thought I could join his house and lead an "Animal House" lifestyle. Maybe they had test files for Pychopathology II! Instead, I developed my own self-talk dialogue regarding tests. Even though, used properly, tests can be stimulating, enlightening, and even fun, they have been placed in the controlling, stereotyping, emotionally disturbing, and left-brained oriented world. Let's think about the real purpose of tests.

Why are you being tested?

First, you and your students are not being tested as people but on your understanding or particular knowledge of subjects as defined by people who are considered to be knowledgeable or to be experts in the field. Poor test scores can result from a number of reasons. You might have studied the wrong things, or you might have spent too much time on things that were not as important. You might have misread the test questions. You might not have felt well on the exam day. You just might be better at essay tests than multiple choice tests. A bad test score does not mean that you are a bad person. A bad score on a test will not predict how successful you will be in your future career.

Tests are just another form of indicator. They are meant to measure your progress in understanding certain material based on a standard subjectively defined by the expert. Tests are designed to give you information to help you adjust your study process. Tests are also used to divide the course material into sections, which makes it easier to study and focus on less information.

Here are some test taking strategies for both you and your students:

Scan the test before you answer anything. This helps you think about the material and the point value of each question. Then try to budget your time for each question.

Read the directions carefully. Never assume that you know what the directions say.

Answer the easy questions first. This will boost your confidence and help you go through the difficult questions.

Go back to the difficult questions. Some questions may require you to answer in sequence, but keep in mind how to answer the difficult questions while answering the easy questions. Don't spend too much time on one difficult question while you have ten more questions to answer.

Try to answer the questions from the instructor's point of view. Try to remember what your instructor emphasized in class. Sometimes instructors give you more information than what is in the textbooks or their own words. Try to remember the items instructors emphasized in the classroom.

Circle key words in the questions. This will help you focus on central points.

Try to reflect each time you study, "Am I doing the best I can today to study for this test?" Learning is not an event, but a process. So focus on the process of your study. Academic planning counselors are excellent resources to contact when you see your students not doing their best. Alas, I don't even remember my actual score on the final exam for that psychopathology class. I vaguely remember my roommate got a few points higher than I did, but it was a big deal back then. I just finished my dissertation last month which has absolutely nothing to do with psychopathology and I am defending it next month before seven members of my committee. Compared with my dissertation defense, I now feel my trauma over the psychopathology final to be trivial. I only wish I had known it was just a prelude to many more academic challenges.

Academically yours,

Terry Ishitani

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We all know that summer is the time for relaxing, drinking lemonade, and taking frantic car/plane/bus/train trips with family and friends. Well, if you have the time, you may want to include some of these stellar (and real) pairs of destinations on your itinerary.

10) Spice, WV and Bland, VA

9) Mobile, AL and Still, ND

8) Laurel, IA and Hardy, IA

7) Bright, IN and Dull, TN

6) Nursery, TX and Doctortown, GA

5) Fred, LA and Ginger, TX

4) Clear, AK and Cataract, WI

3) Merry, AL and Sober, PA

2) Peculiar, MO and Normal, KY

And the Number 1 travel pair is..... Hamburg, IA and Cheesequake, NJ

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